Jordan's Mugging

After many trials of error I managed to take part in the ceramics social engagement. Lucky number seven should be the name given to the mug I gave away, it was the sole survivor of the glaze firing. The survivor had a amber glaze outside and a clear glaze that saved it on the inside. The other six mugs suffered a cracking fate caused by both my neurotic need for a white interior and wearing a glaze that was too big for the clay body. The mugging took place at Brewed on Bernard around 7ish, where Lucky number seven was well received and found a new home with fellow Grenfell student Vanessa Marsden.

THe Reticent Mugger

“An exercise in art dissemination”

 Last Thursday night I chose a mug from my motley collection of thrown pieces. The one I chose most worthy to be let loose on the world outside the studio was more bowl-like in appearance with three handles to choose from (after all it’s always nice to have choices!). As Nancy and I entered the coffee shop I was anxious to get the whole thing over with and Nancy spied a couple she knew. Perfect… let’s do this. I was so uptight about getting the activity over with that I didn’t really take advantage of the whole experience.

 I have a hang up with pushing my taste in art on someone else. I would never assume that you would appreciate the same aesthetic as I. That is part of what makes art so interesting. We each bring our own set of standards, beliefs and personal history to an art encounter. All of these things color our understanding and reaction to the work and therefore no two people will experience or appreciate a work in the same way. That is one of the reasons why we are always arguing about what is art and whether it is good or bad.

So did the people I give the mug to “appreciate” it or did they see it as an example of “bad” art? I have no idea but it is a good exercise to put yourself out there either way.

                                                                                                    Lori

A much more relaxed me about to enjoy my coffee with a classmate.

I mugged a prof!

So today is Tuesday June 21st and I finally completed my mugging project! I decided to make the design of mug very simple since the last mug I made did not turn out as successful. At first I thought this project was just weird and I was a bit nervous to do this project because you never know how people are going to react and I was also afraid that whoever I asked to take my mug would reply with no or something mean. Below are some pictures of my mug before it was glazed and after.

  

It was later in the evening and not many people were around and so I decided to give my mug to someone I didnot know at all. I just went up on the 3rd floor of The Arts and Science Building and randomly knocked on a professor's door. I was quite nervous, however, I enjoyed doing the project because it put me out of my comfort zone and probably the professor that I mugged as well. The professor I mugged was Carla Krachun who teaches Psychology here at Grenfell. It was a bit awkward at first, and I struggled explaining the project to her as I was already starting to laugh when I asked her to take my mug and I struggled getting the words out. I'm sure she was confused since it was totally unexpected and very random. Plus, I've never taken psychology so she does not know who I am and I had to repeat myself a few times. Nonetheless, she got my point when I said

"It's a mugging project and I just mugged you". 

   After that we both just laughed and I told her about myself. Even as I was leaving I could hear her laughing and I'm sure she is still laughing now as she reads this! Overall, I enjoyed the project and I would like do this project again sometime. 

This is Carla Krachun. 

- Sara Gardiner 

Mugging Mugging Mugging... Urve

I wanted to make a flower mug... so I rolled out the clay and cut out the pieces, and formed them and stuck them into a bowl to get the shape I wanted... of course, things dried in the wrong order, and when I removed the 'mug' from the bowl, the bottom, which was wet, stuck to the bowl, and the other parts came off (apart). So I patched them all together, but there wasn't enough time to bisque fire this beauty before our Mugging event... If you've read the other entries, you're already aware of the drill.

This is Jessica, drinking from her new mug...

... this is Jessica, recipient of a mug...

... this is Jessica's mug. It's got a nice shape, sized perfectly for cupping, along with a smallish handle if one is so inclined.

Should I get "MUG LIFE" tattooed across my knuckles now?

      Last Thursday, June 16th our class hit up Brewed Awakening on Mount Bernard avenue lookin' to mug some citizens out for their evening caffeine fix.
   
      Sounds pretty sinister, but people were really receptive to it!  The idea of the project was to create a usable mug, then walk up to someone and give them said hand made piece of art.  Fun!
   
