Formal Transformation and Conceptual Expression of Firing Traces in Modern Ceramic Art

Abstract

In modern ceramic art, firing traces have long been regarded as firing defects, yet they possess the potential to be transformed into an independent formal language and a vehicle for conceptual expression. This paper proceeds from three dimensions: material basis, formal reconstruction, and conceptual projection. It analyzes the generative logic of thermodynamic imprints, natural textures, and shrinkage cracks; explores the abstract extraction of traces, temporal superimposition, and the dialectical relationship between uncontrolled traces and order; and further elucidates traces as evidence of process, the aesthetics of imperfection as a carrier of contingency, and the translation of symbolization and individual memory. The research shows that the formal transformation of firing traces is established on a hierarchical mechanism from materiality to grammar and then to metaphor, providing ceramic art with a surface language system distinct from glaze painting and sculpture.