David Hendley on sat 9 jan 99
First. let me emphisize that I appreciate Jonathan taking
the time to share his insights as to the side/jury business.
My response is, "Geez, I don't need to be spending my time
trying to please juries."
My time and money would be better spent buying tickets
for the Texas Lottery. Much better odds/payout ratio.
Better yet, I could spend that time and money locally, getting
people to come to me and buy pottery.
Why should I expend time and effort to promote a promoter's
show or sale? So they can not allow me to come back the
next year, on the whim of a jury?
Folks, listen to Mel when he says:
>take care of business within a 50 mile radius of your studio.
>it will pay you great dividends.........get rid of the ego, show crap.
>and spend the time and energy making better pots for your
>clients.
>and that is a fact..........
>ask anyone that is making a living making pots.
Mel is a smart man with decades of experience.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
At 09:47 AM 1/6/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Having been on a few outstanding juries, including ACC, here are some
>observations.
>
>There is a move, I think it was started by NAIA to standardize the slide
>format, such as name, description, which side up, etc etc. which I think is
>a really fine idea. (and not really to the point of the
>backgrounds...but).....
>
>Juries look at a huge amount of slides. In fact, at ACC we looked through
>the entire group of ceramics applications twice. Once to familiarize
>ourselves with the work, and the second, to vote.
>
>What matters is the piece. Five slides, in this case, are projected at once
>and there is a sixth that is an identification number that corresponds to
>the same number on the ballots. Each piece matters, and the effectiveness
>of the entire presentation, showing a body of work, the entire presentation
>matters.
>
>We looked at slides shot outside, against burlap, against wall papaer,
>against the kitchen sink on the kitchen table, the list is quite endless
>and also quite interesting. The majority of the slides were shot on a
>neutral to grey background which faded out at the top. These presentations
>were the most effective bith from an individual piece point of view as well
>as entire presentation point of view. Those pieces that were shot on a
>stark white background did not seem to have the floating quality to them,
>the shadows were quite harsh, but that could have been the photographers
>issue.... Those on a white background seemed cold, while those on the
>neutral or grey one were warmer.
>
>For my two cents after a full day of looking, and I mean looking, at tons
>of slides, my eyes and my body were toast, well burnt at that, I think the
>grey/neutral backgrounds are more effective.
>
>However, remember that there are huge numbers of applicants for every show.
>If the show only has so many openings for potters, and there are hundreds
>of potters competing for those cherished spaces, the odds of getting in are
>small, no matter the quality of the work. But what matters is that you
>present your best work in as professional a way as possible. Your living
>depends on it. And for me, that means working with a professional
>photographer who works primarily with product photography. It costs, but it
>returns to you if you do it right.
>
>Juries are hard to pin down as to what they are looking for. Good work? A
>balanced show?
>More functional work? More decorative work? More affordable work? High end
>work? This list is also endless. Its important not, and I repeat, not, take
>a rejection personally and not take it as meaning the work is bad. (well it
>could be, but I'm speaking in general terms here). The real bottom line is
>that we are in a very competative field. There is lots of really good work
>out there and there are, true, a good group of very productive fairs and
>shows, but the number of applications is stagering for those shows.
>
>The pie has stayed the same, only the segments of that pie have increased.
>Count your blessings for what shows you do get into, and keep trying for
>those shows you don't. Whether you are in or out doesn't validate or
>invalidate your worth as a potter, artist, or human being. All it means is
>that your work was not what that specific jury was looking for.
>
>Any how, thats my approach. It works for me.
>
>Jonathan
>
>Jonathan Kaplan, president
>Ceramic Design Group LTd/Production Services
>PO Box 775112
>Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
>(970) 879-9139 voice and fax
>http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign
>
At 11:40 AM 1/8/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>i think that the greater question about taking photos of pots
>is, `what is the reason?`
>far to many potters both young and old seem to have an obsession
>with `getting in shows`.....
> what does that do for you?
>big question.
> i have stated before on this venue.
>why do you enter shows?
> you should have a very precise reason, and goal.
>far more than ego.
> it should be a sound business decision.
>i feel that getting a customer base, taking care of customers,
>and clients. promoting your work on a local level is far more
>important than `shows`.
