There are not many natural monuments that give the feelings of supernatural symbolism, power, and friendliness to human life. Among them, menhirs, which are formative objects made of natural rocks and have belonged to human culture since ancient times, are worthy of being chosen as the materials of the researcher’s works.
The present researcher attempted to create works by combing the formative image of menhirs and the researcher’s sense of formation under the title “A Study on the Formation of Ceramics on the Theme of Menhirs.” A menhir was taken as the base form, and its form was changed by cutting parts or adding. Formative expression was implemented by disintegrating and reconstructing the natural look of a menhir. The reconstructed form showed contrast between the stony texture and the glassy surface of cuts. The color of the surface was changed harmoniously using metal oxides and white slip, and colors with a feeling different from the color of menhir were studied and expressed.
Works were created by coiling molding, which can mold any form freely, and using plaster molds. A reproduced original form was pressed with the surface of a rough stone in order to express stony texture. In particular, efforts were made to contrast the coarse texture of stone with smooth cuts resulting from disintegration.
Surface decoration was made by applying grooves like a constellation observed in ancient petrogyphs engraved on rocks. By connecting ancient people’s formative expressions made by cutting lines or grooves with the researcher’s inner world, the surface was decorated with grooves or lines cut with a wooden knife. Moreover, decorated surface was sprayed with chromium oxide, manganese oxide, and cupric oxide using a sprayer in consideration of color development after firing. Moreover, in consideration of difference in the value of surface after firing, the surface was wiped off with wet sponge. After the surface was wiped off, iron oxide was sprayed on the whole surface and was wiped away only from rough parts in order to intensify the difference of value. For some works, white slip was sprayed and wiped away partially in order to make color development brighter.
Beginning with this study, further research will be made on forms with new formativeness, surface decorations, and colors using various metal oxides.