earth ware

Transcription

earth ware

earth ware
Design and Technical Development Workshop
Organised by
Ujwal Trust
at Srishti School of art Design and Technology
Sponsored by
Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts)
Ministry of Textiles
Government of India
March 2010
design & technical development workshop, at Srishti school of art, design & technology, march 2010
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Design & Technical Development
Workshp in Terracotta
acknowledgements
The Office of the DC (Handicrafts), Bangalore
Members of the Ujwal trust
Students, Faculty and Staff of Srishti School of Art, design and Technology
Participating Artisans
Vendors
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structure of project
This was a 15 day “training and design development project” with terracotta potters. It was Srishti’s
first project with the Development Commissioner Handicrafts - Ministry of Textiles. The sponsors
required a minimum 15 finished prototypes by the end of the project.
The dates for the workshop were - Feb 25 to March 12, 2010.
The prototypes were made by 30 skilled and semi-skilled terracotta artisans who worked with a
group of 10 students and a member of the faculty. The faculty here officially took on the role of the
‘designer’ as specified in the project description.
A wood fired kiln was constructed and made operational during the workshop. We delibeately did not
use prepared clay and made the process of clay preparation part of the process on campus.
Contact had been made with the artisans for about 3 weeks prior to the workshop and there had
already been a lot of collaborative concept generation during this period. This was taken more in the
spirit of time investment by the artisans rather than ‘paid’ time.
The central theme for the products had been mutually decided between the designer and the
artisans as being part of a “Micro Kitchen”.
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inauguration ceremony
The inauguration ceremony was held at the Srishti campus
on February 25 2010, Mr. Srinath delivered the inaugural
speech and the lamp was lit by the Ujwal Trust Chairperson,
Mrs. Anne Warrior as well as representatives of the artisan
community.
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the craft of terracotta
of the Gods. Some large retailers and exporters
do place orders but payments are not regular.
Luckily a new profession has also emerged
The history of terracotta is the history of mankind. Well – at least ever since fire was tamed.
Terracotta is a porous clay ware with an unglazed surface. Some terracotta samples found along the
River Nile are dated back close to 10,000 BC. There are many such stunning examples of terracotta
works from Egypt dated to be as early as 5,000 BC during the Mephite Period of 5,000-3,000 BC.
Some excavated terracotta pieces, which date back to around 3,000 BC, have been found in the
Indian subcontinent. This artwork then seems to have travelled to different parts of the world and
has been iconic to progress for a long time.
in the recent past, of the ‘craft teacher’. Many
schools and colleges in Bangalore offer pottery
as electives and some artisans get part time
jobs in these places. But jobs are not very easily
available as most schools prefer the English
speaking “studio” potter. The village has its share
of joys and sorrows like any other Indian village,
…. and life goes on.
Terracotta essentially comes from the locally available clay, is a good tell tale object for its
immediate geographical surrounding and hence a great find for the archeologist.
For this project, we worked with terracotta artisans from the nearby village of Narayanpur, which
is a sleepy little hamlet on the northern fringe of Bangalore . About a 300 years back when this
group of displaced potters migrated from coastal Andhra this was a large patch of semi arid land.
After independence this place was still part of Canara Rural belt but being close to the two main
roads - Chikkaballapur road and Doddaballapur road it got a lot of on going traffic that would stop
to shop at the village. Soon after it was officially listed under the Bettahalasura Village . The village
panchayat organized a weekly market to facilitate the sale of its clay ware and other artisans like
black smiths and jewellers took part. Since then the city of Bangalore developed hugely and focus
shifted to the city and industrial products. Even though general facilities like electricity, water etc.
improved, market for the local potters gradually dwindled. People started leaving the village in
search of jobs. Today most families in Narayanpura have at least one member working in the city to
make ends meet.
After various ups and downs the potters found a certain equilibrium when a group of families in
Narayanpura and a nearby village called Marasandra (under Doddaballapur) decided to stick to their
craft.
