Lewis on sat 20 may 00
Wouldn't it be great if we had some sort of book that listed
definitions for words like handmade? We could make this book and call
it a dictionary--we could even call it The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language. Then we could look up the word
handmade and find:
--Made or prepared by hand rather than machine.
Hmm...but what's a machine?
--Any system or device, such as an electronic computer, that performs
or assists in the performance of a human task.
After reading this we have to gasp and cry out, "All potter's wheels
are machines! And so are molds! Sheesh, I thought I was making
handmade objects...I thought I was making things by hand."
Well, we could even look up "by hand."
--Performed by using the hands as opposed to mechanical means; individually.
And when we saw the word "individually" we would realize this was the
key. David Hendley defines "handmade" as meaning shaped with the
hands--and by shaping with hands, instead of molds, one can produce
more individual pots. In his definition the word handmade connotes
individuality--and because thrown pots are handmade they are more
individual and are therefore better than molded pots. This, of
course, is a very personal opinion, just as his definition of
handmade is a very personal one. I prefer the American Heritage
definition myself. The problem is that throwing can be so wonderfully
fluid that people forget they are receiving assistance from a
machine. On page 87 of Pioneer Pottery, Michael Cardew describes
throwing as follows:
"It combines...the excitement of creation with the efficiency of a
machine. It can produce, in skilful and sensitive hands, a kind of
beauty that can be got by no other process, and at the same time it
opens the possibility of making great numbers of articles,
sufficiently uniform to meet the needs of domestic use, yet all
having a unique and personal character. In its flexibility,
versatility and expressiveness, the potter's wheel is much more like
an instrument (in the sense used in music) than a machine."
I think Jonathan would say the same about his molds.
We use the word handmade erroneously to avoid long descriptions of
how we actually create pots, and then are forced to defend our use of
the word. Neither molded pots nor thrown pots are truly handmade. But
hey--don't worry-! If it looks good, it probably is good.
Colin Lewis
David Hendley snip:
>I just have
>to comment on your assertion that that your slipcast
>pottery is as "handmade" as it gets (quote below).
>
>I'll tell you what's not handmade about it.
>You designed and made the molds. So, the molds are
>handmade. But that's where it ends. A piece you cast
>on Thursday will be the same as one you cast on
>Monday, even if you "touch" every piece. The piece you
>cast 3 weeks from yesterday will still be the same.
>That's kind of the whole point of making a mold, isn't it?
>If one of your workers, rather than you personally, pours
>the mold, guess what, it will still be the same.
>
>Contrast that to a potter throwing on a potter's wheel.
>The first couple of pieces of the day will probably be
>a little small, or large, or wide, until the potter "gets the
>feel" of what he's doing. If he stayed up too late the night
>before drinking Jack Daniels, the pots might even be a
>bit wobbly. If another person is hired to throw, the pieces
>will be different, even if they are the same size and shape.
>Also, unlike a slip-pourer, the hired potter will have had to
>work through years of training and practice just to qualify
>for the job.
etc, etc, etc.
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