Glossary

waste mold

This term is used in two contradictory ways. In its most common use: a piece mold made from a model (usually of clay or wax) when the model must be broken apart (wasted) in removing it from the mold. The other use: a mold from which only one cast can be taken, because the mold must be broken apart and discarded in order to release the cast. This is how lost-wax casting is accomplished, for instance. The use of this term is highly problematic then, unless the user immediately explains the meaning intended.

kaolin

a pure clay, sometimes called china clay, used in white clay bodies such as porcelain. It is used as a source of silicon

kelvin

A unit of absolute temperature often used in photography to measure the color temperature of a source of light. Abbreviated K, kelvins can be converted to degrees Celsius by subtracting 273. Certain tungsten lamps are designed to burn at specific absolute temperatures (usually 3200 or 3400 K), guaranteeing that compatible photographic films will render the color they illuminate quite accurately.

key

A small interlocking device in the seam of a mold, enabling the mold to be precisely reassembled. The term may also refer to the slight roughening of a surface which allows a painted finish to adhere effectively. Also, it's a name given to wedges for canvas stretchers. And in architecture, the keystone at the top of an arch.

kg

Abbreviation for kilogram.

kickwheel

A potter's wheel which is driven by kicking a revolving cement disk. The major alternative is a wheel driven by an electric motor.

kiln

An special oven or furnace that can reach very high temperatures and is used to bake, or fire clay. Kilns may be electric, gas, or wood-fired. (pr. kiln or kill)

kiln wash

A refractory mixture, usually kaolin or flint, which is mixed with water and painted on kiln shelves to prevent glaze from adhering.

See Also: dry foot

kilogram

A unit of weight measurement equal to 1000 grams. To convert kilograms into pounds (US), multiply them by 2.20462. Abbreviated kg.

kinetic

Expressing movement. In art, kinetic refers to sculpture that moves, such as a mobile or stabile. (pr. ki-ne'tick)

kinetic art

Artwork that includes movement, either mechanical or random. The Constructivists were the first to create kinetic art in the early 20th century, and Alexander Calder worked almost exclusively to make kinetic sculptures.

Example: Alexander Calder's Lobster Trap and Fish Tail, 1939

kitsch

Mass-produced or manufactured art that imitate or make fun of standard aesthetics.

Example: Jeff Koon's Puppy, 1992

kouros

Greek for "young man", kouros figures refer to archaic Greek statuary that are life-size, freestanding figures meant for tomb decoration.

Example: Kouros, from Attica, Greece, c. 600 B.C.

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