> not many potters will find that their customers give
>a damn one way or the other if you had work in a show.....they
>can see the work, touch it, and make choices of what they want.
> Ego is the usual driver for entering shows.
>`hey mom, hey, uncle joe, i just got in a show in denver!`........who
>cares?
> if you are an academic, and need a broad resume, with
>shows listed, hey, get at it.......and do it with high and mighty
>quality. it is the life blood of the mfa looking for a good job.
> the grape vine tells me that the cm show for nceca
>had over 1500 entries.......wow.
> how many are people that really need that kind of exposure?
>maybe 300.
> i have had my pots used on cereal boxes for general mills
>for years........most of you have seen them, but did not know
> that they were mine...........who cares?
>i get paid very well to make those pots..........no credit.
> it does not affect my sales one bit.....just commercial
>work that has to be done. that is all.
> (of course my high school kids would just go ape over a
>new box. now that impressed them. )
> again, the bottom line is always the same.
>take care of business within a 50 mile radius of your studio.
>it will pay you great dividends.........get rid of the ego, show crap.
>and spend the time and energy making better pots for your
>clients.
>and that is a fact..........
>ask anyone that is making a living making pots.
>mel/mn
>and anyway, getting in a show is just the whim of a group
>of potters that are making two second decisions about your
>work. who cares. is that lasting?
>
>
>http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
Lee Love on mon 11 jan 99
David Hendley in Maydelle, Texas wrote:
>Folks, listen to Mel when he says:
..
David,
Shows aren't the only reason to have photographs of your
work made. Someone else mentioned it as being a way to document your
work. You can also use images for educational and promotional
literature and, of course, web pages (he without a web page can cast the
first stone. :^).) You can also use them in workshops or presentations.
Also, if you live in a State the supports the arts like Mel &
I do, there are plenty of grants to be applied for an _won_. I was happy
to see that this years State Arts Board Grants in Minnesota included many
potters.
As far as egos go, my late Zen Master used to say: "The fish
does not know it swims in the ocean." It is difficult to pontificate on
other's motivations. :^) It is a full-time job trying to know my own
motivations. We each need to find our own way. The work is the only
testimony to how well we are doing it.
/(o\' Lee In Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 0
\o)/' mailto:Ikiru@Kami.com ICQ# 20586182
' http://www.millcomm.com/~leelove/ikiru.html
Don Jones on mon 11 jan 99
>Folks, listen to Mel when he says:
>
>>take care of business within a 50 mile radius of your studio.
>>it will pay you great dividends.........get rid of the ego, show crap.
>>and spend the time and energy making better pots for your
>>clients.
>>and that is a fact..........
>>ask anyone that is making a living making pots.
>
>Mel is a smart man with decades of experience.
>
>David Hendley
>Maydelle, Texas
Mel and David,
Something bugs me about these posts so I'm going to ramble a bit to try and
nail it down.
I'm not ready yet to claim mel as my guru. I'm making a living from my
clay because I have marketed it quite successfully on a national basis. If
I drew a 50 mile radius around Albuquerque, NM all I would include is a few
pueblo reservations. If I extended that radius to 60 miles it would
include Santa Fe. Getting into a good craft gallery there is dependent not
only on good ceramics but good exhibition exposure. I suspect that mel and
others who are working in academics could get up tommorrow morning and not
worry about how many good pots to make so that they could pay the health
insurance next month. This makes for a wonderful, non egotistical
environment to create as one pleases and market 10 or 10,000 pots within
one's 50 mile radius.
Getting into good shows has escaped me and I've almost given up trying. I
know it is important because it is related to so many other things in the
ceramic world.
I guess what I'm saying, is that being subsidized by an organization or
mutual funds or something can give a person the freedom to cross off the
whole "ego, show crap" as unnecessary and feel like one is above it.
I am envious of the clay people who can get up each morning, enter the
studio and say " gee, what wonderful things can I make today?. I think
I'll experiment for a week with slab-thrown combinations" etc. etc. maybe
I'll go to so and so's workshop on the west coast next week". I can never
seem to find the time or money for this kind of life style. I wish
somebody would email me on how to do it.
