Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 2 Issue 5 • Jul/Aug 1996 | Page 16

Richard Zakin’s Electric Firing Workshop

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hen Richard Zakin was
studying ceramics in college back in
the ‘60s, he became interested in
— Richard Zakin
achieving very specific designs and
results with his glazes. Although oxidation (electric) firing was viewed as
“I love the corners and I love to
holes during firing], and one thing
a less-than-adequate method by most
take things around the corners,” he
that’s absolutely
of his peers at
said. Zakin also likes to emphasize
mandatory is
the time,
what he calls the “interstices”—the
soaking the kiln.”
Zakin’s determicracks and crevices—of the pot’s surExcept in the
nation in
face by rubbing with oxide prior to
case of a clear
achieving
glazing. He often uses the fleshy part
glaze, said Zakin,
unique results
of the palm of the hand (below the
soaking “really
with his work
base of the thumb) to rub the edges
does help”
ultimately
of freshly glazed (dry) pots to soften
because it is at
opened the door
the edges and give a faded appearthis stage when
to a more
ance. Glaze analysis, he said, is not
the glaze crystals
accepted, sucas important as image creation analydevelop, yielding
cessful way of
sis: how the glaze is used relevant to
a more desirable
firing now comthe pot.
appearance. He
monplace in the
The layering effect is the secret
said soaking can
ceramics field.
of
Zakin’s
oxidation glazing techbe
accomplished
Richard Zakin uses an atomizer to apply a difZakin has
nique.
He
has
found that the comas
soon
as
the
kiln
fused spray of glaze to greenware after the pot
specialized in
bined effects of using multiple glazes
sitter has shut the
has already been dipped into various glazes.
electric kiln firputs more life into the glaze surface.
kiln off at peak
ing since 1966.
Zakin cautioned against “selftemperature by pushing the kiln sitA graduate of Syracuse University,
conscious” plans for glazing, which
ter flap back up and turning the kiln
he earned his MFA from the College
become “too obvious” on the work.
back on at a lower heat for about 30
of Ceramics at Alfred University.
“I love the pouring lines,” he
to 45 minutes.
Now a professor of art/ceramics at
said, admiring the faded edges of a
Surprisingly enough, much of
the State University of New York,
freshly-glazed pot. “They’re very
Zakin’s glazing is performed when
Oswego, Zakin exhibits widely and
beautiful. They’re kinetic.”
the pots have become bone-dry, or
presents workshops throughout the
While the glaze for bone-dry
have reached the greenware state.
U.S. and Canada. He is respected
pots should be as thin as whole milk,
Zakin prefers to glaze at this stage
worldwide and considered by many
Zakin recommends application to
because the ware is so absorbent that
to be the authority on electric kiln firleather-hard pots
many layers of
ing, about which he literally wrote
with a thicker
thin glaze can be
the book, Electric Kiln Ceramics
glaze.
applied, since
(Chilton Books), fifteen years ago.
He performs
they dry quickly
Recently in the Washington,
tests routinely,
between applicaD.C. area for a workshop with memalways keeping
tions. Also,
bers of The Clay Connection, a potrecords of his
glazes applied at
ters’ network serving the midexperiments.
this stage can
Atlantic region, Zakin presented his
“I document
easily be
philosophies and strategies on
everything I do,”
scratched
achieving success with electric firing.
he said, so he can
through for a
“If I get to the point when I’m
Zakin’s most recent work has been a series of
accurately reprosgraffito effect,
not having failures anymore, it’s time
wall panels composed of slab strips and coils of duce the firings
and overglazed
to move on,” said Zakin.
variou