      So around 7pm our class walked down to the coffee shop.  There were a few people there and some class mates jumped up and gave their mugs away the moment they walked through the door and set eyes upon someone.  I however, preferred to case the joint, secretly watching for a victim out of the corner of my eye while I sipped on a giant cup of tea.  I'm sneaky like that...

Here is the mug that I made:

And a Side view:

      I had the idea that I wanted to make a regular mug on the pottery wheel, but then add a sculptural figure to the outside that could double as a handle.  The octopus tentacles are curled up and joined to the top of the mug in two spots to create two different handles that you can hold.  Then there's a starfish, just because the octopus looked lovely and needed a little buddy.

     So after sitting in the coffee shop for over two hours and the number of people dwindling, A young guy came in and sat at a table with his mac book.  I decided this was it.  He looked like the kind of fellow that would appreciate an octopus mug.  I walked up to him and said "Hey, I've been doing a ceramics course and we just finished a project on art and social engagement.  The final aspect of the project is that I have to give someone a piece that I made, and you are here right now, so you get to have this mug." and I handed it to him.

     "Wow... Cool, so I get a mug???  For free?  Do I have to sign anything?" He asked looking a little dumbfounded.

     "Ha ha! Nope, you just get to have it, no strings attached.  Hope you like it!" I replied, and walked back to my table to finish my tea.

      It was pretty fun to just randomly give someone something you made.  Everybody likes presents!  In the future I'd like to try doing more projects that involve giving and sharing.  Seeing everyone's reactions to the mugs that our class gave them was really great.

-Kris Lee

Jackie's Mugging - The Vedio



This is the family that I "mugged" at Brewed on Bernard. I know them a little and spied them sitting in the back of the shop. I noticed that they also had a baby seat there... a new baby had arrived in the family, just 3 days earlier! So this mug was a little gift to them on the occasion of their first visit to a coffee shop since baby's arrival. I had had some indecision as to which mug to give, and may still decide to give them an additional, more functional, mug from my collection. We'll see. They were gracious and kind enough to accept my offering and I appreciate that.

Steve's Mugging & Message in a Bottle

Mugging Success! I mugged Stephanie Buckle at Brewed on Thursay night. I also mugged Shyama, the baker at the shop. Both mugs were thrown on the wheel and are without handles. The mug pictured is made from brown clay and glazed with faux lead amber and cetacean blue.

On Friday morning, I explained to the class about my entrophy 'Message in a Bottle' project. These pictures show me putting various items in the bottle before I sealed it with a cork and wax. The bottle had the same glazing as the 'Mugging' mug. I really like this combination of colours and the drippy effect of the glazes.

Jackie's Mugging Completed

Mug 1 Front

Mug 1 Back

Mug3

Mug2 - The winning mug.

First use

The surprised 

Enjoying the mug

Updates!

So I finally got my mug fired and glazed.

Here it is after being dipped in the maiolica glaze, with maiolica stains on the handle and details:

Here is the final mug fired:

So our class went to Brewed Awakening on Bernard yesterday evening, to do our "Mugging". At first I was hesitant to give my mug to a stranger (Because of the social awkwardness of it). Myself and Kristy waited around after the rest of the class had given away their mugs, to scope out prospective victims. After Kristy "mugged" her "victim" a girl we knew from school (Gabby) came in to talk to him. He was bragging that he got this cool mug and she seemed pretty excited about it so I mugged her right there and then. Haha.

She seemed to enjoy the mug and we chatted for a little while before we left.

Overall it was much less stressful than I had anticipated.
Happy Mugging!

-Cynthia D

Jackie's mugs Part2

All the Mugs made it through the firing.

Mike unloading our work

Mug 1 - Glazed

Mug 3- Glazed

Mug 2-Glazing

Mugs waiting to be loaded.

All the mugs are now being fired and we must wait to see the finished piece and decide which mug will be used in the mugging tonight.

Jackie's Mugs

The Clay

The Wheel

I made three Mugs incase one broke.

Cleaning /cutting the bottom of the mugs.

Mugs waiting to become something more

Mug 1 -   Flower Power

Mug 2 - Under the Water

Mug 3 - Faces