dan wilson on fri 28 feb 97
By the time the 60's rolled around Artists like Voulkos had pretty well
locked up the tradition begun, yet unrealized, by Ohr. His success, I
believe, was the result of the overwhelming popularity of abstract
expressionism which, if you will recall, had captured everyones attention
and was expressed in the works of Whillem De Kooning and Jakson Pollock -
the list is long. How does this relate to pottery? As Bernard Leach said:
"Art is a reflection of the culture in which it is made...". Abstract
Expressionism is a reflection of our turning away from an art which
previously depicted that which is outside of us toward that which is inside
of us. The early years of the 20th century brought with it two world wars
and an intense interest in the human animal. The work of Freud in the field
of psychology and the popularization of Eastern philosophies during the
30's are two examples that come to mind. Later the works of the
Behaviorists and Gestalt psychologists were exerting their influence on the
arts as well as issues of perception, among other things, were being
explored. Theories of art tended to reflect this concern as well. "Art is
the expression of emotion" and "Art communicates reality as interpreted by
the artist." (note: these statements imply that art is the result of an
activity undertaken by an artist) So, what can we say about pottery in
this context. We need a way to analyze pottery from a standpoint that takes
into consideration theories of art and artist. "When viewing a work of
art we must first identify what is there and then identify what is being
expressed." Well, we must look at it and identify whats there. This usually
involves the naming process and is dependent upon perception, memory as
knowledge and context. The arrangement of line shape and color combined to
create a meaningful whole which can be thought of as its configuration.
"This is a Teapot" may be the result of this process. Now we must ask
ourselves here what is being expressed beyond the configuration which led
to the name....At this point Wanda turns to her cousin Billy and whispers:
" This guys nuts. Pottery cannot express anything beyond what its
configuration implies." Well, Thomas overheard this and took pause,
scratching his head....
Dan Wilson
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