By Tuesday February 12th you should have three 6 inch cylinders completed (I will check these off at the beginning of class). In addition to practicing wedging, centering and throwing your cylinders, your assignment over the weekend is to consider your relationship to the food/drink containers you use and write no less than ten sentences about these containers. Consider the following: How well does the containers you use contain the foods or drinks you eat or drink? Does the container keep the food or drink at the appropriate temperature? What is the material of the container plastic, Styrofoam, ceramic, etc. H0w does the container enhance or detract from your eating or drinking experience? Is there a specific purpose for the container? Will you save it, recycle it or throw it away?
Please post your response in the comments section of this post.
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I try to use my ceramic plates and cups at home as often as possible. This way, I do not have to throw away non-reusable plates and cups often. The cups do not keep the brinks cool as long as a styrofoam cup with a lid would, but it also is not meant to get thrown away after one use. It kills me to have to throw cups away. One of the worst parts of eating at a fast food restaurant is all of the trash that you are left with to just throw away. All for just one meal. It really gets on my nerves. As far as plates, there is really no benefit for using a non-reusable plate. It is actually often more annoying to use a non-ceramic plate. Now that I am in a throwing class, I look forward to creating functional pottery that I can use for myself. It will be a greater experience to eat and drink off of something that I made. Not only will it be re-usable, but it will last forever! This will help me gain a sense of respect for the small things in life that I take for granted, such as plates and cups. I hope that it gives me more appreciation for what I have and the work that went into making it.
ReplyDeleteWhile living at the University I find myself using more plastic, styrofoam, and paper rather than ceramic containers. Using them really irk me because the Plastic containers seem to always take on the scent of the item in it and it takes a while to get rid of. The styrofoam also can not handle extreme tempertures and the bottoms tend to burn away causing leakage from the containers.The same goes for the paper cups from fast food places after a while the paper wears away and the drinks cause bad leaks. I do however prefer paper plates in the dorm setting as opposed to ceramic because they dont burn you when the temp is too hot and it is easy to throw away and I prefer ceramic cups for teas and coffees because it allows me to cool those items manually. I look forward to being able to make my own teacups :)!
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ReplyDeleteThere are not many things that I find factual about myself, it seems that I am constantly changing my mind. However, it is factual that I HATE drinking out of glass cups. I just cannot stand the glass touching my lips, it's so unfriendly. I much prefer plastic, specifically Mardi Gras cups, or ceramic mugs, from which I guzzle coffee at every possible moment. For me, one of the most important parts of a ceramic mug is the amount of liquid it holds. I like large cups, so that when I put both of my hands on the cup, they do not touch. I also like the feel of the thick lip when I place it up again my own lips, just so much more pleasant than cold glass. Its also nice when these mugs are thick enough to keep the temperature of the liquid inside.
ReplyDeleteAs far as plates go, I don't really enjoy using paper or plastic, I am a ceramic-all-the-way plate girl. I just like knowing that I can put the plate in the microwave and it will not melt, or that the food will not leak through it. There is sturdy-ness that brings comfort in ceramic plates/cups.
I am definitely not into throwing away the containers I use to eat and drink. I would much rather keep them around and invite them into my life story. I am the type of person to develop a relationship with my possessions, so I would say that I definitely have a relationship with my two favorite mugs and possibly a few plates, just from using them so much.
For drinks i usually use a plastic cup. It is a shorter fatter cup rather than a taller skinnier one. This makes it less likely for me to knock over. It has a handle for convenience. It has double layers of hard plastic with a space in between to keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. I put most of my meals in bowls, either ceramic ones that i can microwave easily or plastic or glass bowls that have a lid so i can easily save the food i cant eat in one sitting. The ceramic ones tend to get hot in the area with the food in it when i microwave it. I like the convenience of putting a lid on the other bowls because i cant usually eat all the food i make in one sitting. As far a plates go i usually only need them for sandwiches or dry foods. So i tend to go for paper plates because i wont have to wash them and can just recycle them after i use them.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to containers, especially cups, I tend to become slightly ocd. I will find a cup I like for some reason or another, more often that not due to its appearance, and then only use this cup for all my drinking needs. I due this for a variety of reasons, mainly because I hate doing dishes, so if I only use one cup then that’s all I have to wash. As far as the other containers I use they tend to be mass produced ceramic ware, items that can be used many times, something I like simply because I hate having to go buy more plastic plates. Though I due experience a sort of catch twenty-two through the use of washable plates as through there use I then have more crap I have to wash. Sorry but I really due not feel distressed or distraught through the use of disposable plates, they have their purpose in this world and no amount of bitching to the masses are going to stop there use. More than likely they will just have a higher recycled content to them. My one down fall to ceramic containers over microwavable plastic is that the bowl tends to get hotter than the actual food cooked in them, thus making them difficult to hold, but the convince of them being reusable and thus more cost effective outweighs this one con.
