Kandinsky Project: Part Three

For the third and final lesson in the Kandinsky Project I decided to use clay as a medium to explore Kandinsky’s artworks. The students made circular bowls based on the well known painting Color Study. Squares with Concentric Circles, 1923.

I taught the students how to attach clay pieces using the score and slip technique and then let them get creating. We rolled out the clay and laid it into existing ceramic bowls to get the bowl shape. The students added concentric circles to their bowls and engraved expressive lines.

After the clay had been fired the students painted and varnished their bowls. Colour was highly important in Kandinsky’s artworks. He was said to have experienced synesthesia which is the feeling of experiencing two senses at once, such as seeing colours when listening to music or hearing music when looking at colours. The students considered this as they listened to music whilst painting their bowls.

The finished ceramic bowls were displayed in the classroom as part of the Russia themed art exhibition. We set the classroom up with plinths covered in black fabric and labeled each artwork with the artist and artwork’s name just like in a real gallery setting. This project was a lot of fun to do and the art looked fabulous on display.