mitch lyons on mon 26 nov 07
There are some artists in this world who think digging your own
clay, drying it, adding some plasticizers, water, slaking it,
wedging it, and throwing a coffee cup on a potter’s wheel, then
firing the cup in a wood kiln, using 7 cords of wood is
ridiculous. You can purchase one that does the same thing (hold
coffee) for less than a dollar at K-Mart. If fact if you open a
new checking account at your local bank, you may get ˝ dozen
coffee cups free.
There are other artists in our world who think lots of people
have a total disregard for our planet and they choose to
represent that sensibility by showing crap, garbage, trash, or
what ever you want to call it.
I would have been the first one to protest when R. Mutt showed
up at an exhibition with a toilet. Duchamp had an absolutely
strong reason for doing this, and I will not bore you with the
details. I would not go out of my way to see an exhibition that
had a lot of garbage in it. But there is room for all of us. And
I respect artists who feel that our world is going into a deep
freeze in 50 years, and want to represent that opinion by
showing how we treat our world. You only have to walk down any
street in New York, and day, and see what I mean.
Not all potters make “beautiful” work. Some choose to represent
“garbage”. In fact I know a potter who makes ceramic cups that
look like they were made in China and sold at K-Mart. I would
not have one, but I absolutely support what she is trying to
say.
Mitch Lyons
www.mitchlyons.com
Terrance Lazaroff on mon 26 nov 07
Mitch;
One man's garbage is another man's treasure.
When studying an art course we were told to go to the art museum and choose
one of the pieces on display and to write a 1000 word critique. The show
was made of art using found objects, recycled material, and just plain
rubbish. I was disappointed that I would have to spend my time writing
such an article. I became confused about how the curator was instructed to
set up the installations. For example on piece consisted of about 1000
pieces of unused office paper that was just crumpled up and piled in a heap
on the floor. I asked myself how would the artist instruct the curator to
set the pieces of paper.
Never the less I finally choose a piece that was made from broken wood,
paint, wire, plastic and other recycled refuse. I began to write in a very
negative fashion however, I soon found my critique moving towards positive
statements and when I was finished, I found that I really enjoyed the piece
that I was looking at. So there you go.
Food for thought
Terrance
visit Terrance's web site at http://clayart.ca
Vince Pitelka on mon 26 nov 07
Terrance Lazaroff wrote:
> Never the less I finally choose a piece that was made from broken wood,
> paint, wire, plastic and other recycled refuse. I began to write in a
> very
> negative fashion however, I soon found my critique moving towards positive
> statements and when I was finished, I found that I really enjoyed the
> piece
> that I was looking at. So there you go.
That's a nice commentary, Terrance. I cannot tell you the number of times I
have taken the time for a longer examination of a work of art and discovered
depth of meaning or qualities I liked that I certainly would have missed
with a quick "drive-by" viewing. Sometimes we are too quick to judge, and
just don't give a piece of art enough time to reach us. There's certainly a
lot of schlock out there in contemporary art, but I have often been
surprised by the some conceptual and installation pieces reach out to me.
In teaching art appreciation in North Dakota, my primary message to the
students was "open your eyes and your mind."
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Vince Pitelka on mon 26 nov 07
Mitch Lyons wrote:
> Not all potters make "beautiful" work. Some choose to represent
> "garbage". In fact I know a potter who makes ceramic cups that
> look like they were made in China and sold at K-Mart. I would
> not have one, but I absolutely support what she is trying to
> say.
Thanks for that post Mitch. I certainly do defend every artist's right to
freedom of expression, but I also am disturbed by the faddism in contemporar
installation and conceptual art. That's really what Mel's post was about
regarding the review of the biennial at the Minneapolis Museum of American
Art. I liked the tone of the review. But I also probably would have liked
some of the work that she was complaining about.
During my recent trip to Turkey I visited the Istanbul Biennial at the
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, and was disappointed to see work that just
seemed to immitate the fashionable video and conceptual/installation
approaches you find in New York, Chicago, etc. I hoped for something more
original.
And regarding your friend who makes cups immitating the Walmart mug, in the
exhibition following the workshop in Turkey, one of the best pieces was by a
young Turkish artist. He slip cast reproductions of the standard one-liter
plastic pitcher that you find in the squat-toilet stalls all over Turkey and
elsewhere in the Middle East, and then painted contemporary imagery on them
using Greek red-figure and black-figure techniques. He built constructions
of these pitchers, and the end result really was quite impressive. I think
that his piece should have been in the Istanbul Biennial. It posed some
genuine, heartfelt questions about where contemporary art is going in
Turkey.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Eleanor on tue 27 nov 07
Mitch Lyons said:
> ".........Not all potters make =93beautiful=94 work. Some choose to =20=
> represent
> =93garbage=94. In fact I know a potter who makes ceramic cups that
> look like they were made in China and sold at K-Mart. I would
> not have one, but I absolutely support what she is trying to
> say."
