John Tilton on thu 20 jun 96
My friend Tom Turner, who I consider one of the most talented potters on the
planet, is selling some of his equipment; specifically his filter press, pump,
and slip tank and a Simpson muller-mixer. Also some Kaolin. He will have an ad
in the next CM but I thought that there might be someone on CLAYART who would be
interested. If so, I can put you in touch.
Tom has quit making pots-----it's hard for me to believe that there won't be any
more of those beautiful pots. I can feel the bottom of my heart.
John Tilton
Alachua, Fl
SLPBM@cc.usu.edu on thu 20 jun 96
How can this be? My idol for the last ten years, Tom Turner has stopped
making pots??? Say it aint so!
Who can back this up?
This ought to be a crime!
How dare he!
Alex Solla in Utah where the skies just grew darker.
Kathryn Whipple on thu 20 jun 96
What sad news! Tom Turner in one of the people I thought of when someone
asked "who inspires you?" a few weeks ago.
Kathy
Brooker, FL
Barbara A Bihler on sat 22 jun 96
On Thu, 20 Jun 1996 SLPBM@cc.usu.edu wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> How can this be? My idol for the last ten years, Tom Turner has stopped
> making pots??? Say it aint so!
> Who can back this up?
> This ought to be a crime!
>
> How dare he!
>
>
> Alex Solla in Utah where the skies just grew darker.
>
Hi Alex,
It was the "how dare he!" exclaimation that has me responding to your post.
Hey, Tom made a decission, not over night....but after long and hard soul
searching. Tom dedicated many years to the art & craft of pottery. He's
as knowledgeable and talented as they come. He's sharp, articulate and
generous with ceramic information,historical and technical.. He stopped
making pots one year ago
this month. I cannot speak for him. I know he was/is discouraged about
response to his and others work. I know he put in more than his dues.
So....he took a break. Tom went to work for someone else, at a 9 to 5
type job for a few months. He's now resuming his artist craftsman role,
but in another medium. He's been published twice, and made the May cover
of Shooting Times magazine. A composit cover photo of a classic Turner
apple-ash
glazed
covered jar
along with
an Early
American salt glazed urn serve as a background for a meticulously hand
crafted sport rifle. The article tells about Turner the artist and
detailist and his new craft. Tom is making custom gun stocks for a
nationally known gunsmith on contract. He's taking over parts of the
barn at Peachblow Pottery as his own studio workshop. His "life partner"
and wife, Gail Russell is still making pots and maintaining the Peachblow
Pottery in Lewis Center (formerly a Delaware address) Ohio, outside of
Columbus.
I'm not a long time, old friend of Gail and Tom.. I have a recent and
growing friendship for the past 8 years . I visit with them twice a
year to pick out pots for The Gallery, in Bloomington, IN. I can tell you
that Tom had a smile and ease about him during my visit with them last
month that I hadn't seen in a while. "How dare he change!" He dares.
from, Barb Bihler
John Tilton on sun 23 jun 96
Hi CLAYARTISTS,
I've been friends with Tom Turner for the better part of 20 years now, and being
a potter who makes a living making pots, I can certainly sympathize with his
plight. It is difficult to constantly challenge boundaries, and have that
somehow manifest a living. It is easy to earn a living making pots, but very
difficult to make a living making great pots. It takes longer to make great pots
and they have to be more expensive for that reason, not to mention that what
goes into them is accessible to only a very few.
I know that Tom feels very unappreciated by his customers and the ceramics world
in general. It just got to where he was unable to sell his pots ( in the markets
he knew ).
Tom worked in a hardware store for 8 months, but couldn't stand working for
anyone after 30 years as an independent. He is very interested in guns and
competition shooting, and has handmade guns and he even makes his own
ammunition. So now he is custom painting gun stocks, candy apple red etc., and
has had 2 magazine covers in the past 6 months. He feels that he can more easily
earn a living this way---I'm sure he also feels more appreciated.
Personally, guns leave me a bit cold, but then again, it's not my decision. He
will always be my friend.
I'll miss his beautiful pots.
John Tilton
Alachua, Fl
mel jacobson on tue 6 apr 04
no one in america has it more right than turner.
he is a thinker, a good guy, and i admire him
as much as anyone making pots.
i talked to him at nceca and told him that.
he also does some very fine shooting.
he is an expert in long range ballistics.
anything he does, he does well. he is more
than a potter.
he speaks his mind, does not shy away from
pc. if i could model myself to anyone, it would
be him. of course he is saying much the same things
that i have been saying for years. skill, understanding, science, training,
then art.
is that clear enough?
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
Hal Giddens on tue 6 apr 04
Couldn't be clearer. I like what I heard from him as well as you. And knowing and talking to Rick Berman over the years I could tell than he admires him also. One thing that Rick has encouraged me as well as others is to study the history of pottery and potters and I try to do as much of that as I can.
>
> From: mel jacobson
> Date: 2004/04/06 Tue AM 10:12:59 EDT
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: tom turner
>
> no one in america has it more right than turner.
>
> he is a thinker, a good guy, and i admire him
> as much as anyone making pots.
>
> i talked to him at nceca and told him that.
>
> he also does some very fine shooting.
> he is an expert in long range ballistics.
>
> anything he does, he does well. he is more
> than a potter.
>
> he speaks his mind, does not shy away from
> pc. if i could model myself to anyone, it would
> be him. of course he is saying much the same things
> that i have been saying for years. skill, understanding, science, training,
> then art.
>
> is that clear enough?
