Jeff Longtin on fri 22 oct 10
It dawned on me that perhaps the seeds aren't the source of the dust but
rather the vehicle for the dust. Just as balls in a ball mill grind particl=
es
finer perhaps the porcelain seeds are grinding gravel brought in on
visitors shoes?
(Once the gravel gets caught in the seeds it gets ground into a fine dust
which then becomes airborne more easily?)
Jeff Longtin
Minneapolis
Vince Pitelka on fri 22 oct 10
Why do people have so much trouble accepting the fact that the simple
grinding action of seed against seed is creating the dust. Consider that
when you hike the John Muir Trial in the High Sierra, you are breathing a
fraction of silica dust created by the abrasion of pebbles against pebbles,
and those pebbles are just as dense and hard as the porcelain sunflower
seeds. People walking through the carpet of seeds create a very significan=
t
abrasive action, abrading one seed against another, and there is no mystery
to this. It's just common erosion. Other sources of dust are clearly
insignificant compared to the dust created by the abrasive action of the
seeds against each other.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
Steve Slatin on sat 23 oct 10
Vince --
I suspect the reasons for the refusal to conclude
that the Tate fairly reported the dust problem are
two -- first, some people just don't want to believe
things that come from 'authority.' (See Hofstadter's
article on the paranoid style in American politics.)
Second, people are expanding on their experience with
smooth ceramics to an 'event' involving ceramics with
an abrasive surface.
As a test, I found two porcelain pots that had defects,
hammered them, washed the pieces in a sieve, and then
stepped on the remaining pieces on a (cleaned) concrete
surface. They create dust. =3D20
A better test would be to make a thousand or so sunflower
seeds, in porcelain, bisque, add a slip coloring, refire,
and then tread on them in a controlled environment. I
am not sufficiently obsessive to do this.
Steve Slatin --=3D20
N48.0886450
W123.1420482
--- On Fri, 10/22/10, Vince Pitelka wrote:
> Why do people have so much trouble
> accepting the fact that the simple
> grinding action of seed against seed is creating the
> dust.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Philip Poburka on sat 23 oct 10
Hi Vince,
Below...amid...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vince Pitelka"
> Why do people have so much trouble accepting the fact that the simple
> grinding action of seed against seed is creating the dust.
I think it was just me ( who had trouble accepting the purportation, claim
or whatever it was).
Or, I do not remember there being anyone else who expressed scepticism,
doubt, demur...
> Consider that
> when you hike the John Muir Trial in the High Sierra, you are breathing a
> fraction of silica dust created by the abrasion of pebbles against
> pebbles,
> and those pebbles are just as dense and hard as the porcelain sunflower
> seeds.
Well, there is pure metallic Gold in every ounce or Bucket full of any Sea
Water, taken from anywhere on Earth....yet, pretty well no one would be
shouting 'Eureka!!" and doing celebratory jumping, or driving Stakes for a
'Claim' and so on at the Beach, because of it.
> People walking through the carpet of seeds create a very significant
> abrasive action, abrading one seed against another, and there is no
> mystery
> to this.
Day one - a few invited Guests.
Day two - the Press.
Day Three, the public was admitted, and, at most a couple thousand people
walked very briefly on the 'Seed' Carpet.
Day four - The exhibition is Roped Off because of 'dust'.
I do not see much time or duration or magnitude for mechanical
abrasion/erosion/decomposition to have occurred.
And, besides, it now turns out it was never the 'Seeds' themselves anyway
which have shown any hint of wear...but, the Oxide or composition of
whatever sort, which had been painted and said-to-be-Fired on to them, whic=
h
has been said to have shown signs of
wearing away.
> It's just common erosion. Other sources of dust are clearly
> insignificant compared to the dust created by the abrasive action of the
> seeds against each other.
And just exactly how is this so 'clear'?
Reports of the Tate being 'dusty' in prior non-dust-accused exhibits, I
think are worth considering, as well as everything else.
What do we know of other sources of 'dusts' effecting the prior
non-dust-making exhibits?
What do we know of other sources of 'dusts' which could have been effecting
the 'Seed' Exhibit?
What do we know of how 'dusty' the 'Seeds' were before anyone was admitted
to the exhibition?
Supposedly, Tate personnel preparing the installation were wearing 'dust
masks'...before the invited guess, press, or public had entered.
What is the floor of the Tate's exhibit area made of or covered in, upon
which the 'Seed' Carpet was lain?
There is nothing 'clear' about the actual conditions or the evolution of
conditions, at all.
Only some hear-say, some purportations/attributions, figurative and casual
associations, mostly lacking in any discriminating insight, and, a press
release.
No critical analysis or discerning investigation done by nor mentioned by
Tate.
> - Vince
Love,
Phil
Lv
Lis Allison on sun 24 oct 10
On October 23, 2010, Steve Slatin wrote:
> >
> A better test would be to make a thousand or so sunflower
> seeds, in porcelain, bisque, add a slip coloring, refire,
> and then tread on them in a controlled environment. I
> am not sufficiently obsessive to do this.
You know something? If a number of potters, say a dozen of them or so,
were to do exactly that, it would make a cool art project in itself. If
you think about it, it would say a lot about a) potters, b) reactions to
art projects, and c) human nature.
!
What is interesting me, and amusing me a little, is that here is a major
museum making a huge goof and how they are dealing with it.
Lis
--
Elisabeth Allison
Pine Ridge Studio
website: www.pine-ridge.ca
Pottery blog: www.studio-on-the-ridge.blogspot.com
Garden blog: www.garden-on-the-ridge.blogspot.com
Stephani Stephenson on sun 24 oct 10
i am chuckling at the different conclusions observers would draw.
1. people wading through ceramic bits at a gallery.
(fill in the blank on that conclusion)
2. man stomping ceramic bits in a driveway (or on a sidewalk or patio. )
A. he has had a bad day at the studio and is stomping his pots. (Gladys
,come see!)
B. he's had a tough day in general and is taking it out on the soles of h=
=3D
is
shoes.(Harold, you gotta see this!)
C. he is making grog, the hard way
D. He is making dust...intentionally, but not obsessively!
E.. he is conducting a loosely structured experiment to test a thesis, b=
=3D
ut
, again, not obsessively so.
anyway thanks for the image , and the conclusion!
Stephani Stephenson
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