mel jacobson on sat 8 oct 11
form, often the most overlooked design element of
ceramics.
glaze, everyone wants a new glaze...and if that
glaze goes on bad form...not good pots.
when i mentor newish potters i always suggest
that they spend the first year of making pots glazing
all of their work white. plain, simple, no decoration
white.
just make forms that look wonderful, elegant, simple
and lovely. then glaze them pure white.
do they hold up? if not, change the form.
my god-son bill burgert did that for almost two years.
i then sent him ron roy's black. whooooo, what a step up.
just white and black.
he started selling white pots with black design. sold most
everything. his customers still look for it. his basic elements
of design are very good. he understands what he is doing.
he fires our proto-type small minnesota flat top kiln in denver.
in his back yard...a mile off the campus of denver univ. he is
urban. he fires to cone 6 using natural gas. and, i might add,
very low gas pressure with burners that he and i designed and made.
they work like a champ. a small insulated garage studio with a walk
out to the kiln. a great one man space. (he is a full time car broker,
with his own business. he works hard.)
i guess the bottom line is: he has worked very hard to study the
form and design of his pots. it shows. classic designs that he
has made his own.
as i have said a million times...`how many different pots can you
make on a wheel....????` round pots, basic forms. it is what you
do with that concept that counts.
mel
in contrast i see in the magazines hundreds of examples of
overworked, precious, over designed, over glazed pots...twelve colors minim=
um.
they are hideous. look at the last issues. i could not believe
some of the images. it has become a contest to see who can
make the most complex, idiotic work. ( but, mel...look how long it
took to make just one pot, like a month.`) BS
of course many of us were horrified at the copies of dan anderson's work.
it is beyond plagiarism.
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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