Craig Martell on tue 27 feb 01
Meticulously loose Liz sezed:
>Well, I think that loose throwing cannot be taught, or learned. I
>think that it will just be there if the time is right. So often, I
>look at pots made by potters who are attempting to throw loosely
>because it seems to be the thing to do now. They are attempting to
>copy someone else's work. And it always looks so contrived. Even
>tighter than if the sides were thrown straight.
Hello Liz:
I think that it's really hard to find a way to teach what we are calling
"loose throwing". It can be learned but not in the strict sense that we
sometimes view learning.
I think that the way any of us make pots, tight or loose, or juxtaposing
both approaches is relevant to the way we "see" as well as mastering
technique. If we don't know what we want to express with free manipulation
of the clay or we don't have the skills to do what we want, the forms look
either forced or badly excecuted. When we've been around long enough and
gained experience with the materials and have honed our skills and powers
of observation and communication, then all of this stuff starts to happen.
I think we build on it day by day. That's what keeps people working and
learning. Growth and expansion of visual vocabulary.
There's this woman, Rosamund Bernier, who knew several great painters
working in Europe and she's done some films and videos about their
lives. She knew Henri Matisse and did a really great piece about him. He
visited Tahiti and it made quite an impression but it took seven years for
him to start showing the effect of his visit in his work. I think it's
like that for most of us. We absorb what we see and learn and it works
it's way into what we make. When we try to force aesthetics out of
ourselves the result is most often disappointing. When we absorb our lives
and experience and allow this to come out in it's own good time, the work
is rich.
Just my take on things, Craig Martell in Oregon..... who has a very
beautiful Loose Liz cup to drink sake from, and sometimes the Martell
family Congac.
Liz Willoughby on tue 27 feb 01
Hello Joyce,
Funny thing happened to me one day while I was throwing just exactly
7 years ago. I was renting space in a new studio where two other
potters worked. I was in a new space, studio and living. My work
had before this time, been fairly tight, although it was improving in
a better direction of not being so fussy, or so precious.
So my head was not concentrating on my throwing, it was somewhere
else. I was making mugs. Without even thinking, the forms became
"loose". Soft swirls when pulling up, cut off, then another one, and
another. That was the beginning of my loose throwing, and it was
extremely liberating and exhilarating. They talk about that Zen
thing when throwing, well, I believe that is what was happening to
me. I had been throwing 20 years when this happened.
Now Mel says this:
if you use soft clay, press hard with your fingers, speed up your
wheel a bit and pull up fast. you are loose.
if you slow down, use firm clay, soft touch (small throwing marks)
and pull slow. tight, japanese throwing
>And Ian says this:
>
>Throwing: Throw more thickly than you usually do. The wheel should spin
>slowly. Do NOT speed up the wheel.... if you have a kick wheel use that.
>
>Attitude: One of my Japanese pottery teachers said he would get well stoked
>on sake (Japanese rice wine) before trying to make tea bowls! I think this
>is the AA branch of Zen here. I take no responsibility! Lawyers take note.
(I love that bit, Ian)
And Joyce said this:
> >I'm attempting to throw more loosely ... a major problem for me... seems
> >I want to hang onto that clay and yank and force it up. A mug sometimes
> >can still take me 20 minutes or more, which I know is ridiculous. I've
> >decided that the MAIN reason my pots are often lopsided is that I
> >contort them with my labored throwing ... not as labored as it once was,
> >that's true... and I do throw nice pots on occasion.
Well, I think that loose throwing cannot be taught, or learned. I
think that it will just be there if the time is right. So often, I
look at pots made by potters who are attempting to throw loosely
because it seems to be the thing to do now. They are attempting to
copy someone else's work. And it always looks so contrived. Even
tighter than if the sides were thrown straight.
And Tony you are so right about Larry Davidson's pots. Loose,
strong, and BALANCED. Work that is really his.
Here is a good lesson to try Joyce. When I was taking a design class
from Ron Roy in 1984, he had us throw a cylinder or vase, then take a
stick, bamboo, or one with some markings on it, and HIT that vase.
Wow, that was liberating. Now for someone like me who was a very
particular thrower, and whose work was tight, that was difficult.
You really get into it after the 3rd or 4th pot that you have hit. I
still have a couple of those pots. Learnt a lot from that class.
