The interplay between technique and form in contemporary ceramics

Abstract

This research adopts a theoretical framework that addresses the concept of form and technique in ceramic work. Technique is not merely a means of executing form, but rather an active structural element in its formulation. The research also examines the impact of technological development on reshaping the formal structure of ceramics, and the advanced glazes that have provided the artist with new formative possibilities, contributing to the production of unconventional ceramic forms. Furthermore, the research discusses the transformations witnessed by contemporary European ceramics, and the role of certain art schools, such as the Bauhaus and the British St. Ives School, in developing the concept of ceramic form and transforming it from a functional framework into a formative structure with aesthetic and expressive dimensions. The research also presents examples of works by contemporary ceramicists such as Hans Koper, Lucio Fontana, and Bernard Leach, who have contributed to expanding the boundaries of ceramic form and introducing it into the realm of sculpture and conceptual experimentation. The research concludes that the relationship between technique and form in contemporary ceramics is a dialectical and interactive one, where the techniques used influence the formulation of form and the determination of its structural and surface characteristics.