Earl Brunner on sun 14 jan 01
The thing that interests me about your post and that I find curious is
that apparently you didn't turn the mug over and look at the bottom
before you bought it! Potters are notorious for picking the pots up and
handling them.
At the shows in and around Nceca it usually drives the various gallery
people crazy, all these potters picking up and handling the exhibits!
Karin Hurt wrote:
> Yesterday, at an art fair in Yuma, Arizona, I bought a beautiful mug from a
> California potter for $14.00. I guess I didn't pay attention to how it was
> wrapped (in a small brown paper bag and plastic sack) and put it in the trunk
> of my car in a basket filled with plastic grocery bags. The ride home is 163
> miles of Sonoran desert road. At home I unloaded my mug and it was broken and
> I wasn't happy. I looked at my mug, the beautiful glaze, perfect decoration
> and turned it upside down to see how the potter signs his name. He signed it
> right on top of an S crack. The walls and bottom of the mug were very thin
> and I admired the work. The S crack seemed pretty deep.
>
> My question is: How many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
>
> It would never have occurred to me to turn it around when I bought it to look
> for imperfections. I assumed that since I wouldn't sell anything with a
> crack, no one else would.
>
> Karin Hurt
> Laughing Bear Pottery
>
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--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Karin Hurt on sun 14 jan 01
Yesterday, at an art fair in Yuma, Arizona, I bought a beautiful mug from a
California potter for $14.00. I guess I didn't pay attention to how it was
wrapped (in a small brown paper bag and plastic sack) and put it in the trunk
of my car in a basket filled with plastic grocery bags. The ride home is 163
miles of Sonoran desert road. At home I unloaded my mug and it was broken and
I wasn't happy. I looked at my mug, the beautiful glaze, perfect decoration
and turned it upside down to see how the potter signs his name. He signed it
right on top of an S crack. The walls and bottom of the mug were very thin
and I admired the work. The S crack seemed pretty deep.
My question is: How many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
It would never have occurred to me to turn it around when I bought it to look
for imperfections. I assumed that since I wouldn't sell anything with a
crack, no one else would.
Karin Hurt
Laughing Bear Pottery
mudlark on sun 14 jan 01
I would hope that none would intentionally.
I can't see where the S crack cause the breakage. Maybe the S crack wasn't there
when he signed it? Since the crack was "pretty deep" the bottom could be pretty
thick therefore the S crack. Happens later in the drying.
Karin Hurt wrote:
> Yesterday, at an art fair in Yuma, Arizona, I bought a beautiful mug from a
> California potter for $14.00. I guess I didn't pay attention to how it was
> wrapped (in a small brown paper bag and plastic sack) and put it in the trunk
> of my car in a basket filled with plastic grocery bags. The ride home is 163
> miles of Sonoran desert road. At home I unloaded my mug and it was broken and
> I wasn't happy. I looked at my mug, the beautiful glaze, perfect decoration
> and turned it upside down to see how the potter signs his name. He signed it
> right on top of an S crack. The walls and bottom of the mug were very thin
> and I admired the work. The S crack seemed pretty deep.
>
> My question is: How many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
>
> It would never have occurred to me to turn it around when I bought it to look
> for imperfections. I assumed that since I wouldn't sell anything with a
> crack, no one else would.
>
> Karin Hurt
> Laughing Bear Pottery
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
L. P. Skeen on sun 14 jan 01
Karen,
IMO a pot w/ a deep s-crack = a second. $14 or better is a price you should
see on first quality work.
L
> Yesterday, at an art fair in Yuma, Arizona, I bought a beautiful mug from
a
> California potter for $14.00.<<>> He signed it
> right on top of an S crack. The walls and bottom of the mug were very thin
> and I admired the work. The S crack seemed pretty deep.
>
> My question is: How many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
Maid O'Mud Pottery on sun 14 jan 01
It always shocks me to see "professional" work with such an avoidable defect. A
local teacher sells s-cracked work. When I asked him about it, he simply shrugged
off the question.
I will sell (as 2nds) work with a *minor* bottom crack (1/8" or less) but
retail/wholesale work has NO VISIBLE CRACKS. I impress this on my students as
well. If they see an s-crack prior to bisque, I tell them to re-cycle the pots.
Of course, I'm against PPS (Precious Pot Syndrome ;-)))
My sister is the happy recipient of pots with 1/8-1/4" straight cracks. The bad
news for her is that there are less and less of them these days Anything
even looking like an s-crack gets flung (into my ravine).
If you can find the potter, send him his s-cracked bottom and ask for a new mug.
He should happily provide one. It may have been overlooked when he emptied his
kiln. Give him a chance to replace it.
An old teacher once impressed upon me that decoration is no substitute for a well
made pot. I try to live up to his teachings.
