mel jacobson on mon 11 sep 00
joyce, it is very possible to be a crafts person for one's entire
life and never attempt to be an artist. they are different things.
it does not mean however, that many people are not constantly crossing
the line every day. for most in the pottery game, the line of art/craft
is very fuzzy.
one of the reasons the new york art scene will never recognize
potters as artists is that fuzzy line. we may believe we belong,
we may say the right things, we can beg and whine, but in the
long run, well, we get relegated to the craft heap. mind you, that
may be our blessing.
a number of people have asked me why i went back to school at
50 and did most of the work for an m.f.a. in painting at the univ.
of minnesota. the answer was clear to me, i wanted to learn
and discover the contemporary language of art.
most of what i had been taught in the 50's was antique. i wanted to
be a part of, and lead quality critique, i wanted to write about art,
and not feel the old fool. a wonderful group of professional professors
did that for me. i was grateful.
no one at the university taught me to paint, make canvas stretchers,
taught me to draw or compose. they taught me about the language of
art.
i have said for many years, actually about 50, that art is something
that can be taught, and learned. we know that craft and skill can be
taught and passed on, without question.
so, to end this, you can learn art, you can add it to your clay work.
it takes study, practice, critique without fear, and a hell of a ton
of rejection and patience. you are not close to being too old to
learn, or be good at it.
double speak:
it has become a way of life in this world. the politician, the art
critic, the insurance seller, the social worker... and all of us.
it is to be hated and fought against.
double speak is meant to be confusing, it is meant to keep the
client off balance and seem stupid. it is spin. spin to make the
speaker seem more intelligent than you.
the art world is full of it. i feel that is what vince is talking about.
clarity of thought, honesty of idea, presentation that uplifts and
educates and does not confuse. it should not be that hard to do.
it just starts with honesty and a bit of humility and humor.
cones:
one of the most inexpensive tools in any pottery studio.... cones.
buy many, use many, trust them. they are your best guide to
great firing. place them in the packs the same way each time.
get the slant the same, if you paint them, well always paint them.
be consistent in how you use them. learn to read them and trust
them.
if you think an electric kiln fires evenly, well not. many factors in
firing an electric kiln. cones placed around will give you valuable
information about your kiln. controllers are fine, to a point. but
the controller is still measuring a single point. what is going
on in the rest of the kiln? use cones, they work.
mel
FROM MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA, USA
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
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