ReplyDeleteWhen choosing dinnerware, there are myriad considerations, many of which are specific to the individual. Will the dishes be used on a regular basis? For guests? Do they need to fit some predetermined dimension, like a refrigerator water dispenser?
ReplyDeleteI think classic-casual is the way to go, providing a bistro feel without the fussiness of multiple sets. I prefer dishes that provide a blank palette to showcase the color and form of the food. The square white dinnerware that is rising in use is popular with me. I like the zen-like quality of the even sides, and the simple surface invites frequent use.
When planning or throwing a party, however, I always consider disposable wares as an option. I do try to choose products made from post-consumer material, and recyclability is always a concern. I prefer wares that mimic the look and feel of their reusable counterparts, so I generally purchase weighted tumblers, heavy plates and bowls, and thick silverware.
In all, I find that the ideal container is simple and clean, with an emphasis on function without neglecting form.
I almost always use ceramic dishes. The thing about disposable dishes is that they don't have to be pretty because you're just going to throw them away. Beautiful, well-designed dishes are a good investment (whether money or time) because these small things have a way of impacting your mood/attitude. Ceramics tend to hold heat decently; my tea usually stays hot enough in the mug. For storage, I also have reusable containers made of plastic. My biggest problem with plastics is that they tend to absorb smells. Ceramics always smell clean after the wash, but plastics may still smell dirty. Also, water from a plastic cup or bottle tastes like plastic. My Grandma has some tin cups and bowls, which are nice to use, provided that you don't microwave them.
ReplyDeleteI find myself using mugs a lot, especially for warm beverages. i think styrofoam cups are to fragile and scare me if i have a hot liquid. I remember one time i used a styrofoam cup, it was in church and there was a lot of sitting and standing. I though i was going to spill or break my cup and make a mess everywhere. Another person was also using the styrofoam cup and proceeded to tear it apart when they were done, just to make a mess i suppose. if the ceramic option was giving, sure there would have a been cleaning, but there would have been less waste and a renewable cup source. I don't like using disposable dinnerware for how flimsy it usually is. I don't want to wory about my meal falling off onto the floor rather than into my stomach. There is a convinience i suppose in using them, but i don't see where.
ReplyDeleteEver sense taking ceramics classes in high school, I gained an appreciation for hand crafted functional pottery like cups, mugs, and bowls. My favorite type of ceramic container is the mug/ cup/ bowl hybrid. It looks like a small bowl or a wide mug but also has a handle fixed to the side. I hope to be able to craft a few of my own. I appreciate a well designed bowl or mug even if it mass produced, but I am very oppsed to dispoable dinnerware. They do make recyclable paper products but I feel that within my personal use (at home) it is very wasteful. My roomates and I are very conscious of how much waste we produce. Even using plastic water bottles is looked down upon in our house. Our cabinet is stocked entirely with ceramics and glassware. I think styrofoam is one of the worst, becuase it does not biodegrade.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy using hand crafted ceramics. I prefer my coffee mugs to be on the thicker side to absorb the heat and I like a big fat handle to grip it with. I greatly enjoy drinking coffee out of a handcrafted mug, the experience always reminds me of the artist that took the time to craft it. As far as bowls, I really don't like the bowls with flared rims except for with pasta. I prefer my bowls to contain the cereal or soup within the rim not let it spill over. I guess I have just had too many spills...