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cardew story

updated tue 6 dec 11

 

Rimas VisGirda on sun 4 dec 11


In 1976 Captain Ceramics Artworks (CCA) introduced the World's Most Powerfu=
l Potters Wheel at the Baton Rouge NCECA. For the occasion, I had printed a=
grainy B&W postcard of the wheel with myself and the student who worked on=
the project. CCA was a tongue-in-cheek/satire of the ceramic hobby industr=
y. I also used to go to England in the 70's, sometimes in the summer and so=
metimes in January; one winter in the late 70's I was in London for the mon=
th and thought it would be good to visit Cardew's studio, so I wrote a lett=
er introducing myself and asked if I could pay a visit. I got a reply sayin=
g I was welcome to come but he suggested it would not be worthwhile as the =
studio shuts down for the winter and there is no activity, also that it is =
not the easiest place to get to with public transportation. He suggested th=
at a visit would be much more interesting during the summer months... I dec=
ided to skip the visit. I had brought a stack of CCA postcards with
me and debated for some time whether I should reply with a World's Most Po=
werful Potter's Wheel postcard as it was somewhat irreverent, but went ahea=
d and sent my reply on the postcard. Some years later at an NCECA conferenc=
e, perhaps Ann Arbor, Cardew was one of the featured artists and was usuall=
y surrounded by a bevy of admirers... One afternoon I spotted him by himsel=
f in the hotel lobby and took the opportunity to introduce myself and remin=
ded him about my aborted visit to his studio some years back and acknowledg=
ement with the CCA postcard. He replied that it was a splendid postcard and=
that he had it tacked up on his studio wall, he went on to say that it was=
a splendid joke. I started to explain that it was not a "joke" but a "real=
" machine that existed and worked... He cut me off and said something like =
"yes, yes, I know, all the best jokes are real..." You can see the postcard=
here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3D1653581014940&set=3Da.16535796149=
05.2078025.1099494583&type=3D3&theater
-Rimas

tony clennell on sun 4 dec 11


Rimas: What a wonderful wheel. Where can I get one?
tc

On Sun, Dec 4, 2011 at 10:40 AM, Rimas VisGirda wrote:

> In 1976 Captain Ceramics Artworks (CCA) introduced the World's Most
> Powerful Potters Wheel at the Baton Rouge NCECA. For the occasion, I had
> printed a grainy B&W postcard of the wheel with myself and the student wh=
o
> worked on the project. CCA was a tongue-in-cheek/satire of the ceramic
> hobby industry. I also used to go to England in the 70's, sometimes in th=
e
> summer and sometimes in January; one winter in the late 70's I was in
> London for the month and thought it would be good to visit Cardew's studi=
o,
> so I wrote a letter introducing myself and asked if I could pay a visit. =
I
> got a reply saying I was welcome to come but he suggested it would not be
> worthwhile as the studio shuts down for the winter and there is no
> activity, also that it is not the easiest place to get to with public
> transportation. He suggested that a visit would be much more interesting
> during the summer months... I decided to skip the visit. I had brought a
> stack of CCA postcards with
> me and debated for some time whether I should reply with a World's Most
> Powerful Potter's Wheel postcard as it was somewhat irreverent, but went
> ahead and sent my reply on the postcard. Some years later at an NCECA
> conference, perhaps Ann Arbor, Cardew was one of the featured artists and
> was usually surrounded by a bevy of admirers... One afternoon I spotted h=
im
> by himself in the hotel lobby and took the opportunity to introduce mysel=
f
> and reminded him about my aborted visit to his studio some years back and
> acknowledgement with the CCA postcard. He replied that it was a splendid
> postcard and that he had it tacked up on his studio wall, he went on to s=
ay
> that it was a splendid joke. I started to explain that it was not a "joke=
"
> but a "real" machine that existed and worked... He cut me off and said
> something like "yes, yes, I know, all the best jokes are real..." You can
> see the postcard here:
>
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3D1653581014940&set=3Da.165357961=
4905.2078025.1099494583&type=3D3&theater
> -Rimas
>

douglas fur on sun 4 dec 11


Rimas: What a wonderful wheel.
Seems like I've heard of this done by "old timey" potters modifying a model
"a" when they got tired of cranking a wheel...
DRB
Seola Creek

Steve Mills on mon 5 dec 11


In a previous time when Wheels were enormously expensive pieces of heavy en=
g=3D
ineering, we used to make them out of a motor car rear axle assembly with t=
h=3D
e differential nose facing upwards, and a steel disc bolted to that as the =
w=3D
heelhead.=3D20
Drive was through a belt on one road-wheel sans tyre, the brake assembly on=
t=3D
he other end of the axle was the speed increase control. To slow it we had =
a=3D
lever and pad that bore on the underside of the wheelhead.=3D20
With a half horse electric motor running at constant speed, this was a bulk=
y=3D
but bullet proof piece of kit.=3D20
I love the idea of powering that with a V8!!
Now THAT'S a Big-ware wheel!

