NATURE EMULATING GLAZES IN CERAMICS: THE HISTORY OF CRATER GLAZES, DEVELOPING AND COLORING

Abstract

Glazes applied to the surfaces of ceramic bodies sometimes provide functional benefits and sometimes make aesthetic contributions. The factor that creates this diversity is the production purpose of ceramics. While the glazes used in the production of industrial ceramics provide functional contributions, the artistic glazes used in art ceramics are basically the result of visual effects that are accepted as errors in glaze technology, making ceramic forms aesthetically richer and more interesting with the color and texture diversity they create. In this sense, artists who have mastered the technology of ceramics can produce glazes with their own recipes and use them as a personal language in their works of art. This possibility of creating an identity that the material gives to the artist has paved the way for the production of endless variations of glazes with organic and inorganic additives over time. Crater glazes, named after the term "crater" that emerges as a result of natural formations on the earth due to the similarity of its textural appearance, can be produced by adding silicon carbide (SiC), an inorganic substance, to the glaze. Silicon carbide, which creates a blistering effect, which is accepted as a defect in the glaze, shows that a defect can also make an aesthetic contribution with the crater image that appears when it is prescribed in appropriate proportions. In this article, the historical background of crater glazes is investigated, glossy and matte crater glazes are discussed and experimental applications are carried out with coloring alternatives. As a result of the experiments, it was revealed that the textural glaze surfaces obtained created positive effects by providing formal richness in art ceramics.