Terracotta design project

Course Guide: Mr. Mangesh Afre Submitted: Ravi Ratnam Course Duration: 6 weeks 3rd semester, UG 2009-10

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF CRAFTS AND DESIGN Jaipur

Contents •

About iicd

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Course Abstract

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Profile of the Artisans

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Assignment: 1

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Clay making Process

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Visit to ‘Baswa’

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Assignment: 1

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Assignment: 2

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Assignment: 3

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Assignment: 4

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Tools used

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Firing

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Acknowledgement Ravi ratnam/Design project-Terracotta/iicd/2009

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ABOUT IICD Institute of Crafts and Design is an autonomous institute of excellence, set up by the Government of Rajasthan, to act as a catalyst for the crafts sector. Presently, the institute is being managed by the Ambuja Educational Institute (AEI) under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. It is also recognized as a nodal center for excellence in the area of Crafts and Design. The Institute is in continuous process of building up facilities of high order to support these recognitions.

The central idea of the Institute is to evolve a sustained programme of growth and development of both craftsperson and craft sector in an integrated manner. It seeks to generate requisite knowledge upgrade relevant skills and foster right attitude in order to develop high quality, motivated human resource and change agents, in a vibrant climate of experimentation and innovation.

The Indian Institute of Crafts and Design has been set up to function as a research, knowledge and skill based Institute that makes craft sector contemporary and relevant in the present macro economic scenario. The main programmes of the Institute are Education, Training & Outreach, Research & Documentation and Advisory & Consultancy Services.

The Mission of the Institute is: “To evolve a sustained programme of growth and development of both craft sector and craftsmen in an integrated manner i.e. to generate requisite knowledge, to upgrade relevant skills and to foster right attitudes in order to develop high quality, motivated human resource and change agents in a vibrant climate of experimentation and innovation.�

A synergy between the traditional knowledge and skill set with contemporary requirements has to evolve.

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COURSE ABSTRACT

Clay feels soft and pliable in your hands. Pick up a lump of it, let your fingers respond to its plasticity, and you pinch and poke, the clay seems to have a life of its own, to which your fingers respond. Perhaps you will find yourself forming a human figure, an animal, or a small pot. Clay has certain characters which are as under….

• Clay is a basic material which is available every where on earth.

• You can give any shape to clay.

• Clay is such a sensitive material that you can take impressions of finger prints.

• Clay is the only material in which when you are working you do not need any tool other than your fingers.

• One can make a small toy to a house for living.

FOCUS:

Visualizing concept and implementing these concepts in terracotta. This was basic focus of the project to develop new product ideas.

OBJECTIVES:

Sensitization towards material and developing skills for concept generation & implementation of the same by working closely with the artisan.

CONTENTS:

Understanding the different methods of forming, using Clay like Throwing, Slab working, Coiling, Pinching, etc. and using them to explore different forms.

• Exploring other possibilities/ methods of forming Clay.

• Learning different techniques of creating surfaces • Creating surface texture and finishes.

• Firing and converting clay into ceramic.

• Generating own Brief and working on the same for concepts development.

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METHODLOGY:

First Week –working in controlled environment, implementing any natural form in clay to understand properties and techniques needed for the same.

Second to Fifth Week - working in the field with the artisans to Develop skills, Generate new product concepts and Prototyping.

Sixth Week - Making document of the whole process.

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INTRODUCTION

This was a design project in terracotta. this is seven week design project. We build our skills further from the basics. In which we had gone to a place named DAUSA 55km away from jaipur and there we stayed in khadi bagh

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PROFILE OF THE ARTISANS Our artisans lived in ‘Dausa’ district in a village named Pichupada Kala (kumharo ka mohalla). Pottery was there ancestral work. All of the generations practised pottery. There children also do work and also study in schools.

Their work in teraacotta is mainly restricted to making ‘kullahrs’ and ‘matkas’ for the local markets. This is because of many reasons like- lack of demand/orders, lack of awareness, poor communication with outside market, transportation, poverty, etc.

Name: Amar singh ji Age : 30 yrs.

Name: Chhitarmal ji Age : 35 yrs.

Name: Ashok prajapati ji Age: 22yrs

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ASSIGNMENT : 1

AIM:- To replicat a natural form into a utility product using basic skills and technique of terracotta and prototype should be a hollow mass.

OBJECTIVE:

 Replication of natural from to terracotta (replicating texture, form etc.)  To work on various possibility of terracotta.  To work on various possibility of terracotta.

PROCESS:• • • • •

First we search natural form existing nature.

After discussion natural was selected to be replicated in terracotta.

After selection line drawings were done in different dimension.

Keeping the dimension in mind a utility product was to be were upon.

After brain storming I selected my product to were a bottle container.

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FINAL PROTOTYPE

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VISIT TO BASWA

BASWA, A town in dausa district, where a large amount of potter work on large scales production basis. They usually make

diya, matka, agarbatti stand, gamla, chilam, kulhar etc. They sellout there made products in various parts of rajasthan. They use glaze firing in which prepare the glaze on the on. Manually bitting the glass bottle. The use tradition method of firing in which the manually setup furnish with wood and wood shavings etc.

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CLAY MAKING PROCESS

First the hard clay is beaten into small particles.

