James Freeman on tue 14 sep 10
Rimas...
Yes, I can see how one might view "cool" as an honorific, and I shall
cease it's use forthwith. In truth, my use of "maker of cool stuff"
is almost totally tongue in cheek, as you likely surmised. When
someone asks me what I do, I usually say "ceramic sculptor", mostly
for the sake of brevity, knowing full well that it does not cover
everything I do. It's "close enough for hand grenades", as they say,
and I figure that most people don't really care anyway, but were just
making conversation. If someone really cares, they will ask
appropriate follow up questions. When talking about my pieces, I
usually say that they are "pretty cool, if I must say so myself",
which I usually mustn't, but do so anyway. My business card simply
reads James Freeman, Sculptural Ceramics.
Your case is certainly different from mine, and likely different from
most on the list. You are a well established, widely recognized,
highly collected, late career maker. You have, the resume, the
critical reviews, the general acceptance. Even given this, though, I
find it interesting that you did not assume the mantle on your own,
but waited until it was thrust upon you by a wide group of folks who
know what they are talking about, and even now you seem to shy away
from it in favor of "ceramist". Given that, how could someone like
myself, who is still swimming in the shallow end, claim that mantle
for myself?
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 5:24 PM, Rimas VisGirda wrote:
> Hi James,
>
> I've been scanning the art/artist posts. It has occurred to me that label=
=3D
ing oneself as a "maker of cool stuff" is just as condescending as calling =
=3D
oneself an artist. That is to say that you apparently object to someone lab=
=3D
eling themselves as an artist and feel that is a honorific to be conferred =
=3D
by some third party. But on the other hand who is to say that your work is =
=3D
"cool," shouldn't you more correctly label yourself as "maker of stuff?" At=
=3D
taching the "cool" label is in a sense a honorific, isn't it? And shouldn't=
=3D
that be applied by some third party as in artist?
>
> In many ways I agree with you regarding labeling yourself as an artist. I=
=3D
used to have a problem with that when I started... I chose, at that time, =
=3D
to label myself as "ceramist" -some people say ceramicist, but there are wa=
=3D
y too many 'ess' sounds at the end of the term... My dilemma was that I cou=
=3D
ldn't call myself a potter as I also made sculpture; and I couldn't call my=
=3D
self a sculptor as I also made pots... What's a person to do... Ceramist wo=
=3D
rked for a while, but it's a strange term to the lay person. Somewhere alon=
=3D
g the line enough people, peers and superiors (the keyword here is superior=
=3D
s), have referred to me as an artist so that I have assumed that label. So =
=3D
now when (lay) people ask me what I do I usually say that I "do" ceramics (=
=3D
although I do many other things which are just as important in my life). Th=
=3D
e next question is typically "what kind of ceramics?" I guess I could say r=
=3D
eally cool ceramics, but that's a little presumptuous, so I usually
> =3DA0say decorated pottery and sculpture and if they are really intereste=
d =3D
they can Google my name and click on IMAGES...
>
> I don't think there's an absolute answer to what we should label ourselve=
=3D
s as makers. I think it depends on where you are or where you think you are=
=3D
within the realm of things. The art (or maker) world is a pyramid and we a=
=3D
ll find a place in it, or maybe it's assigned. Assignations, however, can o=
=3D
nly be assigned horizontally or lower... but that's just my opinion...
>
> Back to ebay... -Rimas
>
>
Rimas VisGirda on tue 14 sep 10
Hi James,
I've been scanning the art/artist posts. It has occurred to me that labelin=
g oneself as a "maker of cool stuff" is just as condescending as calling on=
eself an artist. That is to say that you apparently object to someone label=
ing themselves as an artist and feel that is a honorific to be conferred by=
some third party. But on the other hand who is to say that your work is "c=
ool," shouldn't you more correctly label yourself as "maker of stuff?" Atta=
ching the "cool" label is in a sense a honorific, isn't it? And shouldn't t=
hat be applied by some third party as in artist?
In many ways I agree with you regarding labeling yourself as an artist. I u=
sed to have a problem with that when I started... I chose, at that time, to=
label myself as "ceramist" -some people say ceramicist, but there are way =
too many 'ess' sounds at the end of the term... My dilemma was that I could=
n't call myself a potter as I also made sculpture; and I couldn't call myse=
lf a sculptor as I also made pots... What's a person to do... Ceramist work=
ed for a while, but it's a strange term to the lay person. Somewhere along =
the line enough people, peers and superiors (the keyword here is superiors)=
, have referred to me as an artist so that I have assumed that label. So no=
w when (lay) people ask me what I do I usually say that I "do" ceramics (al=
though I do many other things which are just as important in my life). The =
next question is typically "what kind of ceramics?" I guess I could say rea=
lly cool ceramics, but that's a little presumptuous, so I usually
say decorated pottery and sculpture and if they are really interested they=
can Google my name and click on IMAGES...
I don't think there's an absolute answer to what we should label ourselves =
as makers. I think it depends on where you are or where you think you are w=
ithin the realm of things. The art (or maker) world is a pyramid and we all=
find a place in it, or maybe it's assigned. Assignations, however, can onl=
y be assigned horizontally or lower... but that's just my opinion...
