mel jacobson on tue 25 sep 07
i just got back from the minneaplis art institute...
a voulkos show of clay and bronze.
small show, about 20 pieces.
this was sort of the quote on the wall.
(i did not write it down..just from my memory.)
`working with clay is hard, very complex
and difficult...it is like music, if you don't
learn how to make sounds, how can you
make music?`
he sure knew clay, glaze and materials.
he did things with it, stretched the limits
of the material...made art, and a real impact
on the craft. he was a skilled painter, potter
turned sculptor.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Mike Gordon on tue 25 sep 07
Mel,
Towards the end of his stay on earth he was learning to play flamenco
guitar with a lady friend. I met her once but can't remember her name.
Maybe that was why he made the music reference. Mike Gordon
On Sep 25, 2007, at 9:58 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> i just got back from the minneaplis art institute...
> a voulkos show of clay and bronze.
> small show, about 20 pieces.
>
> this was sort of the quote on the wall.
> (i did not write it down..just from my memory.)
>
> `working with clay is hard, very complex
> and difficult...it is like music, if you don't
> learn how to make sounds, how can you
> make music?`
>
> he sure knew clay, glaze and materials.
> he did things with it, stretched the limits
> of the material...made art, and a real impact
> on the craft. he was a skilled painter, potter
> turned sculptor.
>
>
>
> from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
> website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>
> Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> _______
> 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
> melpots2@visi.com
>
Gayle Bair on tue 25 sep 07
At the Potters council Breaking the Surface workshop I have to say
that seeing Jim Leedy's slide show was a real highlight for me.
I entered the clay world only 11 years ago and missed out being in on
important milestones in clay.
Jim had slides of Voulkos, Audio and himself when they were
doing workshops in various countries.
He showed the inspiration and development of his and their collaborative
work.
Then he showed his piece called "War".... it blew me away! It is an
incredibly powerful piece.
See:
http://www.jimleedy.com/jl/public/war.htm
All I know is that I felt a artistic seismographic shift. It may take a
while for me to
process it but it will start bleeding through into my work soon. I have also
been drawn to
Richard Notkin's work but realized that I have been trying to counter the
awful things
I see and read on a daily basis by making beautiful & serene pieces.
I started writing titles (sometimes in Haiku) for those pieces as they were
going a gallery or arts auction and needed titles.
I noticed they wound up having a stark to serene flow.
The timing was right... My world has moved.
Gayle Bair - also finding it very interesting how many
other potters have a painting background. I'm an alliteration myself
Painting, Printmaking before Pottery.
Bainbridge Island, WA
Tucson, AZ
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: mel jacobson
i just got back from the minneaplis art institute...
a voulkos show of clay and bronze.
small show, about 20 pieces.
this was sort of the quote on the wall.
(i did not write it down..just from my memory.)
`working with clay is hard, very complex
and difficult...it is like music, if you don't
learn how to make sounds, how can you
make music?`
he sure knew clay, glaze and materials.
he did things with it, stretched the limits
of the material...made art, and a real impact
on the craft. he was a skilled painter, potter
turned sculptor.
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007
8:02 AM
Lee Love on tue 25 sep 07
On 9/25/07, mel jacobson wrote:
> `working with clay is hard, very complex
> and difficult...it is like music, if you don't
> learn how to make sounds, how can you
> make music?`
And Hamada said this:
"Making pots should not be a struggle.
It should be like walking down a hill
in a gentle breeze." --Shoji Hamada
The kinds of pots you make have a big influence upon how they
effect you. Once you learn the basics, I think the more
intellectual pots require more angst.
To make the organic pots like Chosen/Yi Korean ones, you have
to fine a still place inside you and break away from the intellectual
loop we are always caught in.
Hamada's life was peaceful. Voulkos's life was full of struggle.
Reminds me of something from Zorba the Greek: Zorba saw a
90 old man planting almond trees.
He asked the old man (best as I can remember), "Old Man,
why are you planting these almond trees. You won't live to see them
bare fruit."
The old man replied, "I do everything as though I will live forever!"
Zorba laughed and said, "And I live as though I will die tomorrow!"\
He told the young man he was mentoring that one should either
live as though he will live forever or as though he will die tomorrow.
But, the old man's life was more peaceful. And he made it
possible for almonds to appear in the future.
We really need both craft and art. You can have all
the craftskill in the world and still make dumb pots. Or, you can be
as artistic as anybody and not have the means to express it. They are
your left and right hands.
--
Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"For a democracy of excellence, the goal is not to reduce things to a
common denominator but to raise things to a shared worth."
--Paolo Soleri
Paul Lewing on tue 25 sep 07
On Sep 25, 2007, at 9:58 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
`working with clay is hard, very complex
and difficult...it is like music, if you don't
learn how to make sounds, how can you
make music?`
Pete played a lot of music. I know he played guitar because there
is a very well known picture of him and Rudy both playing guitars,
and Rudy also played the concertina.
Here's another quote from Pete. Upon standing back from a huge wet
pot that he had just finished throwing and beating up, he said
"Something that ugly shouldn't be that big". I think of that when I
see a lot of contemporary work.
Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
Angela Davis on wed 26 sep 07
I have a video created at Anderson Ranch by Bruce Riggs
in 2000. The title is
"Peter Volkos Builds an Ice Bucket" .
As a finale to the shoot there is a slide show of the
ice bucket going from green to being fired and then finished.
Spanish flamenco guitar music plays along with
the photos. In the closing credits the nicely done guitar solo is
credited to the "Green Eyed Stranger", Peter Volkos.
Very nice piece. I am going to work on getting the last 5 minutes
uploaded so I can share.
Angela Davis
On the road to NC from sunny Fl.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Lewing"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 5:50 PM
Subject: Re: skill, voulkos quote
> On Sep 25, 2007, at 9:58 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
>
> `working with clay is hard, very complex
> and difficult...it is like music, if you don't
> learn how to make sounds, how can you
> make music?`
>
> Pete played a lot of music. I know he played guitar because there
> is a very well known picture of him and Rudy both playing guitars,
> and Rudy also played the concertina.
>
> Here's another quote from Pete. Upon standing back from a huge wet
> pot that he had just finished throwing and beating up, he said
> "Something that ugly shouldn't be that big". I think of that when I
> see a lot of contemporary work.
> Paul Lewing
> www.paullewingtile.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
> melpots2@visi.com
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database:
> 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007 8:02 AM
>
>
| |
|