So good luck with it Joyce, you never cease to amaze me, now I wonder
what you will be up to next.
Meticulously loose Liz
Liz Willoughby
RR 1
2903 Shelter Valley Rd.
Grafton, On.
Canada
K0K 2G0
e-mail lizwill@phc.igs.net
clennell on wed 28 feb 01
>
Dear Liz; this thread on loose throwing has me thinkin'about my own work. I
don't think I am a loose thrower. I am direct, no nonsense, matter of
fact, a slam bam thankyou mam thrower. "Direct" was the comment I heard most
about our work at the recent show at Harbinger Gallery. My writing is direct
and so are the pots. I guess it figures.
the line between loose and sloopy is often times a fine one to walk. I like
people to think this guy is casual but has every thing under control with
the exception of maybe his mouth and his brain.
good pots to you all.
cheers,
tony
Liz Willoughby on wed 28 feb 01
Dear Craig,
I wish that I could gather my thoughts together like the post below
and convert it into language. Not only do you have a gift for making
nice pots, you also can WRITE!
So much wisdom in your post below.
Glad my "cup without a handle is being put to good use".
Meticulous loose Liz,
who is worried about this wild turkey out there who has been hanging
around looking for food. Still in deepest winter here. When is
Spring going to come?, and how is the propane guy going to get to my
tank?
>Cognac Craig said:
>
>I think that it's really hard to find a way to teach what we are calling
>"loose throwing". It can be learned but not in the strict sense that we
>sometimes view learning.
>
>I think that the way any of us make pots, tight or loose, or juxtaposing
>both approaches is relevant to the way we "see" as well as mastering
>technique. If we don't know what we want to express with free manipulation
>of the clay or we don't have the skills to do what we want, the forms look
>either forced or badly excecuted. When we've been around long enough and
>gained experience with the materials and have honed our skills and powers
>of observation and communication, then all of this stuff starts to happen.
>I think we build on it day by day. That's what keeps people working and
>learning. Growth and expansion of visual vocabulary.
>
>_____________________________________________________________________________
Liz Willoughby
RR 1
2903 Shelter Valley Rd.
Grafton, On.
Canada
K0K 2G0
e-mail lizwill@phc.igs.net
Don & June MacDonald on wed 28 feb 01
Throwing loosely, which I wish I did more often, seems to me to be
similar to painting in an abstract manner, where to abstract
necessitates having something to abstract from. Unless you have the
necessary skills to throw tightly, you cannot "abstract" and venture
into throwing in a more loose fashion.
June from B.C.
Craig Martell wrote:
>
> Meticulously loose Liz sezed:
> >Well, I think that loose throwing cannot be taught, or learned. I
> >think that it will just be there if the time is right. So often, I
> >look at pots made by potters who are attempting to throw loosely
> >because it seems to be the thing to do now. They are attempting to
> >copy someone else's work. And it always looks so contrived. Even
> >tighter than if the sides were thrown straight.
>
> Hello Liz:
>
> I think that it's really hard to find a way to teach what we are calling
> "loose throwing". It can be learned but not in the strict sense that we
> sometimes view learning.
>
> I think that the way any of us make pots, tight or loose, or juxtaposing
> both approaches is relevant to the way we "see" as well as mastering
> technique. If we don't know what we want to express with free manipulation
> of the clay or we don't have the skills to do what we want, the forms look
> either forced or badly excecuted. When we've been around long enough and
> gained experience with the materials and have honed our skills and powers
> of observation and communication, then all of this stuff starts to happen.
> I think we build on it day by day. That's what keeps people working and
> learning. Growth and expansion of visual vocabulary.
>
> There's this woman, Rosamund Bernier, who knew several great painters
> working in Europe and she's done some films and videos about their
> lives. She knew Henri Matisse and did a really great piece about him. He
> visited Tahiti and it made quite an impression but it took seven years for
> him to start showing the effect of his visit in his work. I think it's
> like that for most of us. We absorb what we see and learn and it works
> it's way into what we make. When we try to force aesthetics out of
> ourselves the result is most often disappointing. When we absorb our lives
> and experience and allow this to come out in it's own good time, the work
> is rich.
>
> Just my take on things, Craig Martell in Oregon..... who has a very
> beautiful Loose Liz cup to drink sake from, and sometimes the Martell
> family Congac.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
| |
|
