mel jacobson on mon 27 dec 99
other people's kilns.
some thoughts.
as a teacher, for years, students would come to me with ideas
how, `mel, if you could fire my pots, with your glaze and
kiln, i could win first place in the all metro student art show`.
`hmmm, well, no...that would be cheating...why don't you just
submit my pots, then you would win for sure.` (or not)
the kiln is one third of the pot.
glaze is one third of the pot.
making is one third of the pot.
(the list is longer.)
i have always been horrified by student exhibits where the teacher
has selected certain stars, then taken their work home and finished
it in a `better` kiln. (as if no one could tell...)
the same applies to adult exhibits, shows, fair entries. those entering
the event, should be showing only work done by them...and that includes
firing.
if you have a cone 6 electric, that is what you should use.
merrie b. has invited me to send some pots for her new years
wood firing....i did that. but, i have a wood kiln, know wood
kilns, have glazed the pots then bisque fired them for shipping.
all they need is heat.
when the pots are complete, they belong to merrie. they are
gifts for her kiln, and her. she may do with them whatever she
pleases.
i will not take slides of them, enter shows with them...because,
they are not my pots. just a part of them is mine.
they become merrie's pots. her kiln, and she will be in control
of the fire.
it is the same feeling that i have for national shows...students
do not belong in them....unless they have their own kiln, glazes,
etc.
work that is completed under the supervision of another person is
not work that should be on exhibit, unless it is a local show.
done for that purpose. and it is clearly stated.
i have never entered my students work in shows...just did not like
it...
and kids should not have shows as a goal, learning and doing should
be the goal....they get arrogant enough as it is...they do not need
gold metals too.
i have been to far to many shows where the goal of the work
is to be `exhibited`, to often not done for the reason of quality work or
series of quality pieces. the best show piece should be any one
of 50 things one has around the studio.
most should be of that quality.
well, i blather.
i do have strong feelings about shows, other people's kilns.
and doing your own work.
make it all yours...own it...be responsible for it.
that becomes the greatest feeling in the world.
open your kiln, your pots...
mel/mn
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
Evan Dresel on wed 29 dec 99
Yep. And according to mel's accounting, in a wood kiln with fly ash
glaze, the firing is 2/3 of the pot. Or the firing is 1/3 and the
stacking is 1/3.
Made a few pots quite a while ago for an anagama firing. Never managed
to retrieve one small plate. A while later a beauty of a small plate
showed up in an article about the same potter. Could it
have been the same one? The one in the picture had been fired upside
down so any trace of a signature inside the footring was probably
obliterated with ash. Never said anything because it wasn't my pot
anyway. I didn't stack and only helped with the fire. Loved the ones I
did get and call them mine for simplicity, although really they are more
of a collaboration -- and I think collaboration is great. Still if I
could have figured out a way to snag that one, I would have because it
was a dandy.
I think there is a bit of a gray area in the student-show thing though.
Sometimes the students trancend the master. Or just head off into
something completely their own. A student I remember did a sculpture of
a torso that was exquisite. Sometimes "ceramic art" seems to me to be a
term that indicates lower standards, like "college athletics". (guess
I'll get flamed for that one, eh?) But this thing was "art" with no
excuses. The only time I can recall wanting to fondle a sculpture. It
was part of an independent study and the students did the firing. No it
wasn't entered in any "national show" but I think it could have been.
There are people out there working in student settings because it
provides access to equipment as well as encouraging growth through
interaction. But they can hold their own and if shows are part of their
path forward, I have no trouble with that. Sometimes I think we put too
much stock in individualism in art. Rodin wouldn't have been as good a
sculptor without some darn fine foundry workers to cast his work. If
someone is just throwing a pot, glazing it with stock glaze and putting
it on a shelf, then no, they aren't there yet.
Always good to have clayart spark some thoughts.
-- Evan who just finished the article "Shapinsky's Karma" in "A Wanderer
in the Perfect City" by Lawrence Weschler. About the "discovery" and
promotion of New York abstract expressionist painter Harold Shapinsky by
an English teacher from Bangalore, India. An interesting angle on the
fine art world and worth the read.
mel jacobson wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> other people's kilns.
>
> some thoughts.
>
> ...
>
> the kiln is one third of the pot.
> glaze is one third of the pot.
> making is one third of the pot.
> (the list is longer.)
>
> i have always been horrified by student exhibits where the teacher
> has selected certain stars, then taken their work home and finished
> it in a `better` kiln. (as if no one could tell...)
>
...
>
> it is the same feeling that i have for national shows...students
> do not belong in them....unless they have their own kiln, glazes,
> etc.
>
> work that is completed under the supervision of another person is
> not work that should be on exhibit, unless it is a local show.
> done for that purpose. and it is clearly stated.
>
> i have never entered my students work in shows...just did not like
> it...
> and kids should not have shows as a goal, learning and doing should
> be the goal....they get arrogant enough as it is...they do not need
> gold metals too.
>
> i have been to far to many shows where the goal of the work
> is to be `exhibited`, to often not done for the reason of quality work or
> series of quality pieces. the best show piece should be any one
> of 50 things one has around the studio.
> most should be of that quality.
>
> well, i blather.
> i do have strong feelings about shows, other people's kilns.
> and doing your own work.
> make it all yours...own it...be responsible for it.
> that becomes the greatest feeling in the world.
> open your kiln, your pots...
> mel/mn
>
> http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
> from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
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