Marcia Selsor on wed 6 jan 10
When I lived in Agost, Spain there were 21 pottery factories in town. =3D
They usually had 2-3 potters working. Most of them had a bank of old =3D
wheels that were hooked up to a long shaft driven by one motor.
The throbbing sounds coming from all those factories was like a heart =3D
pulse. It meant the potters were working. I'd go in and visit. Talk to =3D
them about all kinds of things. I'd interview them with questions about =3D
their traiing, when they started throwing, what shapes they made, etc. =3D
In one factory, the old retired potters were trying to keep it going =3D
while the grandson lerned the trade. One potter, Evaristo,had been =3D
working in the potteries since he was 5. He was then in his 80s and =3D
really a master to watch. He could throw a 4 " circular loop handle with =
=3D
two fast moves...probably 3 seconds to make. The medieval town was built =
=3D
on a hill and the factories were on the edges or on the next hill over. =3D
Walking through the narrow streets, the pulsating sounds form the =3D
factories felt reassuringI visited 48 different towns/villages in that =3D
year all over the entire country. Many were operating with this type of =3D
motorization. I really loved it. .
I did visit some others who had much more low tech designs including =3D
hand spun turn table wheels. But I will never forget the pulstaing =3D
rhythm of those wheels.
In my studio I usually work in quiet. Rarely, I'll put on the radio. I =3D
have a Bailey wheel with a nice soft hum.=3D20
Marcia Selsor
http://www.marciaselsor.com
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