>
> mel
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
> or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
> new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
Allyson May on tue 6 apr 04
I thought Tom Turner was right on in his article. I enrolled as a =
non-degree student in the local university ceramics department. Had to =
wait my turn as to not take up a space which could have been filled by a =
degree seeking student. Happy to wait. The ceramics department has a =
very good reputation and I was excited about the opportunity to learn. =
I wanted to expand my throwing abilities and learn ways to achieve forms =
that I could only see in my head at the time. I wanted to learn about =
glaze chemistry and methods of testing. I wanted to learn more about =
kilns, firing, and atmosphere. The class descriptions seemed to fit my =
needs. Once in class I discovered that I wasn't really going to get =
what I wanted. The instructor (A VERY talented sculptor and super =
person) wasn't even a thrower. All of the assignments centered around =
sculptural objectives and pushing the limits of the clay. This was =
great and I did learn but, not what I wanted. There was the occasional =
throwing demo by a grad student but no day to day help or suggestion as =
we struggled thru on the wheels. Glaze chemistry was short and sweet =
and left most of us scratching our heads in confusion. The extent of my =
kiln instruction was carrying items to and from the kiln for firings. =
During critiques things which brought favorable comments were not =
"pottery" but edgy sculptural pieces. I don't have anything against =
this type of work but it seems to be what is taught and respected on the =
university level rather than more traditional work. I have decided the =
only way I will get traditional instruction is to rely on workshops or =
possibly trade instruction from a local master potter for cleaning =
studios or grinding kiln shelves. I really believe there should be =
instruction in traditional works as well as the more sculptural works in =
all university programs. By not offering instruction and equal emphasis =
on both aspects of ceramics they are telling these young students that =
the traditional forms are not really art and there fore not as worthy of =
their time and study. Just my two cents worth.
Peace,
Allyson May
Stoney Creek Pottery
Bloomington, Indiana
David Beumee on wed 7 apr 04
Guess I made it out of University just in time, according to Turner's article. My time at Montana State School of Art was 1974-'79. My instructor, Rick Pope, was a student of Don Reitz, and learning to throw was most certainly not an issue. I was fascinated and encouraged and I made alot of progress. I would have been deprived of my life if I had not been allowed to learn to throw.
29 years later what I know is that making pots on the wheel is just another form of art, that pieces need to be composed according to form, line, color, relationship of parts, etc., just like a painting or piece of sculpture. I do remember being given a hard time for making pots, not from the instructors, but from other art students. That was really hard to take.
David Beumee
Earth Alchemy Pottery
Lafayette, CO
> I thought Tom Turner was right on in his article. I enrolled as a non-degree
> student in the local university ceramics department. Had to wait my turn as to
> not take up a space which could have been filled by a degree seeking student.
> Happy to wait. The ceramics department has a very good reputation and I was
> excited about the opportunity to learn. I wanted to expand my throwing
> abilities and learn ways to achieve forms that I could only see in my head at
> the time. I wanted to learn about glaze chemistry and methods of testing. I
> wanted to learn more about kilns, firing, and atmosphere. The class
> descriptions seemed to fit my needs. Once in class I discovered that I wasn't
> really going to get what I wanted. The instructor (A VERY talented sculptor and
> super person) wasn't even a thrower. All of the assignments centered around
> sculptural objectives and pushing the limits of the clay. This was great and I
> did learn but, not what I wanted. There was the occasional throwing demo by a
> grad student but no day to day help or suggestion as we struggled thru on the
> wheels. Glaze chemistry was short and sweet and left most of us scratching our
> heads in confusion. The extent of my kiln instruction was carrying items to and
> from the kiln for firings. During critiques things which brought favorable
> comments were not "pottery" but edgy sculptural pieces. I don't have anything
> against this type of work but it seems to be what is taught and respected on the
> university level rather than more traditional work. I have decided the only way
> I will get traditional instruction is to rely on workshops or possibly trade
> instruction from a local master potter for cleaning studios or grinding kiln
> shelves. I really believe there should be instruction in traditional works as
> well as the more sculptural works in all university programs. By not offering
> instruction and equal emphasis on both aspects of ceramics they are telling
> these young students that the traditional forms are not really art and there
> fore not as worthy of their time and study. Just my two cents worth.
> Peace,
> Allyson May
> Stoney Creek Pottery
> Bloomington, Indiana
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
william schran on thu 8 apr 04
Allyson wrote:>By not offering instruction and equal emphasis on both
aspects of ceramics they are telling these young students that the
traditional forms are not really art and there fore not as worthy of
their time and study.<
Couldn't agree more.
My community College ceramics classes:
Ceramics 1 - All studio hand building techniques, studio maintenance,
intro to glazes/chemistry & firing (loading/unloading kilns, talk
about firing process). Final semester project: copy of "ancient
(before 1500AD) pottery & oral report to the class (introduces
history).
Ceramics 2 - Beginning wheel throwing - cylinder twice as high as
wide, 4 matching cups, narrow necked forms, bowls & copy of
contemporary wheel thrown pot with oral report on the potter.
Functional Ceramics - pouring vessels, lidded vessels, dinnerware.
Ceramic Sculpture - Emphasis on figurative work - relief, self
portrait bust using armature, form on multiple wheel thrown & hand
built elements, studies from life models.
Ceramic Decoration - impressed/encised, slips/engobes, underglazes,
glaze decoration techniques.
Supervised Study - raku, crystalline glazes, anything else I think my
students need.
This of course is only 2 years.....
Bill
Lois Ruben Aronow on fri 9 apr 04
Anyone interested in seeing (and purchasing) the works of Tom Turner should
check out his one man show at the Vessel Gallery in PA, just outside Philly.
(www.vesselgallery.net).
All the info for the show is on the web site. Tracy, who owns the gallery,
sent me some pics, and I may be picking up a piece for myself!
Just wanted to plug a wonderful show and gallery.
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