Brian Brigham on thu 18 nov 99
Greetings,
Would you like to help design a potter s wheel? My name is Brian Brigham, I
am a student at the Columbus College of Art and Design and a fellow potter.
For my senior thesis project I am designing a potters wheel and I would
greatly appreciate your input. Please take just a couple minutes to answer
the following questions and e-mail them back to me.
Age Gender Student, Professional, or Hobbyist
Do you own a wheel? If so which brand?
What part of the pot making process do you like the best and why?
How often do you use the potters wheel?
How long do you typically sit at the wheel and work?
What problems or concerns do you have with the potters wheel?
How would you address these concerns or problems?
What do you get out of throwing, what does it do for you?
How could the wheel be changed to better help you achieve what you seek?
What are your favorite forms to create?
How do you feel when your are working on your wheel?
Are your feelings different at different times or in different situations?
If your were to change your experience of working on your wheel how would
you change it?
Thank you for your time and insights!
Brian
idbjb@hotmail.com
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Rick Hugel on fri 19 nov 99
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Greetings,
>
>Would you like to help design a potter s wheel? My name is Brian Brigham, I
>am a student at the Columbus College of Art and Design and a fellow potter.
>For my senior thesis project I am designing a potter's wheel and I would
>greatly appreciate your input. Please take just a couple minutes to answer
>the following questions and e-mail them back to me.
>
>Age 60 something Gender MALE ( ) Student ( X )Professional ( )
>Hobbyist
>
>
> Do you own a wheel? If so which brand?
Yes. A cast iron body with seat attached 1973 Shimpo. Runs like a top.
>
> What part of the pot making process do you like the best and why?
There is no best. Clay is a material with soul. From the time you open a
pack
of clay till you open the kiln you have to be in touch with that soul or you
won't get meaningful pots.
>
> How often do you use the potter's wheel?
Almost every day.
>
> How long do you typically sit at the wheel and work?
Five or six hours.
>
> What problems or concerns do you have with the potter's wheel?
The only thing I would like to improve on my golden oldie wheel is the speed
control; it's very stiff and hard to make incremental adjustments. But that
is impossible, so I live with it.
>
> How would you address these concerns or problems?
Probably the only way would be to get a new wheel, but why. If ain't broke,
I ain't gonna fix it.
>
> What do you get out of throwing, what does it do for you?
Not just throwing, but coil building and slab construction as well. After
the technical and mechanical skills needed to pot become automatic, you and
the clay work together as one. The clay leads. You may know that you want
to throw a large shallow bowl, slab construct a vase, or coil building a
tea bowl, but the clay has to get hold of your senses to show you how it
wants its final shape to be.
>
> How could the wheel be changed to better help you achieve what you seek?
Magnetically levitate the wheel to eliminate all friction and mechanical
sound, leaving only you, the clay, and the sound of silence.
>
> What are your favorite forms to create?
As I said before, I decide the basic size and form, but the clay decides the
final shape.
>
> How do you feel when your are working on your wheel?
Totally immersed with the clay.
>
> Are your feelings different at different times or in different situations?
Yes. If my body is out of sync(flu, a general discordant feeling) I can't
meld with the clay. I never pot while students around, because of the
demands they make on my attention. I may demonstrate machanical skills for
them, but I never keep those pots.
>
> If your were to change your experience of working on your wheel how would
>you change it?
Change the reality to virtual reality so I could reverse and undo what I
have done to the point where I started to err and then continue on.
>
> Thank you for your time and insights!
A pleasure and good luck with your thesis.
>
>Brian
>idbjb@hotmail.com
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Susan Fox on sat 20 nov 99
On Thu, 18 Nov 1999 11:13:04 EST Brian Brigham
writes:
>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>Greetings,
>
>Would you like to help design a potter s wheel? My name is Brian
>Brigham, I
>am a student at the Columbus College of Art and Design and a fellow
>potter.
>For my senior thesis project I am designing a potters wheel and I
>would
>greatly appreciate your input. Please take just a couple minutes to
>answer
>the following questions and e-mail them back to me.
>
>Age Gender Student, Professional, or Hobbyist
>Upper Middle F X
>
> Do you own a wheel? If so which brand?
