Lili Krakowski on wed 27 jun 12
I certainly do not disagree with you Vince that it's a good idea to do =3D
what one does best! But, in my experience, no one is a one string =3D
violin.
Most people are very versatile till formal schooling shuts them down. =3D
Many singers also play an instrument, and many instrumentalists play =3D
several. Many cooks are great bakers, and gardeners can excel in =3D
landscape design, essayists write poetry,craftsmen teach, and, of =3D
course, triathlon athletes....
Specialization is a regrettable cultural deformation.
So I will stick to my guns (bought, I cannot work metal!) and stand by =3D
what I said about home made tools. To cut down a bamboo rice paddle to =3D
make a rib, to break some extra teeth off an old comb to make a =3D
measuring device for diameters of bowls, to use an old colander as =3D
"inset" on one's throwing-water pail so leathers and ribs don't sink =3D
down, but remain wet...All this is an extension of the potter's =3D
perception and insight into her work. =3D20
And, dear Vince: Who are you to talk? You pot, you teach, you =3D
write....For all I know you make a mean pierogi!
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
Vince Pitelka on wed 27 jun 12
Lili Krakowski wrote:
"So I will stick to my guns (bought, I cannot work metal!) and stand by
what I said about home made tools. To cut down a bamboo rice paddle to mak=
e
a rib, to break some extra teeth off an old comb to make a measuring device
for diameters of bowls, to use an old colander as "inset" on one's
throwing-water pail so leathers and ribs don't sink down, but remain
wet...All this is an extension of the potter's perception and insight into
her work. And, dear Vince: Who are you to talk? You pot, you teach, you
write....For all I know you make a mean pierogi!"
Well, Lili, I can do an excellent job of eating homemade pierogi, but have
never made them. I make great potato salad (my dad's recipe), chicken soup
and casserole, quite a few other things, but I do not consider myself a
cook. I play the guitar seriously, and have since I was ten years old. I
have always advocated a balance of different things in a well-rounded life,
and anyone who is a professional studio artist must be sure to inject
diversity of experience in their lives or burn-out is guaranteed. So, the
kind of variety you mentioned in your post is almost de rigueur for a studi=
o
artist. I still say that among the various things one does, when it comes
to making a living in the studio, it is best focus primarily on the approac=
h
to clay that we do best and most productively that we most enjoy. For the
self-supporting studio artist, it simply makes no sense to dilute productiv=
e
studio time making our own tools unless there is an immediate and
specialized need or unless we derive great satisfaction and increased
productivity from making and using our own studio tools.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
Robert Harris on wed 27 jun 12
Does anyone really make their own flexible metal ribs? Adjust bought
ones absolutely, make a nice one from scratch, why bother (and
potentially lethal!)? Sure I use credit cards all the time, but the
edges get worn or pitted, and you don't get nearly as smooth a surface
(to hell with you wabi-sabi folk, I'm more Danish Modern myself ;) ),
likewise a set of Sherrill ribs are extremely long lasting, well
designed and almost impossible to duplicate well at home. I don't like
the look of MY pots made with home-made tools (remember I do not own a
belt sander etc - no space to put it). But then again I'm probably
more inspired by the Northern European (especially post Bauhaus) type
pottery than anything else - which is much more about clean lines.
Which is not to say I don't have a bunch of homemade tools, I do. But
there are definitely ones where a purchased one does what I want
better than one I could make.
There are plenty of other tools we buy all the time, without any of
this sort of stigma being attached.
(And to be honest the idea that a home-made one is somehow more
honest, or will give your pots more of your own spirit smacks of
Leachian fetishism to me.)
Snail Scott on thu 28 jun 12
On Jun 28, 2012, at 6:44 PM, Taylor Hendrix wrote:
> I can't shake this nagging feeling that Vince and Snail have taken =3D
sips of the WTF coolaid. How the heck long do you think it takes to make =
=3D
a trimming tool or a rib?
I know you're just being a wiseass, Taylor, that's cool, and I=3D20
don't take this (or much of anything else) personally. Still...
The questions ought to be asked - what tool are you making,=3D20
do you have the equipment and skills needed already, and=3D20
are you building a better mousetrap, a more convenient one,=3D20
or merely a clumsy, more time-consuming one?=3D20
I've made plenty of ribs, carving tools, loop tools, and the like.
I've also repurposed any number of nominal non-tools to suit=3D20
my tool requirements.=3D20
I've got a small stack of fake credit cards that have either been=3D20
cut to shape or are waiting in reserve for their time of need.=3D20
I've also (because I own a bandsaw and a belt sander) made=3D20
lots of wood tools. As a teacher, I have access to a seemingly=3D20
unlimited number of abandoned standard ribs and wood tools=3D20
at the end of each term, no effort or cash required. I make mine=3D20
because I want properties that the standard ones don't have.=3D20
I could make wood tools without power equipment, just a coping=3D20
saw and a file, but that would take longer. If I have to buy or=3D20
borrow a coping saw and file, and I don't know enough about=3D20
tools to set the saw blade properly, brace the work, or use a=3D20
file in an outward stroke, it gets tougher. And finding and=3D20
choosing a suitable piece of wood is a needed skill as well. =3D20
None of these things is a problem for me, but that's not true of=3D20
everyone.=3D20
I used to be a bit short-tempered with students who were=3D20
terribly hesitant to use things for 'off-label' purposes (scoring=3D20
with a fork, texturing with a shoe, etc) or who were frightened
to use a screwdriver. But, I grew up with these ideas as a=3D20
lifestyle: fix it yourself, make do, figure it out, and don't get=3D20
dependent and soft by letting other people do things for you.
