John Baymore on mon 21 apr 97
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From: Bob Craig
Subject: Potters Health
Howdy,
Can you tell me anything about the health hazards of being a Potter??
............ Is it so serious that one should consider quitting??? Or
can
common sense be used ......
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For heavens sake, don't give up clay, unless you have a health problem that
would indicate that it is a poor choice (maybe like emphasema?), and that
on the advice os a physician who is a specialist. There certainly are
risks to being a potter, but there are risks to being a painter, a
glassblower, a metal sculptor, a person who stamps out rubber widgets in a
factory, and so on, and so on. Life is a risky thing, and it WILL kill
you.
The thing you need to do is become educated about ALL aspects of your
craft. There is more to the mastery of this stuff than just forming issues
and aesthetics. You are on the right track...... cause you are questioning
the health consequences. So that is the first step. Now get info on those
issues, and make educated decisions abnout how you will address those
issues.
Three books that are good are "Artist Beware" by Michael McCann , "Making
Claywork Safe and Legal" and "The Artist's Complete Health ans Safety
Guide" both by Monona Rossol.
My goals, and I assume the goals of those of others who share information
on the health issues in the ceramics field, is to cause people to CONSIDER
what it is that they are doing, and also to (hopefully) research the field
of clayworking fully, including the "not so obvious".
Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information on the health risks to the
potter (or the risks to the consumer of functional work) disseminated in
general ceramics texts, workshops, and art schools. To find it you have to
do a little searching, and also have some guidance as to where to look.
So ...... keep potting. Many have done this a long time and are still
around.
Best,
.........................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752
JBaymore@Compuserve.com
76506.3102@Compuserve.com
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