One of the characteristics of clay that I continue to find fascinating is its ability to mimic other materials. Either it be metal, stone, brick, fabric, or just about anything there is always some new way to explore the versatility of clay. In this article, the author talks about the specific way architects have capitalized on clay's versatility to make their buildings. I found the statistic claiming almost half of the New York skyline is made of architectural terra cotta very intriguing and surprising. I'm sure it is not a very popular that people visiting New York would be on the look out for the terra cotta; rather, their thoughts might be distracted by all of the shiny glass and metal walls that tower over the city. However, the fact that the terra cotta is not as obvious certainly proves the versatility of this fascinating material.
I also think that the oversight of terra cotta's prevalence in New York's skyline is the fact that we mostly think of clay in the "pottery" function. The other two categories, maybe less obvious functions of ceramics, are architectural and fixtures. Many people are very familiar with the common dinner plate or vase that are quintessential ceramic objects of the everyday. When we are required to make the switch to thinking and recognizing ceramics as a construction material, our associations might not be as clear.
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I agree that it is mindboggling the way clay can imitate several other materials such as metal and fabric! I agree that the statistics in New York is almost unbelievable. That just goes to show that the world is filled with information that we may never know. It also proves the saying, nothing is quite what it seems or don’t judge a book by its cover. I think that terra cotta should get credit where credit is dude. It’s a lot cheaper and more useful for architectural purposes; which more and more people are discovering. I also agree that it is very intriguing to see how many people relate ceramics to the “common dinner plate” or the vases that lay around the house collecting dust. What people must learn is that terra cotta can be much more than that! It’s all around us and used for different functions, more than we can even comprehend. It’s almost hard for the average person to understand that clay can be used for fixtures until they see it to believe. There is not much material out there that can compare to clays’ flexibility. I concur with your comments and thought it was an interesting take on the article.
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