Stephen Grimmer on sun 25 mar 01
Hi,
Small point: Bernard is the potter and author from St. Ives; Barnard is
the silty, dark clay from Pennsylvania.
Steve
--
Stephen Grimmer
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Lee Jaffe on sun 25 mar 01
>I own a couple of pieces of work from Leach's studio. It is my
>understanding that Barnard signed his own work
This is the 3rd posting to misspell Leach's first name. First time,
I restrained myself; the second time, I began to wonder; and the
third time I began to doubt my own memory. Just now got up and
pulled one of Bernard Leach's books off the shelf to make sure.
If you have something signed "Barnard Leach" I suggest you put it
on a shelf near that sketch signed "Michaelangelo."
-- Lee
Bonnie Staffel on sun 25 mar 01
Hi Lois.
I own a couple of pieces of work from Leach's studio. It is my
understanding that Barnard signed his own work with both the St. Ives Logo
stamp as well as his private stamp. This pot looks very much like the ones
I own and they were made by the students/apprentices working at the time as
their production work. The following quote is from his first book on Page
226: "...Smoothing the angle of the feet of those (pots) which did not
require shaving, with the ball of the thumb, stamping them all with the
pottery seal, and individual pieces with our private marks..."
When I visited St. Ives back in the late 80's I was fortunate to have a
wonderful half hour's conversation with Janet Leach. I bought two of her
production pots and these have the St. Ives stamp as well as her JL stamp.
She was severely crippled with arthritis and had to walk with a cane. In
our conversation she said that when she sat at her kick wheel, all pain
disappeared and she could work easily for a while. I met Barnard back in
1950 when he first visited the US and gave a lecture at the Toledo Museum of
Art where he told us that we Americans had no art culture to call our own.
I think I paid $5.00 each for them as that was all I could afford at the
time. His own pots were priced a lot higher. I received $20 a week for
secretarial work, which was about the going wage for the times. Our week's
groceries were $5.00 which filled bags which we could hardly carry home from
the store to put all this in perspective.
Personally I feel that since we are a melting pot, the diverse cultures
brought here by the immigrants and early settlers were spread out and
modified by their offspring. How fortunate we are that we can each
represent our talent as we find it, and not be held to a national theme but
to draw from our own heritage.
My much used early book, A Potter's Book, was autographed by Barnard and
even in it's condition, it is a treasured item in my library. I also have a
VERY EARLY plain Paul Soldner bowl, raku fired, showing none of his later
creativity. They all mark an era long gone.
Bonnie Staffel, of Charlevoix, MI. The robins are back but it is darn cold
out there.
Robert Fishman on mon 26 mar 01
I've been following the thread re: Bernard Leach with interest. I was a
student at the Leach Pottery in the 70's.
Unless one sees it with their own eyes, there is no way to determine
without a doubt that it was Bernard, with his own hands, who created
the piece of pottery in question.
There is one guideline that I can offer though, check the throwing
lines. If the vessel is thrown clockwise, as in the Japanese method, it
is the best clue to the pots origin.
Bob
--
Robert Fishman
Robert Fishman Pottery
http://www.fishmanpottery.com
bob@fishmanpottery.com
David Hendley on mon 26 mar 01
Bob, the vase I saw and handled at St. Ives in 1976 had
a 'BL' stamp on it. There were, I think, only 2 or 3 pieces
represented as being made by him.
Are you saying that perhaps Bernard did not make this
vase with his own hands?
Just wondering,
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Fishman
To:
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 8:25 AM
Subject: Leach Pot
| I've been following the thread re: Bernard Leach with interest. I was a
| student at the Leach Pottery in the 70's.
|
| Unless one sees it with their own eyes, there is no way to determine
| without a doubt that it was Bernard, with his own hands, who created
| the piece of pottery in question.
|
| There is one guideline that I can offer though, check the throwing
| lines. If the vessel is thrown clockwise, as in the Japanese method, it
| is the best clue to the pots origin.
|
| Bob
|
|
|
|
| --
| Robert Fishman
| Robert Fishman Pottery
| http://www.fishmanpottery.com
| bob@fishmanpottery.com
|
Robert Fishman on tue 27 mar 01
Dave,
My response was directed at a small a pitcher that was being auctioned
on EBAY. Although there were four separate photos supplied, not one
revealed a BL: stamp impression or brushed BL:. The lack of the
identifying BL: doesn't mean he didn't throw it. The phone might have
rang and he forgot where he had left off. If the throwing lines of that
pitcher were evident, and they could be attributed to a clockwise
rotating wheel, then I'd say that it came from either Bernard or
possibly one of the Ichino's hands.
As far as the pots in the showroom in 1976, there is no question in my
mind. They are as authentic as can be.
| Unless one sees it with their own eyes, there is no way to determine
| without a doubt that it was Bernard, with his own hands, who created
| the piece of pottery in question.
BTW usual disclaimers, and I'm not bidding on the pot on ebay in
question although I think the handle with the fishtail ending is top
notch. My educated guess? Arizona in the NCAA's and mel in NCECA
--
Robert Fishman
Robert Fishman Pottery
http://www.fishmanpottery.com
bob@fishmanpottery.com
| |
|
