Lili Krakowski on fri 4 may 07
I am with whoever does not understand how anything can NOT be narrative. I
sure don't.
On my desk there is an old jam jar (probably with a story) in which sits a
partly-used silver and red painted pencil. On the pencil it says: "Vraagt
steeds Vermeiren's Koffies" and their address. Anyone seeing this
pencil--and I have a few more, keep one always on my desk--and people have
asked how come I have a pencil inscribed in Flemish. I do because several
of these pencils survived WWII and came from the advertising firm where my
uncle Walter worked. My uncle was deported and murdered. The pencils tell
a story to me...well beyond their intended message about Vermeiren coffees.
The story they tell others?
I know some pots--make'em myself-- intentionally commemorative. Tell a
tale. Which all things do. But a teapot made by Hamada is distinguished
from one of Lucie Rie's by telling of different of cultural and aesthetic
"values" and tea times....tells it only, however, to those who know.
Which segues nicely into knitting, a craft which remains a real functional
craft. In a fabulous book no knitter should ignore, a wonderful Brit,
Gladys Thompson, collected (and gives directions for) "Patterns for
Guernseys and Jerseys of the British Isles" (Amusingly, Dover is the
publisher) (yes, there are second-hand copies on the market.) Thompson
studied seamen's sweaters from an archeologist's/historian's perspective.
She explains that different seacoast towns used different patterns to help
identify drowned sailors washed up on shore. Etc. So here (Narrative!
Narrative!) the sweater tells how to identify the sailor and the town...as
well as other things.(one of the best things in the book is the knitting of
sleeves from the shoulder DOWN--to make reknitting easier.)
Which segues nicely into handmade. A handmade sweater--right-on, Ivan!--is
infinitely warmer and fits infinitely better--if properly made--than a
machine knit one. Even if and when the machine is good. The problem, I
think, is terribly involved, and should be left to conscience !!!!!!!!
(Yes, there are days when I hate myself for good reason!) I do not know how
to make a mold, and then I do not know how to slip cast. To do it well is a
great skill. Is it as much a skill as throwing? I honestly think so.
Should it be treated equally with throwing? I think so. Do I see a
difference between production throwing and production mold made work?
Yes.
In production throwing the process is broken down into many phases that
have to be mastered. by one person, who becomes highly skilled: in
centering, opening, raising etc...right through trimming, handle attachment
and like that. In casting--correct me here-- a Master could mix tubfuls of
slip and one person could fill dozens of molds, another perform the next
step, etc. The many small processes can be performed by a sequence of
workers each of whom knows just one thing.
But in a studio where one person does the entire job--from designing the
object to making the mold, etc etc skill is required. Great skill. So while
I can see a line being drawn for shows, exhibits, etc, that seems to me a
matter of trying for clarity--just as a chili contest would be kept separate
from a BarBQ one.
And--I know I have seen tomb figures--are they Chinese or Japanese?--of
sturdy soldiers wearing adorable pot shaped helmets, which soldiers were
produced en masse--if I remember correctly--to fill the tombs of
distinguished dead folk. I doubt each soldier was made on the wheel...
probably were cast in some way....No? If someone wanted to make an
installation type thing with twenty bisons in it--would it be wrong to cast
the bisons?
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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