tony clennell on thu 4 oct 07
Lee wrote:
Tony, that is what I asked you about previously. It is obvious there
is a high level of craftmanship there, but creativity is lacking.
You've been sharing photos of enormous pots, but no photos of
beauties.
This goes back to that gigantic American made pot. Size might
be technically impressive, but you want to say more about a pot than
just its size.
You need to invite them to N. America. We need the skills
here. They need to learn expression there. Left and Right hands
again.
Lee: Expression is a good word. The faces here look deadpan and the pots I
have seen so far look similiar.
Life for most is very tough here. As for the Chinese coming to NA that is
happening I believe with a pre Nceca conference at WVU 80 miles from
Pittsburgh. Details will follow. Bob Anderson is bringing these very skilled
workers to America. If you're wondering why I haven't sent pics of pots I
love it is because i haven't seen one except in galleries in Shanghai. i
loved the old water jars at Yao Li but that place is hanging on for dear
life. I can't bring one of those pots home. Over 30 dragon kilns were
operating there 5 years ago now there is the one.. I love the roof tiles
here but I can't bring them home. I love the saggars and can just see
Sheila's face when I tell here I bought another collection of old bricks
that I have no idea what I'm going to do with them but i just love them.
Jingdezhen is the porcelain capital and the blue and white is the
predominant work here. We are travelling next week to Yixing to work at a
teapot studio for a week. I'm sure I'll get t-pot fever there. Want a nice
little tea set for my grand daughter- Ava.
There are creative clay artists here but from what I have seen it is the
domain of the conceptual, figurative and sculptural people. The potter is a
tradesman.
Best,
tony
Lee Love on fri 5 oct 07
On 10/5/07, Elizabeth Priddy wrote:
> In a nutshell, a form or painting, when viewed from any particular angle,
> should only involve the eye in 5 of the available squares of view. So you divide
> the form up with a tic-tac toe grid that would only cover the visual area of the
> form and then count. There should be 4 inactive squares for each 5 active
> squares.
You point out the fact that these forms, like classic Roman
forms, are subordinate to the decoration that they serve as a canvas
for.
--
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
Lee Love on fri 5 oct 07
On 10/4/07, tony clennell wrote:
> There are creative clay artists here but from what I have seen it is the
> domain of the conceptual, figurative and sculptural people. The potter is a
> tradesman.
Thanks for report Tony!
One thing that helped Japanese culture was when the Western
interest in Zen helped the Japanese reassess it. Just about all the
"creative" pots come out of Zen and tea ceremony influences.
When China is free, I hope their roots can be rediscovered.
Maybe travel to the West will help folks there.
--
Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant
facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For
a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and
falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
--JFK
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
Elizabeth Priddy on fri 5 oct 07
I have one criticism of your new basket shapes. I know you are
in a development phase of your work and I would like to offer
one thing to think about as you proceed. You have a very unique opportunity
in China to observe a bit of design theory in practice across many
media that you see each day, even in the writing you are learning
to read, as it also is formed on a nine square grid and is read and
written in a very specific order.
I truly enjoy the expression in them, but I think they verge on too busy.
While you are among the blue and white painters, ask them about a nine
square composition formula, from the mustard seed garden book of painting.
They are probably all painting from patterns and pattern books, but even within that
there are the decisions of where and how to apply them.
In a nutshell, a form or painting, when viewed from any particular angle,
should only involve the eye in 5 of the available squares of view. So you divide
the form up with a tic-tac toe grid that would only cover the visual area of the
form and then count. There should be 4 inactive squares for each 5 active
squares.
You have a unique opportunity to look at the composition, even on those huge
jars, as you walk around them, and observe this rule of composition.
It is about 4 thousand years old and accompanied by the golden mean, is the most
important design point that I know of.
It applies to your work in the form of whether there is enough room for the eye to rest
while viewing the intricate expressive bits. And if you are firing with an interesting surface in mind, you have to account for that as you make the piece, leaving more space.
This issue may explain why the forms you are observing seem so very plain. The form cannot be so intricate as to take up too many of the needed squares once the composition, the painting, is applied later. And for the most part, they are buying the painting on the pot, not the pot for itself.
It is no wonder that the pots seem dull.
But when you are in jixing, do the math on some of those exquisite little teapots with a note to how much embellishment is the right amount on each and you will see that they too follow this rule of composition. With the handles, the knobs, the pattern or texture, the protrusions and concavities being elements that are included in what makes a square active or passive.
Most everything beautiful follows these rules, except modern abstraction, and the best of that still works within this rule, in my opinion.
Your new work is very appealing. And your blog is a fascinating and very generous addition to clayart and the lexicon. Congratulations and thank you. I really wish I could be there and here at the same time. I do not envy you, as I could not leave my little son at this time in his life, but I will get back to China someday and your postings are a fascinating window into a program I cannot do.