I love mel and his posts. My life has been much more chaotic and
circular. I missed out on getting a faculty post. I work my ass off
filling orders that I burnt out on long ago. I'm not complaining even
though it sounds like it. I would love to get into a series of important
national shows, win some awards, satisy my ego, make a real contribution
to clay. I feel like I have just begun.
no offense intended, just another view.
Don Jones
claysky@highfiber.com
:-) implied in all messages and replies
http://highfiber.com/~claysky
Jonathan Kaplan on tue 12 jan 99
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
David Hendley wrote:
>First. let me emphisize that I appreciate Jonathan taking
>the time to share his insights as to the side/jury business.
>
>My response is, "Geez, I don't need to be spending my time
>trying to please juries."
>My time and money would be better spent buying tickets
>for the Texas Lottery. Much better odds/payout ratio.
>Better yet, I could spend that time and money locally, getting
>people to come to me and buy pottery.
>Why should I expend time and effort to promote a promoter's
>show or sale? So they can not allow me to come back the
>next year, on the whim of a jury?
Thanks for the observations David, and I appreciate your insight.
There is another side of the coin, and that is the business side of making
pots. And I also think that there are many many ways to work within the
framework of "the business of pottery," as you mention above. I think that
one of the ways is, sure, to promote the hell out of yourself locally and
develop this market. If you can do it, or have done it, great!!
Your statement of " Why should I expend time and effort to promote a promoter's
>show or sale? So they can not allow me to come back the
>next year, on the whim of a jury?" is IMHO shortsighted.
There is really no reason "why" you should or should not. But.......
Many of us have been through the craft show life and true, have encountered
many promoter's who may fit your description. The best shows, in my
experience, have jurors that are not the promoters.
Juries are what they are, and if you choose to submit your work, you choose
to work within that system. You may not like the results. What we do, if
we choose to market our work through shows (and thus essentially through
the juries also) is competative, and while some may contend that it is
unfortunate that the business of potterymaking has become competative, it
is a way or reaching a very large and broad market. And if this is what you
choose, and I repeat this is a choice, then you agree to how it is
structured.
For you, the market may come to you locally. For others, it may not, and
the show system presents a valid system if you have the stomach for it, as
well as the ability to look at the big picture. And my opinoin, for what it
is worth, is that is your career shouldn't depend only one one show or
one jury.It is building a career, if you wish, or building a business,
based on exposure of many shows, through many juries. There are many ways
for us to choose.
Many of us, having been through the jury system and the show system, have
established a market through participation in shows and now, no longer need
to do the major wholesale shows. Others do, and some, like yourself, have
reached out to the local market and have developed this as your business.
For this I applaud you and wish you much success.
Best,
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan, president
Ceramic Design Group LTD/Production Services
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs CO 80477
plant location
1280 13th Street Unit 13
Steamboat Springs CO 80487
(970) 879-9139 voice and fax
jonathan@csn.net
http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign/
David Hendley on tue 12 jan 99
Hi Don, again, I'm speaking just for myself, and not Mel.
First, let me say, there are probably 10 times more people in
the city limits of Albuquerque than there are within a
50 mile radius of me.
Secondly, I do not, and have not, worked in academics.
I do have a (very) part-time job that helps smooth over those
times when things are a little slow at the shop.
I can also tell you that I spent several years going to A.C.E.
wholesale shows and sold much of my work wholesale.
You say:
>My life has been much more chaotic and
>circular. I work my ass off
>filling orders that I burnt out on long ago.
Well, that's exactly how I felt in those days.
My quality of life is better now, both in the pottery studio
and personally.
I do actually have days when I can go to shop and make
whatever my heart desires.
Finally, Don, I really like the spheres you make, but they
are not pottery. I make pots that seem reasonably priced and
useful to your average middle-class woman.
I seriously doubt that I would be able to make a living
making and selling your work without travelling, wholesaling,
and entering shows.
You just have to find what works for you.
Also, you already have made a real contribution to the clay world
with personal and unique work.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
At 02:21 PM 1/11/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Mel and David,
>Something bugs me about these posts so I'm going to ramble a bit to try and
>nail it down.
