Slaves in America were found all over the country, working in various jobs, dependant upon the wishes of their master, their owner. We often hear about the many slaves who worked on farms, picking cotton, planting and harvesting crops, but we must remember that slaves both in the North and in the South often worked in factories and sometimes were trained as artisans, an integral part of the society. There were many slaves factories in America, where slaves made bricks, dishes and various household items but we will explore the artistic life of the slave, the work that was created despite suppression. We will see how the creative spirit broke through, even with the lack of freedom and intense control, the human artistic spirit still rang.
Dave the Potter is one artist that we will explore, discovering the myriad of ways that his vessels serve both historians and educators as excellent primary source documents, allowing us to discover what life was like for those enslaved in America. Dave's couplets let us into his life.
We will also explore the ART of the face vessels, those face jugs/pitchers/mugs that were made predominately in the pottery studios of South Carolina. The human face has been used throughout history by man and is an excellent window into the past. We'll look at the carved faces created by the slaves, influenced by their African pasts, reflective of their ancient ceremonies and rituals, often evoking ancestoral spirits.
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