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the proper application of weaving technology to clay

updated tue 30 sep 97

 

Joseph Herbert on sat 13 sep 97

Phil Rogers, author of Ash Glazes and Throwing (in the australian series)
uses a roller from a pencil sharpener to make impressions on his pots. These
impressions sometimes take on a Herringbone appearance.

I guess sardines, in the cans, are actually small herring. I have never seen
a herring in some other state, and have certainly no had enough experience
with the result of filleted herring to name a weaving pattern after it. If
the weavers who gave us the name for the pattern had been from a land locked,
non-fishing country, we might be wondering how to make a "ski walking
pattern" or a "pattern down the sergents arm". So far there has been little
interest in the "Houndstooth" pattern, which would lead us off into
Conan-doyle stories and there is so little pottery there, you could get stuck
in that dead end for ever.

I mostly make 'Bearing Hone' Patterns on my pottery. It sounds a lot more
technical and is generally more impressive. I usually tell customers that
the irregularities of the pattern are generated by fractile methods to avoid
that stale feeling so common with lines generated by mere statistical random
variations. I usually have a card with a formula written on it, just in
case. If they aren't snowed by now, I show them the card and say, "Told Ya!"
or "See" or "Well?"

It works for me, but I am not supporting myself, or the entire low life,
good-for-nothing-potter's-guild, from pottery. Some have heald that my
devotion to technology is just a pose. Some have even held that view through
most of the stun gun/cattle prod demonstration. None have held it through
all.

Joe Herbert
JJHerb @aol.com