Steve (still a petrol head) M


Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my Ipod touch

On 4 Dec 2011, at 23:08, douglas fur <23drb50@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Rimas: What a wonderful wheel.
> Seems like I've heard of this done by "old timey" potters modifying a mod=
e=3D
l
> "a" when they got tired of cranking a wheel...
> DRB
> Seola Creek

Rimas VisGirda on mon 5 dec 11


=3D0A=3D0AThanks. AMACO put out an oversize color postcard of the wheel as =
a Br=3D
ent about 10 years ago... But I don't think they sold any. The original pro=
=3D
totype is sinking into the dirt on a Minnesota farm... Garth Johnson will i=
=3D
nclude Captain Ceramics Artworks in his presentation at NCECA-Seattle; he h=
=3D
as posted the Captain Ceramics Story on YouTube. You can see it here, -Rima=
=3D
s =3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3DMAA97R9lxeA=3D0A=3D0A____________=
________=3D
____________=3D0AFrom: tony clennell =3D0ATo: Rima=
s Vi=3D
sGirda =3D0ACc: Clayart@lsv.ceramics.org =3D0ASent: Sun=
day,=3D
December 4, 2011 3:45 PM=3D0ASubject: Re: Cardew story=3D0A=3D0A=3D0ARimas=
: What a=3D
wonderful wheel. Where can I get one?=3D0Atc=3D0A=3D0AOn Sun, Dec 4, 2011 =
at 10:=3D
40 AM, Rimas VisGirda wrote:=3D0A=3D0AIn 1976 Captain C=
eram=3D
ics Artworks (CCA) introduced the World's Most Powerful Potters Wheel at th=
=3D
e Baton Rouge NCECA. For the occasion, I had printed a grainy B&W postcard =
=3D
of the wheel with myself and the student who worked on the project. CCA was=
=3D
a tongue-in-cheek/satire of the ceramic hobby industry. I also used to go =
=3D
to England in the 70's, sometimes in the summer and sometimes in January; o=
=3D
ne winter in the late 70's I was in London for the month and thought it wou=
=3D
ld be good to visit Cardew's studio, so I wrote a letter introducing myself=
=3D
and asked if I could pay a visit. I got a reply saying I was welcome to co=
=3D
me but he suggested it would not be worthwhile as the studio shuts down for=
=3D
the winter and there is no activity, also that it is not the easiest place=
=3D
to get to with public transportation. He suggested that a visit would be m=
=3D
uch more interesting during the summer months... I decided to skip the visi=
=3D
t. I had brought a stack of CCA postcards with=3D0A>=3DA0me and debated for=
som=3D
e time whether I should reply with a World's Most Powerful Potter's Wheel p=
=3D
ostcard as it was somewhat irreverent, but went ahead and sent my reply on =
=3D
the postcard. Some years later at an NCECA conference, perhaps Ann Arbor, C=
=3D
ardew was one of the featured artists and was usually surrounded by a bevy =
=3D
of admirers... One afternoon I spotted him by himself in the hotel lobby an=
=3D
d took the opportunity to introduce myself and reminded him about my aborte=
=3D
d visit to his studio some years back and acknowledgement with the CCA post=
=3D
card. He replied that it was a splendid postcard and that he had it tacked =
=3D
up on his studio wall, he went on to say that it was a splendid joke. I sta=
=3D
rted to explain that it was not a "joke" but a "real" machine that existed =
=3D
and worked... He cut me off and said something like "yes, yes, I know, all =
=3D
the best jokes are real..." You can see the postcard here:=3D0A>https://www=
.f=3D
acebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3D3D1653581014940&set=3D3Da.1653579614905.207802=
5.10=3D
99494583&type=3D3D3&theater=3D0A>-Rimas=3D0A>