But life is hard as the margins are very low and the trade has become very seasonal. Deepawali
and Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival seasons are the best times to earn some money making images
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Ansuya
Byyanna
Chandrashekar
Gangadhar
Gangarathna
Gayathri N
Gayathri N R
Gopala Marasandra
Jayamma
Kanthamma
M Tamaya
Manjunatha
Mohan Kumar
Muni Krishnappa
Lakshmana
Sushilamma
Sunanda
Vishalamma
participants
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Muniraju
Nagamani
Nagarajappa
Nagaraju
Nagaraju C
Nagaraju M C
Nandish
Nanjamma
Narasimha
Narayanaswamy
Narayanappa
Rajappa
Ramanna
Ramkrishnappa
Shantamma
Srinivasa
Srinivasa
Yallamma
participants
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process
The process of making a terracotta object is complicated and in the village artisan, part of his
natural biorhythm.
a good product. Firing is usually done in a
Clay
themselves. And the fuel used is usually wood
The ability to source clay and monitor its composition is an essential and critical part in the quality
of the final terracotta pot. The clay is sourced from different places in the neighbourhood. One part
needs to be ‘bed’ clay. Which means it needs to be sourced from beds of dry or semi dry rivers or
kiln made of clay and bricks by the potters
and dry leaves. The firing time is about 6 to
12 hours depending on quantity. Temperatures
reached are about 550 to 750 depending on the
water bodies. This also means that there are seasons when they have to be collected and stored.
type of product.
This acts as the binder and adds to the tensile strength of the final product. The other part is usually
Packaging and Transport
top soil which is more easily available but due to rapid urbanization of villages it is getting harder to
source. This provides the main body of the clay. The third is usually sand or fine gravel which adds
compression strength and also helps in increasing porosity. Some other additives are also mixed
sometimes and they hugely vary from place to place depending on availability and application.
These include husk of rice, wheat or any other local crop, animal dung, ash, etc.
Mixing
The next job is to mix all these together in highly precise yet intuitive ways. These methods also
vary a lot from region to region. Moisture content and curing time are the two most critical parts of
this process. The main pounding is done by foot and hands are used at a later stage.
Making the Object
Third is the actual making which includes the wheel, coiling, pinching and now even plaster
moulding. Skill levels vary here too according to experience, clay quality and application. Like a
sculptor who specializes in creating temple embellishments will have a very different skill set from
a potter who makes utilitarian products. There has also been a lot of mixes of skills from different
cultural background. Like the angethi used in Kashmir to warm the body by wearing inside clothes
have used the mix of wicker basketry and terracotta.
There is also a fifth stage which is the packaging
and transport. A lot of breakage happens here
and can be avoided with judicious choice of
methods and material. The material usually
used here is hay or straw available from the
local crops. The forms of the products are
usually evolved and have an element of the way
they would be stacked. Earlier they would be
transported in bullock carts and the like which
has been now replaced by diesel power. Speed is
important here and so is waste control.
The whole process in most situations happen in
very stringent economic constraints and business
margins are pitifully low. This also demands a
lot of micro innovations which includes process,
technology, business strategies etc.
Firing
The fourth stage is the firing. This is also extremely critical as this can make or break (literally)
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design outline
To name a few, products that were planned
Have you ever wondered if there was a link between cooking and pottery and design. On the 1st
vessel, Terracotta Dry Pan, Water Jug, Bird
level it is obvious – well, you cook in pots and pots have to be made by potters and they need to
be designed well to cook better. The 2nd level also stands to logic – clay bodies are heat resistant
and can trap heat by being insulating. It is the 3rd level that forms the nerve centre of this project. It
is the rural potters’ indigenous technology. The technology that was born in the family. Technology
that came from the earth. Technology that stood the test of fire. The other technology that closely
simulates this is that of cooking. ….
This project is based on some 1st level research that showed a growing need for components for the
micro family and single householders (people living alone). The kitchen is an important part of this
household.
This section with high buying power is rapidly moving towards high tech gizmos that are resource
heavy to produce and their redundancy generates huge quantities of non-recyclable waste. The
other alternative is packed food and takeaways which in several ways are proving to be a health as
initially were : Mini Oven, Mini Grill, Fuel Saving
bath and Water Hole, Keep Warm Vessel, Clay
Baking Vessel, Charcoal Sandwich Toaster,
Mini Pizza Maker,Coffee Mug Keep warm, Large
keep warm vesel, Smokeless chullah or wood
stove cum charcoal storage,Smokeless chullah
cum charcoal maker, Smokeless wood oven cum
charcoal storage.
The product innovation was a collaborative
process between artisans, students and the
designer (also faculty).
There was an emphasis on “packaging” which
is not just creating the “box” but also on how to
well as environmental disaster - the food, the packaging et all.
accessorise the products for easy marketing.
Many large corporations of course are successfully keeping these demands alive and ever growing.
Finally one of the most important components
The project has put adequate need based emphasis on the rural kitchen, make-shift kitchens, small
entrepreneurs and street food vendors as well since the research included that and artisans were
a great source of information in this respect. We tried to also identify common needs between the
different kitchens and build on exchange/revival of value wherever feasible.