>I'm not ready yet to claim mel as my guru. I'm making a living from my
>clay because I have marketed it quite successfully on a national basis. If
>I drew a 50 mile radius around Albuquerque, NM all I would include is a few
>pueblo reservations. If I extended that radius to 60 miles it would
>include Santa Fe. Getting into a good craft gallery there is dependent not
>only on good ceramics but good exhibition exposure. I suspect that mel and
>others who are working in academics could get up tommorrow morning and not
>worry about how many good pots to make so that they could pay the health
>insurance next month. This makes for a wonderful, non egotistical
>environment to create as one pleases and market 10 or 10,000 pots within
>one's 50 mile radius.
>Getting into good shows has escaped me and I've almost given up trying. I
>know it is important because it is related to so many other things in the
>ceramic world.
>I guess what I'm saying, is that being subsidized by an organization or
>mutual funds or something can give a person the freedom to cross off the
>whole "ego, show crap" as unnecessary and feel like one is above it.
> I am envious of the clay people who can get up each morning, enter the
>studio and say " gee, what wonderful things can I make today?. I think
>I'll experiment for a week with slab-thrown combinations" etc. etc. maybe
>I'll go to so and so's workshop on the west coast next week". I can never
>seem to find the time or money for this kind of life style. I wish
>somebody would email me on how to do it.
> I love mel and his posts. My life has been much more chaotic and
>circular. I missed out on getting a faculty post. I work my ass off
>filling orders that I burnt out on long ago. I'm not complaining even
>though it sounds like it. I would love to get into a series of important
>national shows, win some awards, satisy my ego, make a real contribution
>to clay. I feel like I have just begun.
>no offense intended, just another view.
>
>Don Jones
>claysky@highfiber.com
> :-) implied in all messages and replies
>http://highfiber.com/~claysky
>
John K. Dellow on tue 12 jan 99
Don ,you have already made it. You typify the unknown potter. Those with
independent means / full time academic postings can never reach that goal. That
why they call themselves "Ceramic Arts" & not potters .
Remember Leach Hamada etc. were from very wealthy families , other wise they
would not have survived the great depression.
John Dellow the flower pot man
http://welcome.to/jkdellow
Thonas C. Curran on tue 12 jan 99
Don Jones wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> >Folks, listen to Mel when he says:
> >
> >>take care of business within a 50 mile radius of your studio.
> >>it will pay you great dividends.........get rid of the ego, show crap.
> >>and spend the time and energy making better pots for your
> >>clients.
> >>and that is a fact..........
> >>ask anyone that is making a living making pots.
> >
> >Mel is a smart man with decades of experience.
> >
> >David Hendley
> >Maydelle, Texas
>
> Mel and David,
> Something bugs me about these posts so I'm going to ramble a bit to try and
> nail it down.
> I'm not ready yet to claim mel as my guru. I'm making a living from my
> clay because I have marketed it quite successfully on a national basis. If
> I drew a 50 mile radius around Albuquerque, NM all I would include is a few
> pueblo reservations. If I extended that radius to 60 miles it would
> include Santa Fe. Getting into a good craft gallery there is dependent not
> only on good ceramics but good exhibition exposure. I suspect that mel and
> others who are working in academics could get up tommorrow morning and not
> worry about how many good pots to make so that they could pay the health
> insurance next month. This makes for a wonderful, non egotistical
> environment to create as one pleases and market 10 or 10,000 pots within
> one's 50 mile radius.
> Getting into good shows has escaped me and I've almost given up trying. I
> know it is important because it is related to so many other things in the
> ceramic world.
> I guess what I'm saying, is that being subsidized by an organization or
> mutual funds or something can give a person the freedom to cross off the
> whole "ego, show crap" as unnecessary and feel like one is above it.
> I am envious of the clay people who can get up each morning, enter the
> studio and say " gee, what wonderful things can I make today?. I think
> I'll experiment for a week with slab-thrown combinations" etc. etc. maybe
> I'll go to so and so's workshop on the west coast next week". I can never
> seem to find the time or money for this kind of life style. I wish
> somebody would email me on how to do it.
