Lee on wed 29 feb 12
On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 7:53 PM, Hank Murrow wrote:
>
> Dear Bill;
>
> Your story reminded me of attending the Shimaoka Show in Washington DC a
> year or so before he died. I looked over each of the 70 or so pieces on t=
=3D
he
> counters before I began to pick up one after another to regard them
> carefully. As I left the gallery, I asked the very large guard if he had
> been worried for the safety of the wares. He replied that "I saw you
> holding them like they were the Bible, and I stopped worrying about their
> safety", and indeed that is how Shimaoka's work remains for me, a Bible o=
=3D
f
> sorts.
>
Hank,
The D.C. show was just before 9/11. (Washington D.C., September
2001 Sponsored by The Embassy of Japan in cooperation with the
Japan-America Society of Washington DC,) I helped make those pots.
Shimaoka was in NYC when the Towers came down. That was where the D.C.
show went next (it started in Minneapolis. He sold so well in Mpls. that
we had to send more pots for D.C. and NYC.) Shimaoka lived several more
years (until December of 2007), but never left the country after his
experience of 9/11. It took over a week before he could get a flight out
of country after 9/11. MacKenzie, Joan Mondale and *Emily* Galusha of
NCC were stuck there too.
I told my NCC students on Monday, after showing them a movie on
Shimaoka and Mingei, that I initially asked to study with him because he
was Hamada's student. But, after a while of actually making and handling
the pots, objectively, I come to realize that the student had surpassed the
teacher.
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he land
of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent within
itself." -- John O'Donohue
Bill Merrill on wed 29 feb 12
Pots are meant to be used . They are meant to be touched. That is a
given. How good a pitcher or cup feels in your hands is what customer
wants to know how it fits their hands. If pots are meant not to be
touched, then build clear Plexiglas cubes to cover them. A simple sign
would work ..."easy to touch, but break it, then consider it sold" . I
feel if one does otherwise, then no pots will be sold. In many museums
the sculptures and paintings have electronic beams in front of them, get
to close and an alarm goes off. If I want to get close to a painting
for example, I always make contact with a guard and tell the guard what
I'm doing. I keep my hands behind my back and lean into the painting.
The guards appreciate someone doing that. Cameras are allowed in most
museums if flash isn't used on your cameras. If the collection on loan
is owned privately, then photographs may not be allowed. Keeping your
hands off museum art is for a reason, hand oil etc. can cause damage.
Museums also varnish and wax the surfaces of some painting and use
Denglas on other paintings. Denglas is a polarized glass so it reflects
little light and is not as reflective as regular glass. One of
Brancusi's bronze heads was touched so much it actually started to wear
on the form. That is one reason why touching art is frowned upon.
Another reason is potential vandalism. In Italy . A deranged man using
a ball point pen signed his name on some renaissance paintings. He was
convicted of vandalism and was put into a mental institution. With the
quality of Clayarts membership, none of these type of things will ever
happen. Be kind to your museum guard and to potential customers. =3D20
At the Belvue Fair in Washington State ,a person asked Dave Shaner what
you would do with such a large bowl. He simply responded by saying that
the bowl could be used for oranges apples etc. , and could be used for
serving pasts, potato salad etc. on and on. He sold that bowl to the
person and they couldn't have been happier. I wish I had that bowl.
Bill Merrill
madpotter55 on wed 29 feb 12
And this is exactly why I will never understand eBay, etsy and all the othe=
r=3D
online stores. I must fall head over heels ....... Like my julie crosby m=
u=3D
g. =3D20
Bill I had seen your pots published over the years but when I saw them up c=
l=3D
ose and personal I was gobsmacked. The have a presence one never will unde=
r=3D
stand from a photo.
Oh and the stories the silent museum guards have to tell...... Take one to =
l=3D
unch, best money you will ever spend!