Terracotta being resource/planet friendly on one hand and a water and heat resistant material on
was documentation of the entire project, which
could include both just physical documentation
as well as use of the creative media to create
new forms, tracking different aspects of the craft
and its people.
the other has been positioned here as a solution provider. Also smaller batch production capability
makes it an attractive option to small entrepreneurs (potters) and experimental academic innovators.
The time line did not allow as much material exploration as we would have liked, on the part of the
students or the artisans.
The first two days were spent in preparing the clay and some exploration of form with some drawing
exercises. There were be some concept generation on the following products. Some of them
belonged to the “micro kitchen”. Some were closely related.
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concept & prototypes
birdbath & waterhole
DTDW-001
A bird bath and kitchen may not sound like
they are related but in the Indian rural setup
animal rearing is very much part of the extended
kitchen. Not only does it produce egg, milk, meat
etc. But also takes care of a lot of kitchen waste
in a very productive way. In fact one artisan once
commented - “an animal is perhaps the best
homecomposting unit ever built” (incidentally the
same group was once part of a composting unit
design team) This bird bath follows the barometer
principle where the water level does not go up
beyond a specific level as long as the vessel
does not have a hole.
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birdbath & waterhole
DTDW-009
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desktop air cooler
DTDW-002
This may sound like more of an urban gimick
than any kind of grass root innovation. The
design makes full use of the cooling property
of terracotta and also uses rejected parts of a
computer CPU - the cooling fan. The top and
inner part contains the water and the bottom
part C acts as the air chamber where the cool
air is circulated. Part B is where surface area
has been increased to enhance evaporation and
cool air is supposed to come out of the small
holes on the left. The cooling fans are sourced
from an organistion dedicated to recycling
e-waste. This however is not suited to places
where humidity is high so can only tackle dry
heat. BTW did you know that most of the heat in
urban cities comes from air conditioners?
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desktop air cooler
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elephant water jug
DTDW003
This is an experiment to develop a new embellishment technique where attempt
has been made to bring two artisans together. The terracotta potter and the
mehndi artist. A fine clay paste is made close to the consistency of mehndi and
filled into a ‘cone’ of the mehndi artist. The mehndi artist then uses it to decorate
a freshly made terracotta pot.
The form of the elephant is one of the closest
to the heart of this group of artisans as the
Ganesha festival is known to bring home
prosperity both in spirit and business as well (a
large part of their annual income comes from
selling idols of this deity) and seemed quite an
obvious choice to create a kitchen accessory.
The trunk of the elephant being a water carrier is
also taken as a symbol of something pure.
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elephant water jug
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food warmer
the cup warmer
DTDW-003
This is a single candle keep-warm unit that can
be used to keep various things warm like a cup
of coffee or a small bowl of ghee. It consists
of a semi closed terracotta chamber with an
aluminum sheet for the heating surface.
the food warmer
DTDW-003A
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the food warmer
The food warmer works on the insulating
property of terracotta.A metal vessel is placed
on the top part containing the food. About 2 or 3
short candles can be placed in the hollow in the
bottom part. A cover is optional, but is good for
conserving heat.It can be made in different sizes
and used for buffets.
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chapati tawa with or without holes
DTDW-004
variation with metal handle
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chapati tawa
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fuel saving cooking vessel
DTDW-005
This is another fuel saving vessel that uses a
typical baking dish with a central cone to have
better dispersal of heat at the center. The food
material itself here acts as the insulator and
the terra cotta acts more as an add-on handling
surface. In a charcoal fired version there can be
a cavity for feeding the charcoal.
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fuel efficient stove
DTDW-006
This is a simple design for optimising
fuel consumption. The tapering structure
of the stove provides all round heat as
opposed to direct heating from the
bottom. Food gets evenly cooked and
does not get burnt at the base.
The little cut-outs at the
bottom and top allow for the fire to
remain live and at the same time
reducing smoke outlet. Further, the
terracotta keeps the heat inside the
structure making the cooking process
fast and fuel efficient.
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fuel efficient stove
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egg boiler
DTDW-007
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egg boiler
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casserole
DTDW-008
The terracotta casserole is used to keep food warm. It uses the insulating property of terracotta.
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casserole
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bottle cooler
DTDW-009
The cool keeper acts as a bottle holder
and keeps the liquid inside the bottle
cool. Tettacotta by itself keeps it quite
cool but ice cubes can be in the space
between the wall of the cool keeper
and
the bottle to chill the liquid even more.
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bottle cooler
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idli steamer
DTDW-010
The idli maker attempts to bring
back the earthy organic aroma of
freshly steamed idlis.