> I love mel and his posts. My life has been much more chaotic and
> circular. I missed out on getting a faculty post. I work my ass off
> filling orders that I burnt out on long ago. I'm not complaining even
> though it sounds like it. I would love to get into a series of important
> national shows, win some awards, satisy my ego, make a real contribution
> to clay. I feel like I have just begun.
> no offense intended, just another view.
>
> Don Jones
> claysky@highfiber.com
> Hi, Don, Do Mel and David provoke us so that we will get a discussion goin
This exchange reminds me of 25 years of Ceramics Monthly letter to the
Editor columns with emotional pros and cons about traditional potting
versus funk and far out. Does anyone ever come away with views
changed? Everyone seems so sure their point of view is THE point of
view. It's fun, though, if people don't take themselves super
seriously. (I'm not inferring that you guys are, I'm talking more about
those old letters to the Editor).
The production potter, the ceramic sculptor,the creator of funky
installations, the traditionalist and the avant garde artist should ALL
try to do their best...for their clients, yes, but also for themselves.
Whether or not photographic backgrounds should be sweated over is a
matter of one's own artistic preferences and needs. I could rant on and
on, but I think I'll hit the non philsophic sack. Night, all.
Carolyn aka CNC
Richard Selfridge on tue 12 jan 99
David Hendley wrote
>Folks, listen to Mel when he says:
>
>>take care of business within a 50 mile radius of your studio.
>>it will pay you great dividends.........get rid of the ego, show crap.
>>and spend the time and energy making better pots for your
>>clients.
>>and that is a fact..........
>>ask anyone that is making a living making pots.
>
>Mel is a smart man with decades of experience.
Although this is sound advice for those just getting started as potters, I
think it's a bit glib as a response to an important part of professional
development and being an evolving potter for a lifetime. What follows is a
longish ramble about documenting your growth and submitting it to be
evaluated by your professional peers.
Confessions of an Exhibition Junkie or the Ego That Walks Like a Man
Carol and I have lived exclusively from our work for over 25 years and in
that time we have seen a lot of potters who burned out or barely continue
by making the same work they were doing when they first started. Sometimes
they set up a small "factory" and have others make their designs. Often
they supplement their pottery with another job. (Send more money hon, this
job is going to last longer than I thought).
Often when they say they have a "line" of production pottery, they sort of
apologize because they make it "just to pay the bills". Usually they long
since "gave up" on entering juried national and international exhibitions.
It's not for me to judge these folks and there must be as many ways to
build an audience for and sell your work as there are potters, but it all
seems so defeatist and boring in the bargain.
Before you think me a complete pollyanna about entering shows I'll mention
some of the downsides.
It's a lot of work and expense to do the photography. There is a fairly
steep learning curve at the start as we all can see when we look at early
photos of early pots. (Barnwood with Burlap backdrops) Shows are like a
lottery where good slides and entry fees are the tickets. I like the idea
of a higher "entry" fee for those who "win" and get in the show rather than
financially punishing those who "lose".
It is even worse when you have to ship the piece rather than a slide. Our
"Tempting Eve Teapot" which is on the first page of our web site went all
the way to Mino,Japan and back at an expense to us of $450 for return
shipping. It was not selected. Subsequently, the slide got it into the San
Angelo National show and a nice photo in Ceramics Monthly. We have given up
on the idea of shiping entries as too speculative. (better to buy real
lottery tickets)
It is really hard to photograph subtile "quiet" pots and often good pots
are just not photogenic. Photography "flattens" pots and many don't have
just one "good side". One thing about the gradated backgrounds that started
this thread is that they tend to put the pot in a three dimensional space
and pop it off the background, more so if the pot has a light value at the
top.
It is difficult to know what kind of work will be selected and there are
many shows to choose(and lose)from if you are a U.S.resident. There are
less than half a dozen open to Canadians most years so we usually enter
those we can. (an exception being the Trois Rivieres Biennale which had
another ideotic theme). Some pots are perceived as too small or
insignificant for all but the "Cone Box" and "Strictly Functional" show. It
is rare to see a Teabowl in a national juried show. It is also difficult to
second guess the jury and often you don't know who they are until after
they choose.
