Monday Night Clay | Winter
Ceramics | Available
A mixed-level class for beginner to intermediate students with Kirk Allen. You will learn varied clay techniques: wheel throwing, hand building, slab rolling, and more. The instructor will work with the students in the class to decide where their interests lie and what they would like to learn! Students will walk away from this class with a greater understanding of ceramics as a whole and a feeling for the direction they would like to take in their work.
Christian DeLamielleure
Christian Teaches: Wheel Throwing
Our deepest humanity is found in our ability to solve problems associated with making our work better. We become the active agents rather than passive consumers of mechanical, generic solutions. This is why people seek out the experience of creating ordinary objects and why the market for these objects continues to exist even though a machine can crank out millions of copies for a fraction of the cost. It has become unusual for one person to start with a raw material and oversee the design, manufacture, and distribution of an object.
I enjoy making 3-D functional objects which incorporate Art Nouveau themes and shapes. Inspired by the thinking of William Morris, I see my pieces as a means for users to connect in a tactile way with their environment. While modern production techniques don’t allow for the character of the maker to show through, traditional methods necessitate it. Since we live in an increasingly homogenized world, the role of handmade objects has changed from the strictly utilitarian to an enhancement of our physical surroundings. More than decoration, handmade objects change the way we interact with our world. The feel of life is enhanced by objects that tell a story.
Christian is an instructor of wheel throwing and handbuilding classes at 171. He loves to teach students how to “throw big!”