I’ve been using this phrase for a while now and some people have reacted with “cool, but how so?”. And honestly, I can’t blame them. I think it’s about time I rabbit-hole this one and make a short story long.
The short version: I was looking for a way to put my graphic skills to good use in another profession.
The long version? Well, read along.
By Jean-Luc MarengoMaking, Process
Nov
13
Treating Ceramics as if it were Graphic Design
Let’s roll back a bit or quite some.
In 2017 I started exploring my interest in art, mostly digital. I watched a lot of tutorials on how to create animation in Adobe After Effects. Eventually, I picked up Photoshop and Illustrator as well. I soon realized I wanted to switch my career from media production to graphic design. I fast-tracked my way into the world of graphic design and eventually got my first full-time job as a graphic designer in September 2020. In 2022 I decided I wanted to have a degree in graphic design and now I am en route to obtaining said degree, Bachelor of Art.
Somewhere in my first year of studying at the Willem de Kooning Art Academy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, I felt like I needed to find something to do besides graphic design. I decided I wanted to try out ceramics at the academy’s Material Station, and have never left since.
The first real class I had in ceramics was actually a Station Skill in which I learned to how make a plaster mold and the basics of slipcasting. I soon started experimenting on my own to figure out how to make more complex molds, like the ones I’ve seen on Instagram. These experiments, failures, and iterations resulted in a two-part mold of the PTTRN (pattern) Cup v1.
After I managed to produce a plaster mold that I was satisfied with, I started slipcasting the first view cups with stoneware and porcelain slip. Because of the high shrinkage rates of porcelain clay, I ended up with a product that was small enough to hold in my hand and held the right amount of liquid for morning coffee, tea, or latte.
Check out my website to see the items available or read more about the PTTRN Cup v1.
