Lee Love on fri 2 nov 07
On Fri, 2 Nov 2007 02:18:30 -0000, claystevslat wro=
te:
>I believe that people who are making work
>useful for "ceremonial purposes" (and not
>for normal, everyday use) are ethically
>obligated to specify what the work is *not*
>suitable for.
"Everyday use" is highly individual. There is a whole range of work
that falls in between "dishwasher and microwave safe" and ceremonial.
As I have pointed out, these include earthenware, majolica, traditional work
fired in large woodfired kilns and tea ceremony ware.
Many types of functional work are not used with liquids.
>
>I suspect most potters have had the experience
>of losing likely sales to people who admire a
>work and then pass on a purchase, saying that
>they've had problems with craft pottery before.
I have never had this response. It could be a reaction to the
specific work, if it is similar to work folks have had trouble with in the past.
>use. The potters who take a quick sale and dump
>unsealed pots, or unstable pots, or "ceremonial"
>pots to people who don't know they're buying
>something only suitable for "ceremonial" purposes
>makes their sale at the cost of damage to the
>reputation of all responsible potters.
Responsible potters do not need to think of every customer as an
imbecile. If you branch out and do more than mugs and soup bowls at the
farmer's market, you can begin to be exposed to a highly educated clients
and/or folks who not only appreciate you for what you manufacture, but for
the specialized knowledge you can share with them about what you do.
Education should be half of what we do to keep the craft living into the
future. We don't have to be shackled by industrial materials, methods and
standards.
Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
"Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education." --
Bertrand Russell
claystevslat on sat 3 nov 07
--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Lee Love wrote:
>
> On Fri, 2 Nov 2007 02:18:30 -0000, claystevslat
wro=3D
> te:
>
> >I believe that people who are making work
> >useful for "ceremonial purposes" (and not
> >for normal, everyday use) are ethically
> >obligated to specify what the work is *not*
> >suitable for.
>
> "Everyday use" is highly individual. There is a whole range of
work
> that falls in between "dishwasher and microwave safe" and
ceremonial.
>
Exactly! And that's why the VENDOR has an obligation to correctly
identify his goods. I'm not saying don't sell weepy pots, or
leaching glazes -- just make sure the buyers knows what they're
getting. Certainly you wouldn't object to advising your buyers
about these 'characteristics' in your work, knowing that in some
circles, they might be considered flaws?
Like I said, the solution is not to call the bug a 'feature' and
then "upgrade the user."
> >I suspect most potters have had the experience
> >of losing likely sales to people who admire a
> >work and then pass on a purchase, saying that
> >they've had problems with craft pottery before.
>
> I have never had this response.
Well, it happens often enough. Perhaps your ware is so 'highly
refined' that people who haven't already gotten used to the idea
of weepy pots and poison glazes want it. Or, maybe, they buy
one thing from a vendor like you and then refuse to buy craft
pottery again from you, so you never hear from them.
>It could be a reaction to the
> specific work, if it is similar to work folks have had trouble with
in the past.
>
> >use. The potters who take a quick sale and dump
> >unsealed pots, or unstable pots, or "ceremonial"
> >pots to people who don't know they're buying
> >something only suitable for "ceremonial" purposes
> >makes their sale at the cost of damage to the
> >reputation of all responsible potters.
>
> Responsible potters do not need to think of every customer as an
> imbecile.
Well, that's something that I've never done -- though you've
complained about the knowledge level of US pottery buyers. I
think of my clients as intelligent, educable, accustomed to
a high standard of performance from their tableware, and possibly
not informed -- so I make sure they are informed before they
buy what I sell.
> If you branch out and do more than mugs and soup bowls at the
> farmer's market, you can begin to be exposed to a highly educated
clients
> and/or folks
I find it rather arrongant of you to assume that people who
go to a farmers' market are not educated. Or that educated
people do not buy mugs and soup bowls.
>who not only appreciate you for what you manufacture, but for
> the specialized knowledge you can share with them about what you do.
Well, that's exactly what I do, and what I argue that all
responsible vendors should do. The person in this conversation
who's arguing against informing the buyer is ... let me see,
here -- oh, it's you!
> Education should be half of what we do to keep the craft living
into the
> future. We don't have to be shackled by industrial materials,
methods and
> standards.
>
No! But if you don't offer 'standard' products, you *should*let*
the*client*know*. You shouldn't presume that the client will
recongnize your non-standard product. Or recognize the
pot that will leak, or the pitcher that will leach poison if used
for an acidic beverage.
> Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Ron Roy on sun 4 nov 07
On the other hand - it is probably to the advantage of every potter who
makes functional ware to assume the customer does not understand the care
it takes to produce quality ware.
Building trust with customers is never a bad idea - a win win for both the
customer and the potter which leads to new markets in the end.
Nothing is better for the idea of hand made pottery than well made pottery.
To encourage that and to do that is in our best interest. It does not mean
every pot has to function in all circumstances - it does mean we should not
be trying to fool our customers.
RR
> Responsible potters do not need to think of every customer as an
>imbecile. If you branch out and do more than mugs and soup bowls at the
>farmer's market, you can begin to be exposed to a highly educated clients
>and/or folks who not only appreciate you for what you manufacture, but for
>the specialized knowledge you can share with them about what you do.
>Education should be half of what we do to keep the craft living into the
>future. We don't have to be shackled by industrial materials, methods and
>standards.
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
| |
|
