Pit Firing Ceramics Dawn Whitehand

Last week i facilitated a pit firing workshop for a community project which is part of a group exhibition commemorating the work of landscape designer edna walling.

Pit firing ceramics dawn whitehand. 9780764341724 128 pages hardback 271 x 215 mm illustrations. Schiffer publishing 2013 isbn. Her text is the first to comprehensively explore the complex nature of pit firing based on historical evidence and the artistic perspectives of contemporary ceramicists. When digging for clues about an ancient society s culture nothing is more valuable to an archaeologist than ceramic remnants.

Dawn whitehand explains why. One of the exhibiting artists heather hesterman is creating an installation consisting of ceramic pinch pots en masse and plants referencing walling s love of constructing gardens. Raku firing is low fired glazed work fired in a kiln and removed while still hot and given post reduction treatment both have very results but both look great like like. My book is about pit firing which is firing works unglazed in the ground.

Many specialist texts discuss ceramics from an artistic craft based anthropological archaeological or historical viewpoint. Dawn whitehand explains why. Her text is the first to comprehensively explore the complex nature of pit firing based on historical evidence and the artistic perspectives of contemporary ceramicists.