What is Polymer Clay?

In my previous posts, I discussed how clay tokens led to accounting and cuneiform. Then I discussed plastic and its relative "value." Next, I'm going to discuss polymer clay itself - what it is, what its made of, and what it can do.

First, some definitions from the American Heritage Dictionary:

pol·y·mer (pŏl'ə-mər)

n. Any of numerous natural and synthetic compounds of usually high molecular weight consisting of up to millions of repeated linked units, each a relatively light and simple molecule.

[Greek polumerēs, consisting of many parts : polu-, poly- + meros, part; see (s)mer-2 in Indo-European roots.]


clay (klā)
n. 1.
--1. A fine-grained, firm earthy material that is plastic when wet and hardens when heated, consisting primarily of hydrated silicates of aluminum and widely used in making bricks, tiles, and pottery.
--2. A hardening or nonhardening material having a consistency similar to clay and used for modeling.
2. Geology A sedimentary material with grains smaller than 0.002 millimeters in diameter.
3. Moist sticky earth; mud.
4. The human body as opposed to the spirit.

[Middle English clei, from Old English clæg.]

And here are more definitions for polymer and clay from dictionary.com.

So, to rephrase...polymer clay is a synthetic compound of "many parts" that is plastic when wet [raw, uncured] and hardens when heated.

At my website I offer the following description of polymer clay:

Polymer clay is a man-made substance containing polyvinylchloride (commonly called "PVC") together with a plasticizer. It is a modeling medium that, when well-conditioned and properly cured, produces a strong, long-lasting, durable product. It comes in many colors and differing textures, is easy to work with, and can be purchased in most craft stores. Unlike earthen clays, polymer clay cures at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, and does not require a kiln for firing. Polymer clay remains soft and pliable until baked so it is ideal for projects that may take more than one sitting to complete. Before curing, different techniques and substances can be applied-to and/or mixed-with it to produce different effects. Pictures can also be transferred to it. Once cured, it can be sanded, painted, drawn-on, carved, back-filled, polished, or varnished. Polymer clay is a phenomenal medium with virtually limitless possibilities for the experienced artist as well as the novice.

Below is a list of links that should get you started if you'd like to do further research on polymer clay:


Wikipedia's article on Polymer Clay

The Glass Attic's summary of Polymer Clay Characteristics

Polymer Clay Central's Polymer Clay FAQ

PolyForm's Polymer Clay Tips and Techniques

James Lehman's Polymer Clay FAQ and What is Polymer?

Sarajane Helm's Polymer Clay FAQ and Polymer Clay Glossary

The Polymer Clay Spot's Polymer Clay FAQ

Sue Heaser's Polymer Clay FAQ


Next up...The Do's and Don'ts of Polymer Clay.

Plastic!

Just as our ancestors found an ideal medium in their environment to transform ideas into physical, long-lasting legacies that provided a story for future generations, we too, have a medium that is representative of modern times. Plastic.

There are those who would argue that the fact that polymer clay is a plastic lessens its value as an art form. There are those who would argue that plastic is cheap - the stuff of children's toys. Let us, for a moment, examine that argument. Look around the room you are sitting in. I'd wager that you could easily name 20 items that are made entirely out of plastic or incorporate plastics in one form or another. From the computer that you're looking at, to the switch plate that it is plugged into. Telephones, light fixtures, appliances, floor and wall coverings, paints, pens, storage containers, credit cards, remote controls, and the list goes on and on. Plastics have become a constant, almost inescapable part of our daily lives. Plastics have also opened the door of possibility to technological advances that were hitherto unheard of.

One of the reasons why plastics are all around us is because they are extremely versatile. From bubble-gum machine toys to spacecraft, from acrylic nails to artificial limbs, from Tupperware to digital media storage devices, from plastic fruit to plastic explosives, the possibilities and applications are virtually endless! As we can see, by way of comparison, the relative value of plastic lies within the dynamism of its appositeness.

There are polarities and dualities existing everywhere. Just as the invention and circulation of clay tokens as a system of accounting led to great technological advances for our ancestors, it also had its disadvantages. The elite and those holding positions of power used the tokens to set control systems into place that forever changed the life of the average villager. Society changed from agrarian to bureaucratic. Ancient traditions, customs, and cyclical ways-of-life were lost to modernization, progress, and linear hierarchies.

It is the same with plastic. Just as plastics have given impetus for advancement and improvement in many aspects of modern existence, its propensity for reduplication and mass-production combined with society's apparent willingness to fecundate its convenience has resulted in exceedingly complex global dilemmas, namely catchpenny disposability.

...

In the Summer 2006 issue of Polymer Cafe, on page 27, Natalia Garcia de Leaniz said:

"The main goal is to lift polymer clay up to the place it deserves among other, more established art materials. We strive to make the "it's just plastic" opinion disappear and show everyone that the art lies within the creation. This is one of the biggest and most motivating challenges we face everyday."

In the December 2000 issue of PCPolyzine, Debra Woodward asked Nan Roche, "...what is different now from when she first published her book in 1991?" She replied:

"There are dozens of books published now, [...] there is a wonderful heritage now, a community. There is so much innovation and excitement, and new people are recognizing what great possibilities there are for polymer clay. [...] Polymer clay is here to stay."

The following quote comes from a 2003 interview with Lisa Pavelka from the Los Angeles Review-Journal.

"It hasn't gotten the respect it deserves," Pavelka said, although she noted one polymer-clay artist recently was accepted into the Smithsonian Craft Show. She remembers one traditional sculptor who pointed out that polymer clay is essentially plastic.

"What they're working with," she said, "is dirt. I don't know how that makes them so much better than me." (emphasis mine)

James Lehman, epitomizing the essence of polymer clay, said:

"Polymer clay is not alive but it, and almost every other kind of plastic, is a human modified organic molecule made entirely of the-stuff-of-life."

...

If our ancestors were able to develop systems of accounting and written language through earthen clay, if humans have used clay to build everything from beads to megaliths, if plastics have opened the technological floodgates of science and industry, and if polymers are everywhere - we could not ask for a more advanced, innovative, and apt modeling medium for modern times than plastic polymer clay!