elizabeth priddy on sat 4 dec 99
(These are just opinions and weakly held ones
at that...so read lightly...with humor...)
Those first folks you describe are the ones who set me up with my own lexicon of
POTTERY, pure and clean and clear
def. things potters make
CERAMICS, clean
def. things cast and/or poured from liquid
slip then fired, etc.
CERAMIC ART, half filth, half clean
clean def. nonfunctional clay work made by potters
filthy def. poorly made or conceptualized clay
work with a snooty attitude holding it
together, typically made by "ceramic artists".
I once worked with a woman who said to me,
wistfully, "you know, I really think of myself as
a 'colorist' rather than a potter..." She had just
bought the Ceramic Spectrum...but she still is
not a potter to me, she was so desperate to
be an artist and not a potter that I just can't
convey that prestigious title to her in my mind.
( perhaps I am just an inverse clay snoot)
I remain a potter rather than a "ceramic artist"
mainly due to the connotative value I attach
to the idea of Ceramic Art, although, since the
work I am making these days is nonfuctional
clay, I think it is ceramic art. My blended term
for it is Clay Art, which I prefer.
So I am currently a Potter making Clay Art.
and whoopity-doo to you all too!
---
Elizabeth Priddy
email: epriddy@usa.net
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
Clay: 12,000 yrs and still fresh!
On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 08:48:40 Lyla Kaplan wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>
>>one of the silliest statements i hear is, `hey, i don't teach technique, i
>>teach great ideas.`
>
>i'm curious to know the history of academia and ceramics - have there
>always been programs that avoid function (like since Peter Voulkous) or has
>it been a more recent phenomenon? and what is the distinction between
>sculpture and ceramics?
>
>never being formally taught, i have been craving to be in an environment
>challenged and critiqued by others (i.e. school). i recently checked out a
>university and brought along a woodfired teapot and cup that i am proud of
>so they would know where i was coming from. in the studio, surrounded by
>what my eye could only tell me were ideas but mostly poorly constructed
>ideas, one of the profs began telling me that in our western culture we are
>still struggling with the distinction between art and craft and that most
>of the time functional work can only be placed in the realm of craft, as it
>is usually never "interesting." i was surprised to notice that i began to
>feel embarrased every time i used the word "pottery" or "potter", as if it
>was the dirty "P" word. I NEVER WANT TO FEEL LIKE THAT AGAIN IN MY
>LIFE!!!! I wimped out and didn't even attempt to say that i think there is
>a place for clay meant to be used as well as for clay meant to be viewed in
>a gallery. (and to me, the best stuff is what you view in a gallery and
>then take home because you want to use it). thankfully, I encountered
>another school nearby where Pottery was a good P word and received some
>wonderful critique.
>
>once again, thank you mel. you are very affirming for us novice Pottery
>folk. you are the coach before the big game, the conductor during rehearsal
>for the symphony.
>
>lyla
>
--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Nina Jones on mon 6 dec 99
------------------
On my sign for my very first craft show/fair, I have printed under pictures =
of
myself throwing: =22Pottery is Clay Art=22.
Lizbeth, I kind of like the term =22mudslinger=22 myself, maybe because I'm =
an
earthy, basic person (I love laughing at myself=3B I'm one of the funniest =
people
I know) and it reminds me of our craft's ties to the earth. We are crafters=
of
objects made from those things yielded up by the earth. We are artists in =
that
we engage in =22the expresive arragement of elements within a medium=22 and =
in the
fact that pottery is =22=5BA=5D practical skill,=22 and =22=5BA=5D trade or =
craft and the
methods employed in it.=22 I'm not rationalizing, I'm quoting parts of the
definition of =22art=22 from Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary.
Nina D. Jones (Mudslinger a/k/a Potter a/k/a Clay Artist)
Southside Chicago
=40 njones=40winston.com
=3E=3E=3E elizabeth priddy =3Cepriddy=40my-Deja.com=3E 12/04/99 09:44AM =
=3E=3E=3E
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
(These are just opinions and weakly held ones
at that...so read lightly...with humor...)
Those first folks you describe are the ones who set me up with my own =
lexicon of
POTTERY, pure and clean and clear
def. things potters make
CERAMICS, clean
def. things cast and/or poured from liquid
slip then fired, etc.
CERAMIC ART, half filth, half clean
clean def. nonfunctional clay work made by potters
filthy def. poorly made or conceptualized clay
work with a snooty attitude holding it
together, typically made by =22ceramic artists=22.
I once worked with a woman who said to me,
wistfully, =22you know, I really think of myself as
a 'colorist' rather than a potter...=22 She had just
bought the Ceramic Spectrum...but she still is
not a potter to me, she was so desperate to
be an artist and not a potter that I just can't
convey that prestigious title to her in my mind.
( perhaps I am just an inverse clay snoot)
I remain a potter rather than a =22ceramic artist=22
mainly due to the connotative value I attach
to the idea of Ceramic Art, although, since the
work I am making these days is nonfuctional
clay, I think it is ceramic art. My blended term
for it is Clay Art, which I prefer.
So I am currently a Potter making Clay Art.
and whoopity-doo to you all too=21
---
Elizabeth Priddy
email: epriddy=40usa.net
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
Clay: 12,000 yrs and still fresh=21
On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 08:48:40 Lyla Kaplan wrote:
=3E----------------------------Original message----------------------------
=3E=3E
=3E=3Eone of the silliest statements i hear is, =60hey, i don't teach =
technique, i
=3E=3Eteach great ideas.=60
=3E
=3Ei'm curious to know the history of academia and ceramics - have there
=3Ealways been programs that avoid function (like since Peter Voulkous) or =
has
=3Eit been a more recent phenomenon? and what is the distinction between
=3Esculpture and ceramics?
=3E
=3Enever being formally taught, i have been craving to be in an environment
=3Echallenged and critiqued by others (i.e. school). i recently checked out =
a
=3Euniversity and brought along a woodfired teapot and cup that i am proud =
of
=3Eso they would know where i was coming from. in the studio, surrounded by
=3Ewhat my eye could only tell me were ideas but mostly poorly constructed
=3Eideas, one of the profs began telling me that in our western culture we =
are
=3Estill struggling with the distinction between art and craft and that most
=3Eof the time functional work can only be placed in the realm of craft, as =
it
=3Eis usually never =22interesting.=22 i was surprised to notice that i =
began to
=3Efeel embarrased every time i used the word =22pottery=22 or =22potter=22,=
as if it
=3Ewas the dirty =22P=22 word. I NEVER WANT TO FEEL LIKE THAT AGAIN IN MY
=3ELIFE=21=21=21=21 I wimped out and didn't even attempt to say that i think=
there is
=3Ea place for clay meant to be used as well as for clay meant to be viewed =
in
=3Ea gallery. (and to me, the best stuff is what you view in a gallery and
=3Ethen take home because you want to use it). thankfully, I encountered
=3Eanother school nearby where Pottery was a good P word and received some
=3Ewonderful critique.
=3E
=3Eonce again, thank you mel. you are very affirming for us novice Pottery
=3Efolk. you are the coach before the big game, the conductor during =
rehearsal
=3Efor the symphony.
=3E
=3Elyla
=3E
--=3D=3D Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ =3D=3D--
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
| |
|
