Janet Kaiser on thu 2 nov 00
When talking to my ex-ugly mug maker and potting
friend the other day (who I am also trying to
enrol for Clay Art, but can't because of teenage
children monopolising their PC) I mentioned
these various discussions. For example the panic
engendered by ingredients like Gerstley Borate
running out. His comment was simple: "Of course
the Americans are very spoiled".
I must have looked rather surprised, because he
went on to say that all the minerals and rocks,
clays and goodies being discovered in The
Colonies (don't stamp your feet, I'm only
pulling your legs :-) like USA, Australia, South
Africa, etc. are part of the vast wealth of huge
continents which are being "newly" exploited.
In comparison, little old Europe is somewhat
depleted, since people have been digging holes
in the ground for a couple of millennia. Even if
gerstley borate, calcium borate, colemanite,
etc. are/were present they would be in such
small quantities, it would be uneconomic to mine
them.
The result is that over here (UK and Europe) we
have to depend on the old traditional materials
and sources. How long we will be able to
continue digging clay out of Cornwall and other
areas throughout Europe is debatable and
possibly a worry.
But at least we are not being side-tracked by
what apparently turn out to be "rare" new
minerals and raw materials. What is the use of
developing a whole load of technology around one
which is going to run out in comparatively short
space of time? Seems like a lot of wasted time
and energy, when everyone using said material
has to go back to the drawing board when each
one runs out.
Imagine Stevenson inventing his combustion
engine, only to find there was no coal left
within a decade. Given that scenario, would he
have even started out when he knew coal was
rare? Would he shrug and think it was not his
problem... something will turn up as a
substitute? Depend on the inventiveness and
adaptability of man? Enjoy it whilst it is
there?
Janet Kaiser - Fed up because they laughed at me
wanting my 16 year old QMS printer repaired...
"uneconomic" they said. But £300 for a new one
is economic? Who says? Dam this placid throw
away society and the big corporations who have
us all by the short and curlies.
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
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