Sandy Miller
www.sandymillerpottery.com
On Feb 29, 2012, at 4:07 PM, Bill Merrill wrote:
> Pots are meant to be used . They are meant to be touched. That is a
> given. How good a pitcher or cup feels in your hands is what customer
> wants to know how it fits their hands. If pots are meant not to be
> touched, then build clear Plexiglas cubes to cover them. A simple sign
> would work ..."easy to touch, but break it, then consider it sold" . I
> feel if one does otherwise, then no pots will be sold. In many museums
> the sculptures and paintings have electronic beams in front of them, get
> to close and an alarm goes off. If I want to get close to a painting
> for example, I always make contact with a guard and tell the guard what
> I'm doing. I keep my hands behind my back and lean into the painting.
> The guards appreciate someone doing that. Cameras are allowed in most
> museums if flash isn't used on your cameras. If the collection on loan
> is owned privately, then photographs may not be allowed. Keeping your
> hands off museum art is for a reason, hand oil etc. can cause damage.
> Museums also varnish and wax the surfaces of some painting and use
> Denglas on other paintings. Denglas is a polarized glass so it reflects
> little light and is not as reflective as regular glass. One of
> Brancusi's bronze heads was touched so much it actually started to wear
> on the form. That is one reason why touching art is frowned upon.
> Another reason is potential vandalism. In Italy . A deranged man using
> a ball point pen signed his name on some renaissance paintings. He was
> convicted of vandalism and was put into a mental institution. With the
> quality of Clayarts membership, none of these type of things will ever
> happen. Be kind to your museum guard and to potential customers. =3D20
>=3D20
> At the Belvue Fair in Washington State ,a person asked Dave Shaner what
> you would do with such a large bowl. He simply responded by saying that
> the bowl could be used for oranges apples etc. , and could be used for
> serving pasts, potato salad etc. on and on. He sold that bowl to the
> person and they couldn't have been happier. I wish I had that bowl.
>=3D20
> Bill Merrill
Hank Murrow on wed 29 feb 12
On Feb 29, 2012, at 1:07 PM, Bill Merrill wrote:
> Pots are meant to be used . They are meant to be touched. That is a
> given. How good a pitcher or cup feels in your hands is what =3D
customer
> wants to know how it fits their hands. If pots are meant not to be
> touched, then build clear Plexiglas cubes to cover them. A simple =3D
sign
> would work ..."easy to touch, but break it, then consider it sold" . =3D
I
> feel if one does otherwise, then no pots will be sold. In many museums
> the sculptures and paintings have electronic beams in front of them, =3D
get
> to close and an alarm goes off. If I want to get close to a painting
> for example, I always make contact with a guard and tell the guard =3D
what
> I'm doing. I keep my hands behind my back and lean into the painting.
> The guards appreciate someone doing that. =3D20
Dear Bill;
Your story reminded me of attending the Shimaoka Show in Washington DC a =
=3D
year or so before he died. I looked over each of the 70 or so pieces on =3D
the counters before I began to pick up one after another to regard them =3D
carefully. As I left the gallery, I asked the very large guard if he had =
=3D
been worried for the safety of the wares. He replied that "I saw you =3D
holding them like they were the Bible, and I stopped worrying about =3D
their safety", and indeed that is how Shimaoka's work remains for me, a =3D
Bible of sorts.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene=3D
Paul Herman on wed 29 feb 12
Hi Bill,
Your letter below reminds me of a time when there was a show of
ceramics from the Archie Bray Foundation, at the Nevada Museum of Art
in Reno. I of course wanted to see the show, and there were fantastic
pots there, some by Leach and Shaner and other great clay artists.
There were of course lots of signs about not touching, and velvet
ropes that held us back from getting too close to the pots. Security
guards too.
There was a long walkway, and a big Voulkos platter on the wall, about
two feet in diameter, and I went right up and started handling it,
touching the various textures and the holes that were poked through
it. All the warnings just went right out of my head, in the face of
that object. It drew me in. Luckily, none of the beefy guards saw me.
They probably would have given me a squirt of pepper spray, for
touching.
A small testament to the power of Art.
