Lili Krakowski on thu 13 dec 07
By now I think everyone has said everything about Barium that can be said.
I would like to nudge the discussion to RESPONSIBILITY. Our responsibility
as teaching craftsmen.
I know, you know, we all know that there are people out there working in
laboratories who handle poisons far more dangerous than Barium. There are
people out there working in other laboratories handling deadly germs of all
kinds. And there are heroes out there like firemen and nurses who come in
contact with toxic fumes and deadly germs every day of the week.
What does this have to do with us?
These people all work in the best environment possible under the
circumstances. They are equipped with all the tools that might keep them
safe. They get to wear masks and respirators and gloves and goggles and
booties, and sometimes those suits like Extreme Dr.Dentons that cover every
inch of their bodies...and they have a place to dispose of them, etc.
Most important: these brave people are trained and trained and take
refresher courses to make sure they know every detail on how to keep safe
and keep others safe.
What does this have to do with barium? EVERYTHING!
Potters do not work in laboratories. We do not have special equipment. We
do not have all the meters and regulators and testing facilities. Some of
us indeed work in good facilities. But none of these approach the standards
of laboratories.
Most of us work in a kind of Gemuetlich atmosphere, where we are as relaxed
and happy as pigs in mud. Fine. And when we work alone that is ok --we
only can hurt ourselves--except when we apply unsafe glazes and send them
out into an unwary world.
Then lackadaisicalliness becomes a threat to OTHERS.
But many teach in communal or group facilities and regular (not clay-only)
schools. And many of us teach children or adults who "do clay for fun".
And we teach college students who need easy credits... Very few of us
indeed work in or teach in optimum environments.
We on ClayArt are read by countless beginners--people enamored of clay, who
cannot wait to play in the major leagues. In no field except the arts would
their lack of perspective and lack of humility towards their craft be
tolerated...in the arts, today, alas, anything goes.
Can the following happen with Barium? I have seen ALL of these events. A
student sneaks into the glaze pantry just to look around. Spills material.
A student sneaks into the glaze pantry to mix a glaze seen in a magazine but
not part of the studio repertoire, and spills material. Worse returns "that
white powder" to the wrong container...and now there is barium in the
calcium carbonate!
Someone pours a glaze into the wrong bucket (or why it is nice to tint
colorless glazes). Someone spills a material on the floor, or table, does
not mop up because 1. has to get to next class, 2. Must get back to job,
children etc 3. "ride is waiting" 4. I am tired...
Mopping up also is not the answer as the mops and the sponges spread the
stuff as often as not, unless the clean up is done thoroughly.
Yes. Testing for leaching is great. It costs money. Can we be sure that
everyone out there--the single mother working in her kitchen, the retirees
on fixed income, etc etc --really are going to test every barium containing
glaze, and test every batch just to be sure no errors were made? Can we be
sure--and this has not yet been discussed-- that application over or under
another glaze, or application over and "intense" slip might not destabilize
an otherwise non-leaching glaze.
Barium blues are lovely. So were lead glazes. When we gave up lead and
cadmium and antimony and like that we gave up a great deal of gorgeousness.
Truth to tell we gave up a tremendous range of breathtakingly glorious
colors. SO WHAT?
If we are the creative geniuses we think we are, and especially with the
digital kilns and like that we have a world of beautiful glazes "open" to
us. Ready to be explored. So we can take the barium to the toxic waste
dump, and ACT RESPONSIBLY.
We should not, I think, overlook our audience, and advocate the use of
toxic materials in the studio....
Back to viewing "Shogun"
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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