Technical and Esthetic Association in Zehra Cobanli's Ceramics

Mankind first shaped the soil according to his needs in the Neolithic Era (6800 BC). In time, to differentiate their works and to add esthetic beauty, potters decorated their forms. First decorations are made through scratching onto the surface of the ceramic. Later colorful soil is used to utilize surface of ceramics. Today this method is called "slip decoration". Slip decoration is the oldest and most widely used docaration method and can be seen everywhere and in every culture in the world. First slip decorated ceramics are found in Anatolia (5000-5500 BC). These residential areas are Hacilar and Catalhoyuk and there is evidence that they are at the epicenter of a greater ceramic industrial area. They pictured ceramic pots with red ochre (Cobanli, 1996, 2). Later slipped ceramics can be seen in a wide area from Anatolia to China. Persian and Egyptian slipped ceramics, Greek and Roman terra sigilata type slips, similar slipped works in Pueblo Mexico, 19th century American slip glazes took place in history. The fundamental and indispensable slip technique can be seen in the works of Zehra Cobanli, who is a contemporary Turkish ceramic artist. Cobanli starts with familiar and traditional pot culture while referring traditional ceramics with modern versions. She uses her specific high temperature slip technique without alienating traditional and with a pictural decoration style. This study shows the diversification of traditional decoration method of slip technique in Zehra Cobanli's works.