>Shimpo, Brent, Pacifica, (old) Amaco
> What part of the pot making process do you like the best and why?
>Raising - it's viscerally satisfying.*
> How often do you use the potters wheel?
>4 days a week, about - whenever I'm not glazing, stacking, packing,
cleaning etc.
> How long do you typically sit at the wheel and work?
>2hours at a time, rest or move around, then work again. I have one
wheel at which I always stand. Feet get tired standing, hips get tired
sitting.
> What problems or concerns do you have with the potters wheel?
>The moveable foot pedal on the raised wheel is hard to manipulate by
hand when I put it up on the table, but I can't atand on one leg to use
it on the floor. Hand pedal needed.
> How would you address these concerns or problems?
>Get someone like you to fix it!
> What do you get out of throwing, what does it do for you?
>See above*
> How could the wheel be changed to better help you achieve what you
>seek?
>I have 5 wheels, all different - all with names. I usually use "Lady"
because she's so quiet I can hear the radio. And she has a very steady
slow speed.
> What are your favorite forms to create?
>Bowls
> How do you feel when your are working on your wheel?
>As if I'm doing what I should be doing. Sometimes when I'm doing the
first raise I say to myself, "Boy, am I lucky!"
> Are your feelings different at different times or in different
>situations?
>Well of course. Like, when my nose is running, for instance.
> If your were to change your experience of working on your wheel how
>would
>you change it?
>As described above - and absolutely quiet. Also, I"d like to be able to
raise and lower it at will - without tools or interruptions. Stand up,
sit down, whatever in between.. Also, short students, tall students -
>Thank you for your time and insights!
>
>Brian
>idbjb@hotmail.com
I think it's great that you're doing this. When you make the prototype
I'd like to test it for you!
- Susan
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
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Rod, Marian, and Holly Morris on sat 20 nov 99
----- Original Message -----
From: Rick Hugel
To:
Sent: Friday, November 19, 1999 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: reinvent the wheel
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >Greetings,
> >
> >Would you like to help design a potter s wheel? My name is Brian Brigham,
I
> >am a student at the Columbus College of Art and Design and a fellow
potter.
> >For my senior thesis project I am designing a potter's wheel and I would
> >greatly appreciate your input. Please take just a couple minutes to
answer
> >the following questions and e-mail them back to me.
> >
> >Age 50 something Gender F ( )
>>Hobbyist/Professional
> >
> >
> > Do you own a wheel? If so which brand?
> Yes. A low-end entry level (cant remember the brand, and its too cold
to go out in my studio to check(.I do most of the little wheelwork I do on
the workhorse shimpos at the college.
> >
> > What part of the pot making process do you like the best and why?
> The whole thing. I actually putter in the studio more than I actually
produce, and I teach my love of the mud to beginners through our local
community college.
> >
> > How often do you use the potter's wheel?
> Once a week or so, I'm more of a handbuilder> >
> > How long do you typically sit at the wheel and work?
> two hours when I do it.
> >
> > What problems or concerns do you have with the potter's wheel?
> The wheel must be level, that's the sine qua non. I've had kick wheels,
and thrown on lots of wheels. The gears can be slow or fast, the thing can
stop on a dime or not at all, the speed calibration can be precise or
stop/go, you can adjust to all of these things, but if the wheelhead isnt
level, forget it.>
> >
> > How would you address these concerns or problems?
> Probably the only way would be to get a new wheel.
> >
> > What do you get out of throwing, what does it do for you?
Symmetry, and it feels good. Otherwise, I am a handbuilder.
> >
> > How could the wheel be changed to better help you achieve what you
seek?
Not much.
> >
> > What are your favorite forms to create?
> Forms humped or slumped from thin drapery cut slabs.
> >
> > How do you feel when your are working on your wheel?
> Totally immersed with the clay.
> >
> > Are your feelings different at different times or in different
situations?
> Yes, of course.
> >
> > If your were to change your experience of working on your wheel how
would
> >you change it?
> Not at all.> > > >Brian
> >idbjb@hotmail.com
> >
> >______________________________________________________
> >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
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