The product comprises of four
components. The perforations on
the idli-plate allows the steam to
rise from the base to the upper
portion where the idlis
are steamed.
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idli steamer
This idli maker attempts to bring back the earthy
organic aroma of freshly steamed idlis. The
product comprises of four components. The water
boiling vessel, the two idli racks, the outer shell
and the lid. The perforations on the idli-plate
allows the steam to rise from the base to the
upper portion where the idlis are steamed.
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the tagine
DTDW-011
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the tagine
The tagine is used widely amongst the North
African countries like Morocco and Algeria.
The tagine’s dome shaped top facilitates the
condensation to return to the bottom of the
pot during the cooking process. The base is
thicker than the dome, so as to avoid the food
from burning during the cooking process. The
tagine is used to cook a dish of the same name,
which is a slow-cooked stew, braised at low
temperatures.
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momo steamer
DTDW012
It is a compact product, inspired by the function
of a rice cooker. It serves two to three people
depending on what one is cooking, may be
MOMO MAKER is a com
inspired
momos , vegetables , rice etc. The outer
terracotta shell acts as a steam trap. The cooked
food will have a distinct earthy aroma.
by the function of a coo
two to three people de
on what one is cooking
momos ,
vegetables , rice etc. The
the terracotta acts like a
The cooked food will ha
taste of the earthen pot
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momo steamer
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mini grill
DTDW-013
This is a charcoal fed mini-grill. Looks small, but with its high heat efficiency with the lid on you could
grill pretty fast. The hand operated air pump can be sold separately. And there will be notches for
skewers. Skewers, tongs and three charges of charcoal will be provided as accessories. Charcoal
could be partially substituted with wood chips and dry leaves.
The black dots in the main chamber
represent a metal mesh. And
there will be notches for skewers.
Skewers, tongs and a one time
charge of charcoal will be provided
as accessories. Charcoal could be
partially substituted with wood chips
and dry leaves.
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mini grill
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mini oven
DTDW014
A mini oven for two to three people depending
on what you are making. Could be a sponge
cake, cookies or meatloaf. The form evolves from
the “sambrani” stand
normally used for
religious festivals. Form was modified and scaled
up to accommodate a baking dish or the like.
The metal lid is also capable of holding a small
charge of charcoal for crust forming
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mini oven
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barbeque
DTDW-015
This portable barbecue can sit in your
kitchen and do the
job of a garden
barbecue.
The terracotta keeps
the heat locked in
and evenly cooks
your food.
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barbecue
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smokeless wood stove
DTDW-016
This is a smokeless wood and charcoal fired
oven. The apparatus consists of three parts,
the bottom which is the stove which is charged
with charcoal or wood. the mid section which
is the place where you put your cooking/baking
vessel. And the top part which is a charcoal or
wood storage space which also acts as a filter
for the smoke. The hot smoke escaping through
this gets purified and filtered with the wood or
charcoal and the wood or charcoal on the other
hand also gets enriched by the suit which is pure
carbon and can be used as fuel again.
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smokeless wood or charcoal stove
DTDW-017
This is another series of experiments to create
smoke reducing chullah or stove mainly for the
rural belts situated in and around the forested
or semi forested areas of the subcontinent.
Research shows that a large part of this
population depend on wood
(Twigs & branches) for cooking fuel. - so on
one hand even though it does not threaten the
environment as the quantity is comparatively
much less than other polluting sources like
industry and motor vehicles - on the other
it does cause severe health problems to the
immediate user. This stove incorporates
a smoke chimney that leads to a chamber
which acts as smoke filter-cum-charcoal
storage space. A more ambitious version has
a “charcoal-maker” where small twigs and
chips of wood is stored in the chamber and
gets converted to charcoal with the heat of
the chimney fumes. It is very unlikely that the
first of this kind would work like a miracle. It
can be considered a start where a series of
modifications and improvisations can lead to a
perfect model.
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design exercises done with artisans
Craft and design are closely linked, and in fact a 100 years ago, craft WAS
design. Due to many reasons - colonisation, indiustrialisation and globalsation
craft and craftspeople got pushed to the margins. People started buying cheaper
and in many cases better factory made goods. Customers were no longer local.
The gap between artisan and customer grew and grew. Middlemen exploited this
situation fully, and craft in India was devalued, the craftsperson marginalised.
How can design help in this situation?
Is it possible for craftspeople to regain their former dignity and place as
designers?
Can elemnts of design be effectively taught in the craft situation?
These are some of the bigger questions we explored throught this workshop.
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earth ware

Transcription

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