Lee Jaffe on sun 28 mar 99
I had a surprising opposite experience. I was on my way from Santa Cruz
to Fresno and made the usual stop at Casa de Fruta (don't ask). The
bathroom is in the gift shop and I wandered over to a display of what
looked like mass produced schlock pottery. Picking up up a vase, I expected
it have that styrofoam-like slip-cast feel, but it was nice solid piece.
Looking closer, there were finger ridges, so I started looking harder and
there were no seams or any signs of casting. It was the wrong shape for
ramming. So I think I'm looking at a real piece of pottery, made by the
hands of a real person. Then painted up to look like something my aunt
might put in her hutch with her figurines. With all the concern about
machine made work, how do we address all the descent hand potters
doing mass production work in factories? We shouldn't dismiss their work
outright since it is still hand made -- and whoever made this piece was a
better potter than I am. -- but it is still mass-produced and as far as the
owner is concerned the potters are just a better kind of machine. Is a
potter with a couple of apprentices still an artist and a potter with 20
workers a factory? Is there a number where you cross the line?
Just stirring the pot...
-- Lee Jaffe
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> Our local Wal-mart is selling mugs in their flyer for 82 cents. This should
> be the marketplace for the rammers not the craft shops and galleries. If
> their disquise was blown and the public knew their real colours- could they
> compete with an 82 cent mug?
Carolynn Palmer on mon 29 mar 99
In a message dated 3/28/99 06:21:10 PM, you wrote:
> Is a
>potter with a couple of apprentices still an artist and a potter with 20
>workers a factory? Is there a number where you cross the line?
Yes, that number is exactly one more worker/apprentice than I have presently
working for/with me!
Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan
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