Melody Weintraub

While looking for a clay slab project, I came across an article about the work of Louise Nevelson. The article mentioned her use of found objects from the streets of New York. I decided she would be the perfect artist to inspire my students in exploring textures and themes through the construction of a clay slab assemblage.

Seeing the World Around Us
Since much of Nevelson’s work explores abstract themes rooted in her complex early life, I asked students to base their own designs on personal themes they could relate to as well. By drawing this connection between Nevelsonʼs work and their own experiences and culture, students became more engaged and focused.

Criteria
After a short presentation of Nevelson’s work, I distributed the following criteria for students to reference while constructing their clay assemblages:

• Choose a theme from the following: Sustainability/Decay, Things Forgotten/Things Found.
• Create a texture for the base of the slab.
• Attach (score and slip) at least five different textured pieces to the slab.
• Create three visible layers.
• Create at least one unique relief texture.
• Use at least one natural object to create texture.

Learning about Nevelson and creating their own personal designs added a much-needed layer to this assignment.

Simple Materials Work Great
We start the unit with finger-knitting, making a short “rope.” This simple process gives students a quick understanding of how the loops intersect and repeat.

Next, students make their own knitting needles out of wooden dowels. They sharpen one end in a pencil sharpener, a method that is budget-friendly for the underfunded art teacher, and a useful mini project in itself. Students sand the dowels to be silky-smooth, so the yarn won’t catch as it slides across the needle. Finally, a wooden or plastic bead is glued to the blunt end. I’ve found that wooden needles generally work better for beginners than metal ones. They’re less slippery and stitches are less apt to accidentally fall off, preventing student frustration. (Note that the width of the dowel will change the gauge of the knit; I use 3/16" or about the equivalent of a size 7 needle.) Accessories can be made out of other found objects. For example, a paperclip bent to a “V” shape makes a good cable hook. It’s great for students to see that they can use modified simple materials to achieve their goals.

Ideation and Themes
Students explored the themes listed and sketched ideas of what those themes might look like. Using their sketches, they created texturized stamps on easy-cut linoleum blocks. They also explored using clay tools, rubber blocks, old jewelry, natural objects, and drawn textures to add details to the surface of their clay.
Once students had a rough idea for their slab design, I gave them each two pounds of clay that I had kept sealed in a plastic bag.

Relax and Repeat
I demonstrated how to roll out a slab and use the score-and-slip method to attach additional pieces of clay. Students rolled their slabs between flat rulers, making the clay about as thick as two yardsticks stacked together, but no thinner than a pencil. I also showed them how to trim the clay using a needle tool or wooden skewer.
After reviewing the list of criteria, students began texturizing the base of their tiles. I reminded them often to score and slip as they added layered pieces, encouraging them to work slowly and deliberately.

Firing and Finishing Touches
Once the slab assemblages were complete, students placed them on canvas cloths and covered them with a second cloth for the first day of drying to prevent the edges from curling while they dried. The assemblages were uncovered the following day and left to dry five more days before firing.

After firing, students had plenty of choice for how to finish their work. Some students used glaze, while others spray-painted or applied acrylic paint. (Spray-painted or acrylic painted assemblages should not be re-fired.)

Learning about Nevelson and creating their own personal designs added a much-needed layer to this assignment. And the rhythm of the process—rolling the clay, scoring, smoothing, etc.—gave students a perfect moment of quiet focus.

Materials

• easy-cut linoleum blocks
• linoleum gougers (for carving new linoleum blocks)
• 2 lbs. of low-fire clay (04–05) per student, white or terracotta
• one slip cup per two students
• plastic forks and knives
• old toothbrushes (optional for applying slip)
• needle tools or wooden skewers, clipped to the length of a pencil
• pencils
• rubber stamps, screws or other tool hardware, old jewelry, shells, etc. for pressing textures
• paper plate or square of canvas cloth for a work surface, one per student
• low-fire glazes (04–05) in a variety of colors
• glaze brushes

Melody Weintraub is a retired middle-school art educator and an art education supervisor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. melodyweintraub@gmail.com; melodyweintraub.com

Textured Assemblages