Not everyone has this background. I have students and even=3D20
friends my own age who have literally never seen a pair of=3D20
pliers, hammered a nail, hemmed a pair of pants, or used any=3D20
device in a manner contrary to its packaging and instructions.=3D20
For them, making a simple wooden rib is a challenge integrating=3D20
multiple new and unfamiliar skills. It's easy to say, "It's good for=3D20
them; they oughtta learn. True. Of course, I really oughtta learn=3D20
to cook. And dance. And do differential equations. We've all got=3D20
our deficiencies. Easy for one is hard for another.=3D20
Another question: is it worth the effort? Those MudTools ribs=3D20
are dandy, but expensive. But what would it cost me to learn=3D20
enough about molded silicone and tool up to make one?=3D20
I'll pay Michael Sherrill his bucks, and be grateful. I have a=3D20
Northstar extruder. It's OK. Not great. The system for swapping=3D20
dies is clumsy and slow and the handle's leverage is lacking.=3D20
But I paid very little for it I don't use it that often. I have some=3D20
very firm ideas about how the design could be improved, and=3D20
I have the skills and equipment to make it, but it's not worth it=3D20
for me to make a replacement. Not a good use of my time.=3D20
I always assumed I would someday build my own kiln. I hoarded=3D20
bricks and burners for years as I moved from rental to rental, but=3D20
when I finally got permanently settled, a kiln that was just about=3D20
right came my way for less than the cost of the remaining bricks=3D20
and steel I'd have needed. Am I building my own kiln now? No.=3D20
If my kiln requirements couldn't be met with an existing piece of=3D20
equipment at a reasonable price, I would rather build it than=3D20
settle for less than I want. But that wasn't the the case.=3D20
I knew a painter who made his paints from scratch; said it gave=3D20
him more control and a 'special' look. They were boring, awkward=3D20
paintings no matter how the paint was made. Would they have=3D20
been better with commercial paint? Doubt it.=3D20
I used to know a blacksmith, and he always said that if your tools=3D20
couldn't give you the result you want, then make better, more=3D20
suitable tools. But sometimes the tools at hand are fine. If you=3D20
need to acquire skills or equipment to make new tools, will you=3D20
use those things again, repaying the time and money spent?=3D20
Or not?
When I cast bronze, I do it myself. All of it. Molds, waxes, casting,=3D20
welding, patina, the works. Most artists who 'make' bronze art=3D20
do none of the work themselves; nada. Is my work better? If so,=3D20
it's not because I did that extra work. I do it myself because A:=3D20
it's cheaper and B: because I get exactly what I want. But the art=3D20
is what it is; there is no premium attached to the price because I=3D20
actually did it myself.
Priorities are personal. So are requirements. I make some glazes,=3D20
and buy others. I used to make clay, now my needs are met with=3D20
a nice commercial body that I don't have to spend time mixing. If=3D20
my need change, maybe I'll go back to mixing. I make tools when=3D20
I need them and can't get what I want. I buy them when they suit=3D20
me in cost and design. It's not a moral imperative. It's pragmatism.
I take pride in the things I've built, but that includes my work, not=3D20
just the tools I used to make it.=3D20
-Snail
Snail Scott on thu 28 jun 12
On Jun 27, 2012, at 5:54 PM, Robert Harris wrote:
> ...the idea that a home-made one is somehow more
> honest, or will give your pots more of your own spirit smacks of
> Leachian fetishism to me...
True, that. I am a big fan of self-reliance, and I start
my students early on the idea that a tool is whatever
gets the job done, not something sold in a package
labeled 'tool'. I make some of my own tools in order
to get what I want. But, I am also happy to pay for the
expertise (and equipment cost overhead) of someone
who can make what I can't. Handmade isn't better if
the result is substandard, nor when my time and labor
are better compensated when applied elsewhere. A
prudent artisan chooses where their energies are
best put to use.
A deeper consideration:
Robert's phrase about 'more of your own spirit' comes
back to the ideas of that thoughtful writer on concepts
of craftsmanship, David Pye. Pivotal to his view is the
distinction, as he puts it, between the 'workmanship
of certainty' and the 'workmanship of risk' . Tools
come in many forms which constrain the outcome of
the process to a greater or lesser degree. If we all use
the same Kemper needle tool, will our work be more
alike than if we all made our own needle tools? I doubt
it. How about if we all use the same MudTools rib to
smooth our forms? A bit more similarity is likely, though
not a lot. And If we all use the same Duncan slip-casting
mold of a dinner plate, will our work be more similar
than if we made our own molds? Heck, yeah! Some
tools have a greater impact on the outcome than others.
The greater that impact, the greater the variation - the
outward evidence of 'your own spirit' - that will be shown
in the use of a self-designed tool.
Note I did NOT say a handmade tool. If you make a tool
that functions exactly like the manufactured tool you
might have used otherwise, what is gained? A dollop of
self-reliance, perhaps, but the work will display not one
jot more of 'your own spirit' than it would have otherwise.
Bet you could've used that tool-making time to come up
with more personal designs instead.
If you want to make your own tools, go for it. But it's not
the origin of the tool that makes for original work, it's
the nature of the tool and its application.
-Snail
| |
|
