From birthday parties to traveling to hugs, Covid-19 has robbed us of many simple joys in life. This school year, it’s also taking away the ceramics courses traditionally offered in the Dodge Shops studio. Replacing the previous ceramics offerings is a similar studio art course called The Art of the Handmade, created and taught by ceramics teacher and Visual Arts Concentration Program adviser Mr. Aaron Sober.
In a similar fashion to the original ceramics classes, students taking The Art of the Handmade learn about how historical artisans and craftsmen contributed to their local societies with their artwork, as well as how handcrafted art influenced different cultures around the world. The course features several projects that allow students not only to tell stories through artwork, but also to explore topics on social justice, religion, and various cultural rituals.
Though both iterations of the course study the same themes and ideas, this new course differs from previous ceramics classes in how students engage with art. “Instead of making sculptures and things with our hands, we will be making art on the iPad,” Mr. Sober said.
While the course has previously focused on clay as its primary medium, this year’s spotlight is on the digital drawing and editing app Procreate, which is provided for free on every Choate student’s iPad. Students use Procreate for animations and photo editing, which are two components of digital art never before explored in ceramics classes.
In addition to iPads and Apple Pencils, students also work with an array of physical tools — although much fewer than in previous years — such as traditional pencil and paper, mixed media such as acrylic paint, and oil-based clay.
The Art of the Handmade also features a unique ritual: every class, Mr. Sober greets students by playing a song that, he says, helps them enter the mental realm of creativity and gain focus for their artistic work. Mr. Sober’s class also includes lectures, readings, videos, podcasts, and Zoom tours of art studios, which give students an inside glimpse into how different artists have continued to create art during the pandemic.
Mr. Sober hopes the virtual set-up of the course will help familiarize students with digital art, expand their artistic vocabularies, and develop their ability to visualize and describe images. “We are being bombarded with digital images everyday. It is important to know that we understand images better if you create them,” he said.
Graphic by Tony Lee/The Choate News