Probably the worst part of entering is rejection and taking it personally
(how else would we take it; our pots are part of our soul in the world)
Sometimes you get a letter which lets you down easy with the info of how
many others like yourself applied and didn't make it this time, sometimes
as many as 98% of the entries. Othertimes, no news is bad news like the
upcoming Ceramics Monthly show in which of the 1500 entrants only those
accepted were notified (we didn't get notified).
One of my favorite short stories is the first piece of fiction by Charles
Bukowski accepted for publication after years of rejection with the title
"Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip"
Although his work was unacceptable and rejected he was told he'ed done an
honest job and something might be published someday.
"I put the slip back in my pocket and walked on down the street. I felt
pretty good. Here I had only been writing two years. Two short years. It
took Hemingway ten years. And Sherwood Anderson, he was forty before he was
published."
Even if you don't get into the show it is a good idea to send the money for
the catalogue to see who the jury liked better than you. Sometimes you can
figure out why your work would not show well in this context and what the
"bias" of the jury was. We have to realize that the selection and "making a
coherent show" is also an art form.
With all this downside, let's look for the pony.
You should take pictures of your best pots each year both to see where you
have been and to get a more objective view of how they present themselves
visually. This also starts you on the learning curve to better photography
and allows you to "frame" and isolate them for study. The ones you pick to
photograph might tell you the direction you are going. If you have current
images of your work ready, it is less stressful when a "bluebird"
promotional opportunity arrives.
We didn't enter any shows until we had been full time potters for about
four years, but we started photographing a couple of years earlier.
No matter where you live it is always helpful to have consensual validation
of you works' worth from outside. It's nice that your mom and your aunt
like your dishes to cook and serve pie but their testimonials don't carry
much beyond the neighborhood. We have all seen lots of bad pottery, but how
do we build a clientel that sees the aestetic superiority of your work. It
is because of this that they will pay more than Wall-Mart prices. It should
be better, not just hand made.
I still like the idea of making pots for use for the community I live in,
but I want to make the ones I want and "lead " their taste as Cardew said,
rather than making last years "dandy new ceramic gadget". Having your work
praised and purchased by an international audience gives you more creative
flexibility.
In a long life as a maker some people's opinion about the merit of your
work is more important than others. It's nice that a casual uninformed
observer finds your pots interesting and "good" but we value and consider
the opinions of those who have "looked" as much as we have or more. Just as
it is validating to trade pieces with other artists who's work you admire,
it is a reenforcing "attaboy" to be selected by a jury of your peers.
Some potters stop submitting when they reach their "mature" phase. Maybe
they no longer need "ego strokes" but for me submitting to shows is a way
of trying to keep the work fresh, to make it exciting for me as well as
those who would buy it. As well as a good business decision it has allowed
us to keep a record of our progress. We now have a web site which works as
a retrospective exhibition. Let me know if you enjoy it.
Richard Selfridge
http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/selfridg
Thonas C. Curran on wed 13 jan 99
> Finally, Don, I really like the spheres you make, but they
> are not pottery. I make pots that seem reasonably priced and
> useful to your average middle-class woman.
>
> David Hendley
> Maydelle, Texas
>
>
> Aha, David, we are back to square one! Spheres are not pottery? How about ram
So it all boils down to the definition of pottery, that ongoing debate
without wrong or right answer. And what about the definition of snob,
for that matter? Is a snob necessarily arty, or can you be a snob if
you make pots for that average middle class woman in hometown, USA and
dismiss the work of non functional potters (or must I say Clay
artists)? Should we all agree to disagree? It's a fun debate, but I
don't think we'll arrive at any answer, because there is no answer.
Carolyn aka CNC
Kathi LeSueur on wed 13 jan 99
In a message dated 1/11/99 2:27:12 PM, you wrote:
<>
The important question in regard to this sentence is: When you do manage to
get into a decent show, how is your work received by the public. Do you sell
well or does the publice largely ignore you?
If you sell well then I would suggest the problem is with your slide "set". If
you don't, then you need to take a very critical look at your work. Perhaps
ask some others who do get into those shows to look at you slides work.
I spent 6 years with a major arts organization heading the committee that
reviewed slides. Usually 300-400 of the members each year. I can't stress
enough that you take the advice of Jonathan to heart. A neutral grey
background interfers least with the work being shown and is least tiring on
the jurors' eyes.