Best,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
www.greatbasinpottery.com/
On Feb 29, 2012, at 1:07 PM, Bill Merrill wrote:
> Pots are meant to be used . They are meant to be touched. That is a
> given. How good a pitcher or cup feels in your hands is what
> customer
> wants to know how it fits their hands. If pots are meant not to be
> touched, then build clear Plexiglas cubes to cover them. A simple
> sign
> would work ..."easy to touch, but break it, then consider it
> sold" . I
> feel if one does otherwise, then no pots will be sold. In many museums
> the sculptures and paintings have electronic beams in front of them,
> get
> to close and an alarm goes off. If I want to get close to a painting
> for example, I always make contact with a guard and tell the guard
> what
> I'm doing. I keep my hands behind my back and lean into the painting.
> The guards appreciate someone doing that. Cameras are allowed in most
> museums if flash isn't used on your cameras. If the collection on
> loan
> is owned privately, then photographs may not be allowed. Keeping your
> hands off museum art is for a reason, hand oil etc. can cause damage.
> Museums also varnish and wax the surfaces of some painting and use
> Denglas on other paintings. Denglas is a polarized glass so it
> reflects
> little light and is not as reflective as regular glass. One of
> Brancusi's bronze heads was touched so much it actually started to
> wear
> on the form. That is one reason why touching art is frowned upon.
> Another reason is potential vandalism. In Italy . A deranged man
> using
> a ball point pen signed his name on some renaissance paintings. He
> was
> convicted of vandalism and was put into a mental institution. With
> the
> quality of Clayarts membership, none of these type of things will ever
> happen. Be kind to your museum guard and to potential customers.
>
> At the Belvue Fair in Washington State ,a person asked Dave Shaner
> what
> you would do with such a large bowl. He simply responded by saying
> that
> the bowl could be used for oranges apples etc. , and could be used
> for
> serving pasts, potato salad etc. on and on. He sold that bowl to
> the
> person and they couldn't have been happier. I wish I had that bowl.
>
> Bill Merrill
Steve Mills on thu 1 mar 12
Totally with you there, especially with regard to Museum exhibits.=3D20
For myself I have a notice by my work saying: "Pots are meant to be touched=
,=3D
so please do!". I also male an effort to encourage Children to do so with =
r=3D
espect, despite the all too often order from Mama: "Don't touch; you'll bre=
a=3D
k it!".=3D20
Mama often needs educating too!
Steve M=3D20
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my iPod
On 29 Feb 2012, at 21:07, Bill Merrill wrote:
> Pots are meant to be used . They are meant to be touched. That is a
> given. How good a pitcher or cup feels in your hands is what customer
> wants to know how it fits their hands. If pots are meant not to be
> touched, then build clear Plexiglas cubes to cover them. A simple sign
> would work ..."easy to touch, but break it, then consider it sold" . I
> feel if one does otherwise, then no pots will be sold. In many museums
> the sculptures and paintings have electronic beams in front of them, get
> to close and an alarm goes off. If I want to get close to a painting
> for example, I always make contact with a guard and tell the guard what
> I'm doing. I keep my hands behind my back and lean into the painting.
> The guards appreciate someone doing that. Cameras are allowed in most
> museums if flash isn't used on your cameras. If the collection on loan
> is owned privately, then photographs may not be allowed. Keeping your
> hands off museum art is for a reason, hand oil etc. can cause damage.
> Museums also varnish and wax the surfaces of some painting and use
> Denglas on other paintings. Denglas is a polarized glass so it reflects
> little light and is not as reflective as regular glass. One of
> Brancusi's bronze heads was touched so much it actually started to wear
> on the form. That is one reason why touching art is frowned upon.
> Another reason is potential vandalism. In Italy . A deranged man using
> a ball point pen signed his name on some renaissance paintings. He was
> convicted of vandalism and was put into a mental institution. With the
> quality of Clayarts membership, none of these type of things will ever
> happen. Be kind to your museum guard and to potential customers. =3D20
>=3D20
> At the Belvue Fair in Washington State ,a person asked Dave Shaner what
> you would do with such a large bowl. He simply responded by saying that
> the bowl could be used for oranges apples etc. , and could be used for
> serving pasts, potato salad etc. on and on. He sold that bowl to the
> person and they couldn't have been happier. I wish I had that bowl.
>=3D20
> Bill Merrill
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