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my work

updated sat 7 sep 02

 

Tetsuya Shimano on tue 18 jan 00

hi all!

my tea pot is exhibited at minneapolis institute of arts right now. the show
is called "the foot in the door 2000" and it's a local art show for
everybody. (not really prestigious, but a fun show.) they missspelled my
last name, but oh well....that kind of work i was doing.: )

here is the website address.

Click Here: HREF="http://www.artsmia.org/foot_in_the_door/2000entry.cfm?entryid=1548">The
Foot in the Door 2000 Exhibition


http://www.artsmia.org/foot_in_the_door/2000entry.cfm?entryid=1548

t

Curt Lacross on mon 10 apr 00

Hello everyone,
I resently had my M.F.A show and a couple of undergrads made a webpage
of the exhibition.Have a looksee and let me know what you think. Be
gentle..... I am a delicate flower, There are seven figures. they are
slab built fired to 01 and painted.The work is rooted in Carl Jung's
Shadow Archetype. It is basically addresses humankind as rational being
and humankind as monstrosity. The figures act as repository for positive
and negative energy.the address is:www.msu.edu/user/mchenrya/let me know
what you think.
Thanx,

Curt

Marcia Selsor on tue 11 apr 00

Dear Curtis,
Your work was very strong and the "big scary guys" are just that.
The website was confusing and a little less direct to navigate, but the
images downloaded very fast and that is appreciated.
Marcia Selsor

Curt Lacross wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello everyone,
> I resently had my M.F.A show and a couple of undergrads made a webpage
> of the exhibition.Have a looksee and let me know what you think. Be
> gentle..... I am a delicate flower, There are seven figures. they are
> slab built fired to 01 and painted.The work is rooted in Carl Jung's
> Shadow Archetype. It is basically addresses humankind as rational being
> and humankind as monstrosity. The figures act as repository for positive
> and negative energy.the address is:www.msu.edu/user/mchenrya/let me know
> what you think.
> Thanx,
>
> Curt

--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html

Ron Collins on fri 6 sep 02


Dear Ivor and all,

Thank you for your kind response. You might like to hear what's going =
on with me lately. My work is good, I am happy with it, and Ron is =
staying slim and trim mixing and wedging. =20

While we drove to Texas, I bought a nice big blue extruder, hoping =
that might increase production for small items, which might be good for =
the tourist business and also it seemed like fun to me. However, I have =
a little conflict with that, after thinking about it, because I think =
that having a cheap line of wholesale tourists trinkets could cheapen my =
work in general, of which I am very proud, and although it is not =
appreciated much here yet, because there has never been vitifrified high =
fired work done here, I value my work, -it's functional-and don't want =
to give it away. So, I don't know if I'm going to do a little wholesale =
catalog of small items for the stores here or not. Selling here is =
different than in more developed countries....there aren't wholesale =
markets that stores buy from...it's weird....the poor folks who eke out =
a living making practically nothing for their handcrafts don't =
appreciate gringos coming in and setting up where they do and charging =
for one piece what they make in a month, and who can blame them? So, =
there aren't "art fairs" here, but there are upscale shops, I'm just not =
sure that I want to open one. I've got some excellent connections at =
the new york wholesale jewelry and handmade gift markets...but you know, =
I don't care about getting rich, I just like to make work and have =
people like it and buy it....I sort of like local.....and I am very much =
a homebody and don't like to hire people to do my work for me....so who =
knows? But I definitely do need an income from this. So I guess I've =
got more thinking to do.....some things I have made that people really =
like here: a type of "flower brick" a vase with a lattice top that =
flowers just stick in and look so nice.....blue celadon...they're really =
nice...and everybody wants one.....I have been having thursday =
luncheons, simple food, but always showcases my functional work we eat =
out of, put flowers in, just whatever, no effort made to sell, but it =
seems that every week, I get an order or two for something nice, which =
to me, gets the local english speaking people to see what I do, and kind =
of put out the word that interesting things go on here...also, if I =
don't do that, I don't see anyone much....I go to spanish mass, but sure =
don't meet anyone there.....since about all I can add is an amen.