Thanks again,
E
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
Natural Instincts Conference Information:
http://downtothepottershouse.com/NaturalInstincts.html
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7973282@N03/
---------------------------------
Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us.
tony clennell on sat 6 oct 07
Your new work is very appealing. And your blog is a fascinating and very
generous addition to clayart and the lexicon. Congratulations and thank
you. I really wish I could be there and here at the same time. I do not
envy you, as I could not leave my little son at this time in his life, but I
will get back to China someday and your postings are a fascinating window
into a program I cannot do.
Thanks again,
E
E: Thanks for your observations re the basket forms. I think I am over doing
the surface at the moment as a reaction to the the smooth surfaces around
me. Although the two Chinese grads are doing some amazing textural
sculptural work. We are feeding off one another except that I am a wheel man
and a vessel maker. I am seeing what the clay looks like torn and ripped. I
am enjoying the making and feel liberated and not tight as a knot like when
I was doing the porcelain.
As for the blog it is my sincere pleasure. It is the least i can do for
clayart after all it has done for me over the course of a decade. Besides it
helps my family and friends keep track of what i do each day. I got word
that the students at Sheridan and at the Bray are plugged into it so i feel
like a long distance educator. It has been a wonderful extension of Clayart
in that I can post pictures and I am my own moderator. When you have
ownership it is amazing how much more careful you are.
Be well and mei wenti. Mei wenti is one of the first things I learned- no
problem.
Best,
Tony
Eva Gallagher on sat 6 oct 07
I guess this lack of expression has to do with a need to get ahead and out
of poverty. A young Chinese woman came into our co-op gallery the other day
with her young son. She wanted to find out if any of the artists were giving
art/pottery etc. lessons as she want to sign up her son. She said that when
she was growing up in China all she did was study hard so that she could get
ahead - there was no time for a hobby or other sort of recreational interest
and it was not encouraged. Now as an adult in Canada she finds that all she
has is her work (she is an engineer) and has a very narrow view of life and
she does not want that to happen to her son.
Regards,
Eva Gallagher
Deep River, Ontario
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Love"
To:
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 3:23 PM
Subject: Re: Looking for Expression
> On 10/4/07, tony clennell wrote:
>
>> There are creative clay artists here but from what I have seen it is the
>> domain of the conceptual, figurative and sculptural people. The potter is
>> a
>> tradesman.
>
> Thanks for report Tony!
>
> One thing that helped Japanese culture was when the Western
> interest in Zen helped the Japanese reassess it. Just about all the
> "creative" pots come out of Zen and tea ceremony influences.
>
> When China is free, I hope their roots can be rediscovered.
> Maybe travel to the West will help folks there.
>
>
> --
> Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
>
> "We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant
> facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For
> a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and
> falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
> --JFK
>
>
> 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
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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
>
>
Kathy Forer on sun 7 oct 07
A friend tells how the Chinese are starting to be creative with new computer technology. Don't know anything about rocket ships but they're innovating and developing fiber optics.
-----------------------
Sent from my Treo(r) smartphone
-----Original Message-----
From: Eva Gallagher
Date: Saturday, Oct 6, 2007 1:30 pm
Subject: Re: Looking for Expression
To: Reply- Clayart To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
I guess this lack of expression has to do with a need to get ahead and out of poverty. A young Chinese woman came into our co-op gallery the other day with her young son. She wanted to find out if any of the artists were giving art/pottery etc. lessons as she want to sign up her son. She said that when she was growing up in China all she did was study hard so that she could get ahead - there was no time for a hobby or other sort of recreational interest and it was not encouraged. Now as an adult in Canada she finds that all she has is her work (she is an engineer) and has a very narrow view of life and she does not want that to happen to her son.
>Regards,
>Eva Gallagher
>Deep River, Ontario
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Lee Love"
>To:
>Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 3:23 PM
>Subject: Re: Looking for Expression
>
>
>> On 10/4/07, tony clennell wrote:
>
>>> There are creative clay artists here but from what I have seen it is the
>> domain of the conceptual, figurative and sculptural people. The potter is
>> a
>> tradesman.
>
>> Thanks for report Tony!
>
>> One thing that helped Japanese culture was when the Western
> interest in Zen helped the Japanese reassess it. Just about all the
> "creative" pots come out of Zen and tea ceremony influences.
>
>> When China is free, I hope their roots can be rediscovered.
> Maybe travel to the West will help folks there.
>
>>
> --
> Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
>
>> "We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant
> facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For
> a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and
> falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
> --JFK
>
>>
> 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
>
>> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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
>
>>
>
>______________________________________________________________________________ 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
>
Lee Love on sun 7 oct 07
On 10/7/07, Kathy Forer wrote:
> A friend tells how the Chinese are starting to be creative with new computer >technology. Don't know anything about rocket ships but they're innovating and >developing fiber optics.
Actually, while they are behind S.Korean and Japan in Fiber Optics
(We have fiber optic internet in Mashko, optic right into the house),
they are one of the three countries capable of sending humans into
space. They have launched about 60 of their own satellites and 30
for other countries in Europe and Asia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_space_program
--
Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant
facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For
a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and
falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
--JFK
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
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