The Pottery of Sound

[pottery007]

1. If you could imagine pottery that generates calming sounds, what kind of sounds would you find most appealing (e.g., water flow, wind chimes, birdsong)?
2. What materials do you think would be most effective in creating sound-generating elements in pottery (e.g., clay types, glazes, additional components)?
3. Would you be more interested in pottery that produces a constant, ambient sound or one that generates sound when interacted with (e.g., by touch or movement)?

Edited April 5 by pottery007

[Pres]

You may find the book "Mud to Music" of help in your search.

 

best,

Pres

[pottery007]

Thanks Pres, I'll look into that right away. 

[Hulk]

I do like water.
A few years ago I tried for a fountain, driven by a small pond pump.

Credit the FDR Memorial (Washington, DC) fountains, in part, for positive inspiration, a neighbor's drop-in pool kit for negative inspiration.
The former, a variety of water sounds, each fountain different, each pleasing; the latter, a solid stream, not so pleasing.

I wanted a soft drip, hence, the water flows over the inverted cone shape, falls a short distance (.8 to 1.2") to the tower base, then another inch or so to the reservoir, producing a gentle gurgling murmur.
The pump is concealed between the base and tower, wrapped in foam to dull the humming.

Edited April 5 by Hulk
sizing

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I wish I could remember where this piece was installed, or who made it, but an artist made a whole bunch of thinly trimmed porcelain bowls, and floated them in a pool of water with a gentle current running through it. The bowls rang and sounded like wind chimes when they bumped into each other. It was incredibly soothing. 

My initial inclination for question three is to say that I’d prefer to interact with a piece rather than have a constant sound, but I think that subtle environmental interactions could count towards that. 

[Denice]

I made some musical instruments for my son when he was in high school.    I believe they were African,  one you blew softly into the top and it had a hole in it that you could change the pitch with.  It was a large vase shape.   I think the other one you pounded on it like a drum.   I didn't know to much about it,  I just followed his directions  and he cut out the holes.  I found them on-line for $100.00 and higher for ones with fancy carvings on them.    My son wanted to start a on-line business selling them,  he didn't help me make any of the instruments.    I told him I didn't want to spend all of my free time making instruments for him to sell.  He was angry with me at first and decided later that it really wouldn't be fair to me.   Denice

[neilestrick]

Doumbek and Udu drums both make great sounds.  Fountains can make for very soothing sounds. However I'm not at all a fan of ceramic wind chimes. The sound of ceramic pieces hitting each other is a very harsh sound. Plus as a potter that sound is disturbing, as we generally try our best to keep our pieces from banging into each other.

[Denice]

Thanks Neil for the reminder I was thinking one of them was called a Udu.   Denice

[pottery007]

Oh my gosh you guys! I was not expecting anyone to be responding to my questions because I thought it would easily get lost. Opened the forum today and I'm seeing all of these comments and learning so much from you all. Thank you so much for taking the time and commenting over here. I've been carrying out a lot of my research based off of Instagram and Pinterest looking through works by various artists and how that connects to their audience. It has started to get very interesting. I will be sharing all that I've learned as things progress forward. It is going to take me some time to read through all of the comments and since it is late here in Melbourne and I'm sleepy I can't comprehend everything, haha! But I shall be back here tomorrow! Thank you so much once again! I'm so very happy! Thank youuu!!

[pottery007]

Hulk, it sounds like your neighbor's pool kit wasn't quite the inspiration you were hoping for lol! But hey, sometimes the best way to learn what you like is by experiencing what you don't. The soft gurgling sounds perfect! Is there a video or something that shows what the fountain sounds like? Although I'm not sure if videos can be attached here.

[pottery007]

Callie, it took me quite some time to find this video that quite closely resembles what you've mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADYkCyQ_aRM If it is, it sure is soothing to the ear. And the calming blues and whites add this meditative aspect to it.

I do think interacting with a piece makes you feel more involved and puts you into this mental space that connects you to the activity, in a way that grounds you to the present moment. If a piece was mechanized in some manner, I guess that would be interesting as well, it could make something inanimate come to life which can be seen as appealing in some ways.

[pottery007]

Denice, yes, with my research so far I've come across several forms of musical instruments. The Udu drums were the first to pop up in the initial results. I came across artists Julia Elsas and Vianney Lopez both using clay based musical instruments. I found it very amusing with how each artist's musical talents and they way they use these instruments are specific to their own personalities too.

Just gonna add their Instagram profiles cause they're amazing: Julia Elsas https://www.instagram.com/artsoforigin?igsh=dWM3OXF2a2l4aGh0 & Vianney Lopez https://www.instagram.com/something_elsas?igsh=ZTlibTkzMHJqeGZ4 .

[pottery007]

Neil, the Doumbek is new to me, thanks for sharing that. And yes, both sounds produced are beautiful in their own right. Wind chimes can be quite tricky since you wouldn't want them to crash into each other and break. That's a valid fear to have. 

 

[pottery007]

Callie, I guess this was the artist behind the music bowls installation CÉLESTE BOURSIER-MOUGENOT | CLINAMEN https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/celeste-boursier-mougenot/ 

[LeeU]

Just for fun, I made a few "unsophisticated" rattles a couple of years ago. I used different clay bodies for the shell and the inner beads, in  various combinations, like glazed or unglazed balls inside, the same size or mixed, small or large, a lot or a few--the container might be a grogged stoneware, a thin procelain, or  a high-iron red. The range of sounds are fascinating--from light and tingley to a drum-like heavyness. This one is afavorite, that I use to sit in on a music jam at a local community center--I have no musical talent whatsoever, but "playing" the rattle I can pull off.

[Denice]

I haven't try to make one of these it is a idea that has been rolling around in my head.    The ancient Greeks would put large gourds in trees.   The gourds would have a hole in them and strings strung across the holes.  They would have dinner al fresco and listen to the gentle wind creating musical tones from the gourds.   I was thinking that  I could make some gourds out of paper clay to keep the weight down.  I grew some large Snake type gourds to give to my son,  he has never lived anywhere long enough to hang them up.   I finally have trees in my yard large enough to hang  gourds on.  Making your own gourds  would be easier than growing giant snake gourds.     Denice

[PeterH]

On 4/11/2024 at 4:52 PM, Denice said:

 They would have dinner al fresco and listen to the gentle wind creating musical tones from the gourds.

A nice idea, which triggered this thought.

There may be some ideas on the use of gourd-size resonators in this book that could be implemented in ceramics.

 change location and currency for some local prices
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?full=on&ac=sl&st=sl&ref=bf_s2_a1_t1_1&qi=OAsKRPTKCBg9erQLq0pcohcePyM_1714219097_1:2689:6113

... perhaps sometimes using mixed-media (e.g. the banjo-like instrument).

 

[LinR]

This subject reminded me of seeing Carlton Ball in the late 70s or early 80s.  He had made several kinds of horns which worked and looked fantastic.  I wonder if anyone here remembers his work?  Lin

[Denice]

I don't remember his horns but I do remember hit work.  Fantastic!

[PeterH]

13 hours ago, LinR said:

This subject reminded me of seeing Carlton Ball in the late 70s or early 80s.  He had made several kinds of horns which worked and looked fantastic.  I wonder if anyone here remembers his work?  Lin

A picture of one of Carlton's horns, and other peoples work (e.g. 4-headed drum, multi-chambered wind instruments, ...)
clay musical instruments
https://www.pinterest.com/baldaufa1/clay-musical-instruments/

[LinR]

That is exactly what I remember!  I had wondered how correct my memory was.  It was a long time ago.  Lin