Kate Blacklock received her undergraduate degree from University of California at Santa Cruz ('79) and her MFA (’87), in Ceramics from RISD. She has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Rhode Island College and for nine years co-chaired the Ceramics department at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where she was associate professor. She has been teaching in the Industrial Design department at RISD since 2002.
Blacklock’s studio work has moved from sculptural ceramics to photography and painting. She has had solo exhibitions around the country including Franklin Parrasch Gallery in New York, The Works Gallery in Philadelphia and Shaw Guido Gallery in Michigan. She created a line of cast functional porcelains, retailing in museum stores and fine craft galleries. In 1996 she was an artist in residence at the Manufacture National de Sèvres, outside of Paris. Her works are in many private and public collections including The Mint Museum and Musée National de le Céramique. Recently she has worked on projects with the design firm Jeffrey Beers International and has two-dimensional works at the Fountainbleau Hotel in Miami and the Intercontinental and Westin hotels in New York.
Courses
Spring 2025 Courses
ID 24ST-03 - ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO: CERAMIC DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Spring 2025
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 24ST-03
ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO: CERAMIC DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Clay has been used to make objects for over 20,000 years. It has unique inherent properties with a broad application of use. This course introduces students with the principals involved in the design and production of functional ceramics objects for tabletop applications and interior spaces. We will employ plaster mold-making and ceramic slip casting techniques since this is the preferred method of manufacturing ceramics for both design studios and industry. Students will design at least five distinct objects and produce multiple editions of each in response to specific project assignments. Innovation and expression will be encouraged. Each project will go through an iteration process to promote refinement of design. This course not only focuses on prototypes but also on completed glazed and fired pieces. The production variations make it possible for students to produce surprisingly refined and resolved work.
The First half of the semester will focus on two projects. The first will be the design and production of a drinking cup with handle, and the second will build on that with a larger form. We will also do an initial mold-making project to become familiar with the process and a subtractive method for model making. The second half of the semester will be devoted to designing a collection of interrelated pieces. This will provide a chance for students to dive more deeply into form and function, build on the skills acquired during the first half of the semester and to pursue individual areas of interest. Two or more of the objects in the collection will be selected for production and then developed and refined to finished pieces.
Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design