Karin Hurt wrote:
>He signed it right on top of an S crack. The walls and bottom of the mug were very
thin and I admired the work. The S crack seemed pretty deep. My question is: How
many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
> It would never have occurred to me to turn it around when I bought it to look for
> imperfections. I assumed that since I wouldn't sell anything with a crack, no one
> else would.
--
Sam, Maid O'Mud Pottery
SW Ontario CANADA
http://www.geocities.com/paris/3110
scuttell@odyssey.on.ca
"First, the clay told me what to do
Then, I told the clay what to do
Now; we co-operate"
sam, 1994
"Effort does not always equal output"
sam, 1999
Craig Martell on sun 14 jan 01
Karin asked:
>My question is: How many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
Hi:
Here we go!!! :>) Sorry, I don't think your predicament is the least but
funny but this has been debated at length on Clayart.
It usually comes down to more of a question of personal philosophy and
ethics and there are as many opinions as there are potters. My feeling is
that pots with s cracks are seconds and I don't sell them at shows and I
don't charge full price. Any crack is a defect, to me, and lessens the
value of a pot. It really doesn't matter how much decoration one uses or
how perfect the form may be, a cracked pot is a pot with a #$@** crack in
it. I spend a lot of time decorating pots too and they way I've handled
this is to make damn sure my pots aren't going to crack!! Sometimes they
do anyway and they hit the trash bin if it's a reject and are sold for a
lot less if they are just seconds.
The above is my opinion only and is subject to round filing!! Craig
Martell in Oregon
Karen Sullivan on sun 14 jan 01
Karin...
My response is not intended as a criticism...just an observation.
I often test people to see if they are potters by handing them a
vessel...and watching how they explore the piece.
Potters typically turn the piece upside down to look at the
bottom...they want to explore how the work was finished.
That is often their first response, then they explore the
remainder of the piece.
It's a curious signifier...
Beyond that, there is no justification for selling a mug which
does not function as it should...other than negligence, just
overlooked... but in the category of irresponsible acts.
Also the signature probably was applied BEFORE the crack developed.
Which puts another take on intent...
I would hope that potter's would sensor their work for quality.
I will admit that I have sold pieces that had cracks, and
when told of them, eagerly replaced the piece.
There are times when I move so fast, that I miss things.
bamboo karen
I looked at my mug, the beautiful glaze, perfect decoration
> and turned it upside down to see how the potter signs his name. He signed it
> right on top of an S crack. The walls and bottom of the mug were very thin
> and I admired the work. The S crack seemed pretty deep.
>
> My question is: How many people sell mugs with S cracks in them?
> Karin Hurt
> Laughing Bear Pottery
>
Bobbi Bassett on mon 15 jan 01
In a message dated 01/14/2001 4:50:28 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mudlark@CHAFFEE.NET writes:
> I would hope that none would intentionally.
> I can't see where the S crack cause the breakage. Maybe the S crack wasn't
> there when he signed it? Since the crack was "pretty deep" the bottom could
be
> pretty thick therefore the S crack. Happens later in the drying.
I would hope no potter would intentionally sell a cracked mug. However, I
can't believe a potter would sell a mug without being sure the bottom was
smooth. Perhaps I am too fussy, but I don't want my tables scratched and I
don't want my customers tables scratched either. Every mug I sell or give has
a smooth bottom.
It's my reputation at stake.
If you check the bottom you see the crack.
Bobbi in PA
Bobbi in PA
mudlark on mon 15 jan 01
This may be a hint to the reason the mug broke up in the way that it did. There
are some clays that are made and sold on the west coast that are quite frankly
punky. I don't buy premixed clays so I don't know the companies products. I
threw some pots for a freind one time out of a body - Amador. Threw beautifully
but when it was fired to 10 the surface was rough and had a 3% absorbancy. The
pots were punky, didn't ring. Good heat shock strenngth though. I thimkits pretty
popular.
Bobbi Bassett wrote:
> In a message dated 01/14/2001 4:50:28 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> mudlark@CHAFFEE.NET writes:
>
> > I would hope that none would intentionally.
> > I can't see where the S crack cause the breakage. Maybe the S crack wasn't
> > there when he signed it? Since the crack was "pretty deep" the bottom could
> be
> > pretty thick therefore the S crack. Happens later in the drying.
>
> I would hope no potter would intentionally sell a cracked mug. However, I
> can't believe a potter would sell a mug without being sure the bottom was
> smooth. Perhaps I am too fussy, but I don't want my tables scratched and I
> don't want my customers tables scratched either. Every mug I sell or give has
> a smooth bottom.
> It's my reputation at stake.
>
> If you check the bottom you see the crack.
>
> Bobbi in PA
>
> Bobbi in PA
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
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