Back to ebay... -Rimas
Eric Hansen on wed 15 sep 10
Yes: A ceramics worker who makes hotel and restaurant china, bricks,
or tiles might possibly not consider themselves to be an artist at
all. Studio potters, sculptors, and yes, even paint-it-yourself
ceramics whether hobbyist or professional might however consider them
selves to be artists. It is kind of like arguing who is a Christian or
not, anyone might call themselves a Christian (or Jewish, Buddhist,
etc.), but everyone has a different idea what that might mean.
- h a n s e n , a r t i s t / p o t t e r
On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 5:54 PM, James Freeman
wrote:
> Rimas...
>
> Yes, I can see how one might view "cool" as an honorific, and I shall
> cease it's use forthwith. =3DA0In truth, my use of "maker of cool stuff"
> is almost totally tongue in cheek, as you likely surmised. =3DA0When
> someone asks me what I do, I usually say "ceramic sculptor", mostly
> for the sake of brevity, knowing full well that it does not cover
> everything I do. =3DA0It's "close enough for hand grenades", as they say,
> and I figure that most people don't really care anyway, but were just
> making conversation. =3DA0If someone really cares, they will ask
> appropriate follow up questions. =3DA0When talking about my pieces, I
> usually say that they are "pretty cool, if I must say so myself",
> which I usually mustn't, but do so anyway. =3DA0My business card simply
> reads James Freeman, Sculptural Ceramics.
>
> Your case is certainly different from mine, and likely different from
> most on the list. =3DA0You are a well established, widely recognized,
> highly collected, late career maker. =3DA0You have, the resume, the
> critical reviews, the general acceptance. =3DA0Even given this, though, I
> find it interesting that you did not assume the mantle on your own,
> but waited until it was thrust upon you by a wide group of folks who
> know what they are talking about, and even now you seem to shy away
> from it in favor of "ceramist". =3DA0Given that, how could someone like
> myself, who is still swimming in the shallow end, claim that mantle
> for myself?
>
> All the best.
>
> ...James
>
> James Freeman
>
> "All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
> should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
> -Michel de Montaigne
>
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 5:24 PM, Rimas VisGirda wrote=
=3D
:
>> Hi James,
>>
>> I've been scanning the art/artist posts. It has occurred to me that labe=
=3D
ling oneself as a "maker of cool stuff" is just as condescending as calling=
=3D
oneself an artist. That is to say that you apparently object to someone la=
=3D
beling themselves as an artist and feel that is a honorific to be conferred=
=3D
by some third party. But on the other hand who is to say that your work is=
=3D
"cool," shouldn't you more correctly label yourself as "maker of stuff?" A=
=3D
ttaching the "cool" label is in a sense a honorific, isn't it? And shouldn'=
=3D
t that be applied by some third party as in artist?
>>
>> In many ways I agree with you regarding labeling yourself as an artist. =
=3D
I used to have a problem with that when I started... I chose, at that time,=
=3D
to label myself as "ceramist" -some people say ceramicist, but there are w=
=3D
ay too many 'ess' sounds at the end of the term... My dilemma was that I co=
=3D
uldn't call myself a potter as I also made sculpture; and I couldn't call m=
=3D
yself a sculptor as I also made pots... What's a person to do... Ceramist w=
=3D
orked for a while, but it's a strange term to the lay person. Somewhere alo=
=3D
ng the line enough people, peers and superiors (the keyword here is superio=
=3D
rs), have referred to me as an artist so that I have assumed that label. So=
=3D
now when (lay) people ask me what I do I usually say that I "do" ceramics =
=3D
(although I do many other things which are just as important in my life). T=
=3D
he next question is typically "what kind of ceramics?" I guess I could say =
=3D
really cool ceramics, but that's a little presumptuous, so I usually
>> =3DA0say decorated pottery and sculpture and if they are really interest=
ed=3D
they can Google my name and click on IMAGES...
>>
>> I don't think there's an absolute answer to what we should label ourselv=
=3D
es as makers. I think it depends on where you are or where you think you ar=
=3D
e within the realm of things. The art (or maker) world is a pyramid and we =
=3D
all find a place in it, or maybe it's assigned. Assignations, however, can =
=3D
only be assigned horizontally or lower... but that's just my opinion...
>>
>> Back to ebay... -Rimas
>>
>>
>
--=3D20
Eric Alan Hansen
Stonehouse Studio Pottery
Alexandria, Virginia
americanpotter.blogspot.com
thesuddenschool.blogspot.com
hansencookbook.blogspot.com
"To me, human life in all its forms, individual and aggregate, is a
perpetual wonder: the flora of the earth and sea is full of beauty and
of mystery which seeks science to understand; the fauna of land and
ocean is not less wonderful; the world which holds them both, and the
great universe that folds it in on everyside, are still more
wonderful, complex, and attractive to the contemplating mind." -
Theodore Parker, minister, transcendentalist, abolitionist (1810-1860)
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