Casting the Bottle

Many things could be causes unsatisfactory casting. Besides the technique problems also the batch of material either the slip or the plaster. The problems usually the clay stick to surface mold, the thickness takes very long time or cracks on body surface.

We have to different the composition of plaster and water each technique making a certain mold, for press molding, jiggering, jelloying or slip casting. The proportion of plaster and water for slip casting usually 110-130:100. If too much plaster to water the mold has low absorption to the slip, while too little the mold has high absorption but not practical. Because the mold will quick saturated, therefore used several times only.

Slip casting just suite for the high firing. May be the low firing could be, but not practical because not effective and efficient for production. As general the simple formula for slip casting: stoneware clay, ball clay and kaolin. For deflocculent agent, add water glass.

Simple formula:

- Stoneware clay: 60%

- Ball clay: 10%

- Kaolin: 30%

- Water glass: 0.4-0.8%

- Water: 40-50% of weight the clay.

To modified the formula above can add feldspar, quartz, talc or whiting (non plastic material). All can quicker the thickness of the piece.

1. Pour the slip

2. Pour the slip back

3. Put the mold 45 degree

4. Wait until separate to the mold

5. Release each part of mold

6. All released

7. Trim the sphere

8. Final result

Make a Large Bowl (Hand Wheel Technique)

2. Press the rim firmly

1. Put a large clay and make a hole

3. Use both hand to lift the clay

4. Wider the edge

5. Getting wider

6. To steady wider press firmly from the inside

8. Final result

7. Use the hand to make steady

The pictures of above to demonstrate the making of large bowl by hand wheel. Many technique for making a large bowl, depends on habit and practical of the maker. For this technique the clay must soft enough and doesn't need much water to make the pot. In Indonesia, the ceramic craftsmen usually use soft cloth to help lifting the clay in throwing, not sponge or bare hands.

The pictures was taken in traditional ceramic center at Jatiwangi, Jawa Barat, Indonesia. From Bandung it takes 2,5 hours by bus. Jatiwangi is well known of roof tile in Indonesia. The quality of strength is especially liked by most people. Recently the prestige of the roof tile loosed by artificial roof, because more practical and cheaper. I think Jatiwangi needs revolution or drastic orientation changes in paradigm. The clay not just for roof tile but they can be more valuable economically as well esthetic of form.

The Second Jakarta Contemporary Ceramic Biennale, 2012

The second Jakarta Contemporary Ceramic Biennale was held on December 21 - January 20 2012 at Museum of Ceramic and Nort Art Space, Jakarta, Indonesia. The participants are from many countries, totally 46 artists. 

The aim of the Jakarta Contemporary Ceramic Biennale II, through the theme "Crafting Identity, is to attempt to engage in discourse about identity. "Crafting" refers to the practise of creating works using one's craftmanship abilities. Here, "Crafting Identity" is intended to mean any craft practise exercised to create an "identity". 

In addition to identity issues regarding the forms and techniques of ceramics, the issues of identity within the curatorial of "Crafting Identity" can be specified further. Issues range from Identity and its connection with discourses of spirituality, discourses of body and gender, discourses of art and memory, the culture of consumption (consumer culture), it's relation to production in work culture, historical reference, postcolonial condition, diaspora experience, locally and globality; and urban/industrial experience.The description of above is the quote of curatorial statment of Sujud Dartanto (Exhibition Curator). For further information you can visit the blog jakartacontemporaryceramic.wordpress.com

Tok Yu Xiang, Singapore

Micheal J. Doolan, Australia

Antonio S. Sinaga, Indonesia

Natas Setiabudhi, Indonesia

Vipoo Srivilasa, Australia-Thailand

I Made Arya Palguna, Indonesia

Maman Rikin, America-Indonesia

 Esnur Fauziana, Indonesia

Maria Bosch Perich, Spain

Tour of Ceramic Village (Plered, West Java)

Menuju tempat pengolahan tanah liat

Seorang local guide sedang menerangkan proses pengolahan tanah liat

Tungku bak.

