elizabeth priddy on tue 14 sep 99
I will be bold and say that: I have never made
anything that I put into production that I consciously
saw anywhere. I have copied hundreds and given them
away or kept them or never fired them...because the
most intimate appreciation of pottery for me is to make
the same thing myself. The figuring it out is the fun
part. And was a vital part of production throwing.
I was "the guy" that potters mean when they say, "I
have some guy throw the forms and I decorate them..."
My name never was and never should have been on those
pots. A hard truth to twist your brain around when
you are looking at a train car kiln loaded with a
thousand pots that you threw. It took me several
years to really really "get" it and let it go.
My job was to copy someone elses pots and not
inject my own idea. Try that for years and you might
change you mind about the uniqueness of any pot design.
There are original pieces that exist, but they are so
rare, that the odds of me generating one in this
lifetime is pretty slim.
I am sure that somewhere somehow, my tiles exist, but
I have never seen it. The combination is pure me.
more on this later.
I have an unusually visually oriented memory and so I
actively avoid CM, CT, and other art mags. If you rip
others off, you will lose in the end. I can honestly
say that I have never seen tiles like mine anywhere,
including asia. Also including the national art
galleries of Taiwan, according to my chinese friend.
I read about Tom Coleman painting cherries on pots to
fire along with beautiful gas reds when I was much
younger, but still have not been able to find a picture
of these cherries. So I have made up my own. The
tiles are actually trays with feet on the back, making
them useful and stand away from the wall about an inch
allowing the irregular form of the frame to cast a
shadow on the wall.
The design of these pieces specifically answered my design question:
I wanted a product that was fun and engaging to make
I wanted a product that as my painting skills
increased, the work would still be viable alongside
the original works, in case anyone that might like to,
collects them over time.
I wanted the product to be viable for me even if the
backsurgery that I had three years ago left me
paralyzed or if I lose interest in throwing or if for
some reason, I can't throw. (how's that for dark
pessimism-I understand loss and plan for it rather
than dreading, I am not at the embracing phase, yet,
thank god)
I wanted them to serve some function in addition to
hanging on the wall pretty. They work as trivets,
or trays for cookies as the high fired stoneware and
colors are Health Label Safe.
And it only took years and years and the sedentary
recovery time from back surgery to come up with the
answer. Then I got distracted by the Mermaids...and
in November, they all go up on the wall of our co-op
gallery.
BTW, the surgery was due to an unfortunate incident
in the garden breaking up compacted mulch with a
sledgehammer, not clay work.
---
Elizabeth Priddy
I speak from sincerity and experience, not authority...
email: epriddy@usa.net
website: http://www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
>On the art secret thing, basically I agree. Although there are unethical ways
>"rip" someone else off. And maybe it's not always a good aidea to copy someone
>elses technique, style or idea in a small market.
>Earl Brunner
>http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
>mailto:bruec@anv.net
>
--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
| |
|
