Investigating art through material and temperature. Pedagogical practices around expanded ceramics

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to offer considerations on the technical, conceptual, and methodological prospects posed by the concept of "Expanded Ceramics" in investigations related to materials and temperature. Our study object is based on the teaching practice developed in the Graduate Seminar "Material-Temperature Relationship" of the Specialization in Contemporary Graphic Ceramics in the Department of Visual Arts at the National University of the Arts (UNA). The seminar proposes a space for the problematization of the concept of ceramics based on the development of materiality and its transformation, analyzing and exploring the chemical composition of the materials used and the correlation between these elements and temperature, understanding this link as a fundamental element to experiment and comprehend different ways of acting in the ceramic process. To bring the reader closer to the experiences performed, we present the reflections of students on the following topics: Paperclay, Body-Surface, Bio Art and No-Bake Ceramics. With an experimental approach, the proposal is based on a materiality-related axis, while exploring and expanding the limit of ceramic materials that have been used in traditional art education settings. Thus, ceramics acquire a new dimension, while we expand the historical disciplinary concept of traditional ceramics and delve deeper into the expressive possibilities of diverse and contemporary materiality.