On the Surface

Dip, brush, pour, scratch, paint—there are countless ways to adorn ceramics. Some techniques are studied and passed down for generations, while others are proprietary. Many formulas for glazes are hard-won secrets: measured, mixed, and tested over and over again to achieve a desired color or effect. From the mid-1900s to today, artists working in ceramics have continued to revise old methods and experiment with new ones, drawing inspiration from the world around them and pushing the boundaries of their medium. This exhibition presents seven different techniques for decorating ceramics—slip, sgraffito, unadorned, decals, texture, glaze, and painting—and the variety of approaches that artists have taken to each.

Emily Banas
Assistant Curator
Decorative Arts and Design

RISD Museum is supported by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and with the generous partnership of the Rhode Island School of Design, its Board of Trustees, and Museum Governors.