A more important issue....the materials problem.....after two years of =
trying, and having clay that I just love...it's just the best I've ever =
seen...well no more kaolin or ball clay. I can still get the good =
feldspar and 305 silica, because that is processed here, and the nice =
fine grog, but the toilet factory said no more sales of things that they =
import. Ball clay, forget it, and there is some kaolin, but as I wrote, =
I believe to you before, it melts, and seems either contaminated with =
whiting, which they make down to 4 microns, for medicianal use and of =
course bigger, or their source just has it in it....I can't figure out =
what else it could be.....after having such nice materials and working =
so hard to get them, I just refuse to start over...I'm tired of it....so =
I'm ordering from Axner 1300 lbs OM4 and 500 epk, which will make me =
about 2 tons of clay, and they are giving me a good deal, and we got a =
good shipper, I believe. It's sort of a cop out, after all my talk =
about all local materails, but like I said, I'm tired.

But I played around with the weird kaolin, and guess what? 1 part =
fledspar, one part silica, one part loza (very fine grog they still sell =
and 3 parts weird kaolin, and it's just great at cone 2 or 3 and you can =
roll it paper thin and it takes all you have to be able to break it into =
with your hands. Doesn't warp at cone 6 either, and only about 9 =
%shrinkage own it's like the all kaolin porcelains, just short as can be =
and impossible to make much....would really take dedication just to make =
anything. So, added redart, about like the fine ocherous clay in the =
orchid forest here, and it's just dandy and plastic. But not white. =
But all local. and much cheaper to fire....also flashes nicely in =
reduction...as you can tell, I'm not an expert, I just try things, but =
have learned what will work. I think it has a good future, and will be =
fun to play with but like I said, I like what I'm doing, I'm proud of =
it, my glazes look nice, if I get the zinc out, and I'm staying with it =
for a while. No B-Mix that I've ever seen has anything on my clay. =
That weird kaolin may just work out fine, but I'm going a little slower =
with my changing over to anything else. Another fun thing about =
it.....a soda ash wash, and it's just shiny as everything, with pretty =
slips and fun stuff in the soda.

Lowell wont know this til he reads it, but I took the demo kiln we =
made and I'm having a go with soda. It works nicely with the weird =
kaolin clay, as I say, it flashes and shines nicely at low temperatures. =
and it's very tight and strong. If we just had more room for the =
sawdust injection burner that fits it, it's a little messy in a urban =
situation, I think that's a brilliant solution in our situation here. =
That is, if anybody gave a rip down here.
But with the weird combo, don't think that beautiful strong =
porcelaneous work can't be done at cone 2-3, because it's going great. =
Ron just doesn't think it's as much fun and play as I do....these =
experimental playtimes....One other thing that I have written =
about....my basalt clay, made with fine volcanic balsalt residue from =
the riverbed....well, it is brown in ox., and redux. but in the soda =
deal, it just turns jet black, and the glazes inside have a nice =
luster.....wish I could show someone who liked natural materials...I =
wanted it black, just didn't want to add extra oxides, and now it =
is.....and it's so pretty and strong...I hope to get to NCECA, if I =
don't go broke first, and maybe someone who enjoys natural materials may =
like to see it.....also, if they want any mica, I'll bring them some...I =
owe Andie a sack, and haven't forgotten her....

We got a digital camera, and if anyone wants to see anything we do, =
we'll send a photo in an e-mail, no attachment. Sometimes, it's lonely =
here, with no other potters to speak of, and it's nice to write about =
what I've been doing.......

I have been asked, and am having an intern, student/apprentice coming =
for three months this fall from califoria and we are going to work on =
architectural garden mosaics...she has more energy than I do, and that =
will be great fun and maybe lead to some commissions....and she will =
learn a lot...the masons here can make concrete forms of =
anything....that's a great advantage...and I may start classes again in =
mosaic work, because I think that more locals and others might enjoy =
that, as it doesn't require a lot of equipment, and is lots of fun....
=20