She's whining. Why support it?
I agree that the handbasket is here and we all are in it. But what's =20
wrong with fighting back and, as ammunition, a Barrage of Beauty?
If we don't fight back, Garbage will win.
And Terrance Lazaroff said:
> "..........I soon found my critique [of garbage art] moving towards =20=
> positive
> statements and when I was finished, I found that I really enjoyed =20
> the piece
> that I was looking at. So there you go."
I call that sleeping with the enemy or, if you like, The Stockholm =20
Syndrome (http://ask.yahoo.com/20030324.html).
Eleanor Kohler
Centerport, NY=
Les on wed 28 nov 07
Vince -
I have found this thread to be very interesting and has awakened me to the
point where I look much closer at everything, especially in the "art" field.
In our local Oceanside Community Arts Council building we have a special art
show each year. It has become very well attended and attracts several more
artists each year.
It is called "We Are Assembled". The art pieces that are shown are made up
entirely of found materials from any source .....in fact you might call it a
Junk Show. I think you wouldl be amazed at the unbelievable works that
arrive to be displayed. Many are due the respect of the term "ART".
Les Crimp in Nanoose Bay, B.C. (on the Rainy, windy Northwest Rainforest ...
Vancouver Island)
lcrimp@shaw.ca
Subject: Re: If I see another brown coffee mug, I will kill myself
> Terrance Lazaroff wrote:
>> Never the less I finally choose a piece that was made from broken wood,
>> paint, wire, plastic and other recycled refuse. >
> In teaching art appreciation in North Dakota, my primary message to the
> students was "open your eyes and your mind."
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
> Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
> vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
> http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
>
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>
Fred Parker on thu 29 nov 07
On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:36:49 -0800, Vince Pitelka
wrote:
>I cannot tell you the number of times I
>have taken the time for a longer examination of a work of art and
discovered
>depth of meaning or qualities I liked that I certainly would have missed
>with a quick "drive-by" viewing.
Hey Vince, this touches on a phenomenon I have noticed in attempting to
sell functional pieces via galleries and gift shops. Often, the items I
almost didn't put up for sale are the first to go, while those I felt were
the really special pieces languish on the shelf.
The ones that sell quickest often seem to be the "lowest common
denomenator" pieces -- predictable glazes, predictable forms and
predictable sizes; things that, frankly, I would not buy. The ones that
do NOT sell quickly are those with the "happy glaze accidents" or other
characteristics we -- as potters -- have learned to love because we are
connected to the process that brings them into existance, and we spend
countless hours pondering (and subsequently, appreciating) them.
I remember one piece in particular. It was a very rustic mug that I
worked hard to make that way. I loved it, and was certain everyone else
did also. The handle was very sculptural, growing out of a twisted body
like a gnarled tree limb. I thought it was a complete success -- until
the owner of the shop mentioned that my future mugs might be "nicer" if
I "...smoothed out the handles and made sure they were 'even'." That was
an epiphany.
I believe the bottom line is this: whether art on exhibit or functional
pottery for sale, audiences are mixes of those who see beyond the
superficialities and those who don't. Among those who don't, some will in
time, and others will never...
Merry Christmas,
Fred Parker
vpitelka on thu 29 nov 07
Fred Parker wrote:
"I believe the bottom line is this: whether art on exhibit or functional
pottery for sale, audiences are mixes of those who see beyond the
superficialities and those who don't. Among those who don't, some will in
time, and others will never..."
Fred -
That was a good post. Every artist who takes risks and thus discovers new
territory is hoping to indirectly convince some viewers to see beyond the
fads and faddism. I think that is how casual observers of art become
serious aficionados of art. They learn to look beneath the
superficialities. They consider more than just the colors that will match
their dinnerware or their sofa, and they seek far more than just surfaces
that are calming and decorative. Why buy things that blend in with
everything else you have? And yet, that's the way a lot of people shop for
the home. Some people are adventurous when they look at art, while others
stay within their own comfort zone. People who are firmly entrenched in
their own comfort zone rarely break out of it unless something shatters
their comfort zone in a big way, and good art can occasionally do that.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
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