Seorang perajin sedang loading produknya menggunakan tungku bak

Kunjungan mahasiswa ke salah satu perajin di sana

Sudut sebuah workshop di Plered

Sudut sebuah workshop di Plered

Diskusi antara perajin dan staf pengajar dari Kriya keramik ITB

Recently, we visited to ceramic village at Plered, Purwakarta City, West Java province. We are as a group of college students kriya keramik of ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology). They were 16 students and accompany by 4 lectures. From Bandung to Plered it takes 1 hour and half by bus. This activity is one of the program to the students for introducing the method of traditional ceramic makers. They have a good craftmanship and sometimes find a way that was unthinkable by students. They were introduced the common technique and facilities in some places. Looking around the clay sources and learning how to produce the workable clay by simple machine. And then came to the production places saw the facilities like the kilns, simple press machine and tools, etc.  

Plered is well known as a community of decorative ceramic. The forming technique what they use are pinching, coiling, press molding and throwing. But the most popular technique is throwing. To fire the pot they use woods as a fuel. The kiln is very traditional, just used red bricks for the construction and at the bottom there are some fire pits to put the fuel. Five years ago they have supporting from the goverment for the kiln. They got some modern kilns, used ceramic fibre and stell construction, but the fuel still from the woods. They don't use the plate for stacking and the glaze for the color, so the wares just stacked each others. For the colors they use paint (thinner base). What the carpenter or car painter need for their works also done by decoration man in the ceramic village.  

In Plered threre are 3 regions that have different uniqueness for each,  i.e. decorative ceramic (Anjun village), traditional vessel (Lio village), and vase specialities (Gunung cupu village). They use earthenware clay and will be red when fired.The products besides for the local market, they usually export. The destination are the middle east, Europe and America. The products are decorative ceramic only and mostly  flower pot and vase.

JAF Gallery, Jatiwangi

Ahadiat Joedawinata, Bandung

Hendry "Henk Henk" Herres, Bandung

Natas Setiabudhi, Bandung

Nia Gautama, Jakarta

Endang Lestari, Yogyakarta

Nita, Majalengka

Tisa Granicia, Bandung

From 9th until 16th Nov 2012, I had a group exhibition at JAF gallery, Jatiwangi, Indonesia. The exhibition is one of part Ceramic Music Festival 2012 program series. Besides that, there are workshops, colossal musical, and seminar. Jatiwangi is one of city in West Java and well known for traditional roof tile center (local people say genteng). JAF stands for Jatiwangi Art Factory, a community base on art, education, social, and culture. The program almost always involves the local people.

In mind of most people of Indonesia, Jatiwangi is center of traditional craftsmens of roof tile. They are the pragmatic people, just making, offering and selling the products. They don't concern properly about knowledge and intellectual content. So the JAF broke the paradigms, making an alternative community. The last 4 years, many contemporary artists came to JAF for making activity, workshops and collaborating with the local people, either from Indonesia or abroad. 

The exhibition participants from various city in Indonesia, such as Bandung, Jakarta, Jogjakarta, and Jatiwangi. At least 10 participants. The art works are the contemporary ceramic in Indonesia. The clay that we used are eathenware (local clay) and stoneware.        

Me and friends (opening ceremony)

Landscape #2, My Solo Exhibition

This is my first solo exhibition. The exhibition was held in S 14 Gallery, Bandung, Indonesia, from 17 October until 7 November, 2012. For the art work, I made an ceramic installation, the space is filled by modules of cubes, almost the whole exhibition. There were two configurations for right and left sides, positive and negative polar. If each side is adjoined they become united or clop (mirror effect).

Actually my art work tell about a landscape of houses in urban environment. If you see from the top (bird view), the houses just like a simple form, the cube and the prism (pyramid) at the top. So I took the essence of the house form. 

I made 3 modules / form, i.e. positive, negative,and neutral. Then each module was repeated by certain numbers. The positive one is in left side, the negative one is in right side. Total modules are 665. I used white stoneware for the art work. Dimension of module are long 10 cm. wide 10 cm. and high 4-8 cm. I used zircon for opaque white glaze and fired to 1230 degree (celsius).

The gallery is quite small, 10 meters square. In Bandung, S14 is a well known alternative gallery. The owners are Herra Pahlasari and Aminuddin Siregar (a well respected curator and art writer in Indonesia).