You also need to understand that your slides must be viewed as a set. You must
compose them just as you would a painting. You need to look at how the eye
moves across the screens. If the slide furthest to the right takes your eye
off to the side a tired juror's eys might end up looking at that slide and
wandering off to the blank wall never to return until the next slides come up.
Have you looked at your slides as the jurors will see them, projected on a
wall. Or have you just held them up to a light. It's amazing how many look
good held to the light and terrible when projected onto a screen.
And last, if you are bored by your work it probably shows in that work. It may
lack life, enthusiasm. Take some time off. Go get a mindless job for six
months. Then come back and take a fresh look at what you are doing. You might
find yourself falling in love with clay all over again.
Kathi LeSueur
Tim Skeen on fri 15 jan 99
Hi Carolyn
I agree 100%...(I don't know about the snob issue) I don't make functional
pieces(pottery?). I don't think it matters one way or the other. We are
all working in clay,as a newcomer I don't understand pottery vs what
decorative? Or should I say functional vs non-functional? I think
decorative has function - it brings beauty to the world, you can feel the
smoothness or the texture, see the beauty of the form or color of the
surface. I pit fire my work and it amazes me how people react to it. They
caress the pot , they relate on some level to the earthiness of the piece.
That's when I know it is a decorative piece that has function for that
person. They may not beable to eat off of it or drink from it but it's
function is that it touched that person on some level ... If it sits on a
shelf, it's brought beauty into that person's home. I'm like an outsider
looking in because I've been potting for only 2 years. It sure does make
this newcomer wonder why there needs to be division. Yes I admit they are
two different groups but still creating with clay.(pottery?) It's not an
answer I know, only my thoughts.... This list helps me not only with clay
techniques but with other issues that I would not think about as a newcomer
and I thank you all for that. If I am off base here please explain the
difference why functional is called pottery and non-functional is not?
TIA Audrey taskeen@bellatlantic.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Thonas C. Curran
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Thursday, January 14, 1999 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: Slides, juries, the big question
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> Finally, Don, I really like the spheres you make, but they
>> are not pottery. I make pots that seem reasonably priced and
>> useful to your average middle-class woman.
>
>>
>> David Hendley
>> Maydelle, Texas
>>
>>
>> Aha, David, we are back to square one! Spheres are not pottery? How
about ram
> So it all boils down to the definition of pottery, that ongoing
debate
>without wrong or right answer. And what about the definition of snob,
>for that matter? Is a snob necessarily arty, or can you be a snob if
>you make pots for that average middle class woman in hometown, USA and
>dismiss the work of non functional potters (or must I say Clay
>artists)? Should we all agree to disagree? It's a fun debate, but I
>don't think we'll arrive at any answer, because there is no answer.
>Carolyn aka CNC
>
David Hendley on fri 15 jan 99
At 04:28 PM 1/13/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> Finally, Don, I really like the spheres you make, but they
>> are not pottery. I make pots that seem reasonably priced and
>> useful to your average middle-class woman.
>>
>> David Hendley
>> Maydelle, Texas
> Aha, David, we are back to square one! Spheres are not pottery?
No, a sphere with no opening is not pottery.
You may not agree with me, but I think "pottery" has to be a vessel
of some kind.
>How about ram
> So it all boils down to the definition of pottery, that ongoing
debate
>without wrong or right answer.
No, it boils down to finding the best way to market and sell your
work. This is often different for functional pottery compared to
non-functional clay art. It doesn't matter a whit what you call it.
>And what about the definition of snob,
>for that matter? Is a snob necessarily arty, or can you be a snob if
>you make pots for that average middle class woman in hometown, USA and
>dismiss the work of non functional potters (or must I say Clay
>artists)?
Huh? Who's dismissing anyone's work?
Are you implying that Don is a snob?
That I'm a snob?
Why are you talking about the definition of snob?
Here's the rest of my paragraph, that you cut:
>>Also, you already have made a real contribution to the clay world
>>with personal and unique work.
I sure wouldn't mind if someone "dismissed" my work in this way.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
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