The hard beaten clay is submerged into a tank full of water one fourth more than clay.

The clay is mixed thoroughly in water.

A bed of ash 2-3mm thick is put so that clay does not sticks with the ground.

The mixture is left for 2-3 hrs to mix properly into a thick solution.

After this the unwanted hard particles are removed from the clay.

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The clay is left overnight to dry.

Partially dried clay.

After the required drying the clay is kneeded well.

Clay ready to be worked on potters wheel.

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ASSIGNMENT : 2 AIM:- To work a symmetrical form and to visualize a suitable surface for it.

OBJECTIVE: To develop skills.  To understand various possibility of material.  To visualize various surface for different symmetrical form.

PROCESS:• First of all I sketch various symmetrical form which could be possible can be made on wheel.

• After finalizing one, the form was made on wheel.

• After this it was left for leather hard drying.

• Till the time I explore various surface: -

A. For my first exploration I took inspiration from cut mountains.

Process:-

1.on the symmetrical form I placed clay slabs one after the other on leather hard drying.

2.I repeated this process four times.

3. After drying the last layer to the leather hard stage I remove some parts of the slab from some of the layer at different places.

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PROTOTYPE

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B. For the next exploration I used plastic straw(pipes) and small pieces and cover with clay and stick it to the required surface at different places

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C.In the next exploration I took inspiration from the bark of the tree.

Process:-

1.Firstly I stick torn pieces of paper on the surface.

2. I applied a thick cote of slurry.

3.After drying to the leather hard I stick torn pieces of clothes on the surface. Again I applied a thick cote of slurry.

4.After this I stick torn pieces of polythin on the surface. I applied a thick cote of

slurry.

5.After drying to the leather hard stage some part of polythin, cloth, and paper were remove partly and fully.

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D. In the next exploration I took inspiration from the withered out pieces of walls.

Process:-

1. Firstly I stick torn pieces of paper on the surface. I applied a thin cote of slurry.

2. I repeated this process six times.

3. After drying leather hard stage tern pieces of paper were removed fully.

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FINAL PROTOTYPE

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ASSIGNMENT : 3 AIM:- To cut/divide a symmetrical form so that it is complete in its on way.

OBJECTIVE:   

To develop skills.

To understand various possibility of material.

To visualize section of particular form.

To connect the individual section from each other from the parent form

PROCESS:• Firstly the sketches of symmetrical form that could be possible in when were made and analyze further by cutting/divid ing them into various section.

• After this the cut section were visualize in such a manner that they become independently complete.

• Keeping in mind that all the section should be related with the parent form.

• Final per sketched down.

• After the selection of the form it was made on wheel.

• After this I made the required the section by using various method of terracotta like coiling, pinching slab method. I completed the cut sections and related them to the parent form.

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SKETCHES

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FINAL PROTOTYPE

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ASSIGNMENT : 4

AIM:- To combine visualization and skills to create a utility product which represent our inner self.

OBJECTIVE:   

To develop skills.

To understand various possibility of material.

To able to convert ideas thoughts and pleasures into three dimensional form.

To some of all the learning by far now.

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List of Terracotta products: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Oil Lamps Pots and Matka Decorative pots Toys Scrubber Sculptures Murals Images of Gods and Goddesses Gullak Dhupada Suraahi Platters Kullhadh Containers Tiles Bowls Agarbatti Stand Lamps/ Lanterns Decorative bells Bird rest Chillum Karwa Candle stand Wall hangings Urli Ravi ratnam/Design project-Terracotta/iicd/2009

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2. List of the pleasure • • • • • • •

Watching movies Eating non-veg food Talking to friends Help Listen music Gardening Sleeping

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3. After brain storming I selected Protection from the list of my pleasure and further elaborated it in terms of thoughts

4. List of protection

a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) 6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

5. After this I listed down the aspects which cover protection in nature Nest Holl of snakes Small bushes covering large trunks of trees Egg shell Mother kangaroo protecting her baby in the pouch Coconut shell Jack fruit Small children walking by holding hands After brain storming I selected jack fruit.

Keeping the concept jack fruit I visualize form that could possibly be converted to a utility product.

After further discussion I decided to work on container.

After finalizing the concept I made the form on wheel After this I stick the thorns replicating the surface of the jack fruit.

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SKETCHES

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FINAL PROTOTYPE

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TOOLS

Wooden tool

Comb tool used scratching

Metal blade

Marking tool

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FIRING

There are mainly two types of firing, one is electrical and other is traditional.

ELECTRICAL FIRING

It is automatically operated just has to set the time and temperature. electrical firing is generally used for uniform heating. there is comparatively less loss of temperature as compared to gas firing. The size of the furnace was 18 x 18 x 18 inches. it has automatic temperature controller. we had set the temperature of 800 degrees celcius. it takes almost 8 hrs. to turn terracotta into ceramics. The same time is required for colling down of the ceramic wares.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to give my gratitude to Mr. Mangesh Afre, our course faculty for guiding us throughout the course. I would also extend my thanks to our craftsperson Ashok prajapati ji, Amar sing ji and chhittarmal ji.

And i would also like to thank our dean Mr. Yunus Khimani, for providing us with this course.

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