David Hendley on sun 1 jul 01
I don't know or care one bit what Hamada sold his work for.
I am all for all potters making a good living by their work, but to suggest
that a couple of thousand dollars for a pot is 'very cheap' is not
reasonable.
If that was in the 1950's, it would be the equivalent of $10,000-15,000
today.
If it was the 1930's, it would be equal to $30,000 today, more than the
median annual income in the U.S.
I also think it is ironic that Lee finds it necessary to mention that Hamada
was a National Living Treasure, implying that the designation makes
the work more valuable and the price more reasonable.
This, after arguing all week that pots should be judged only by their
merits.
I guess WHO made a pot, and their official government status does matter.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Earl Brunner"
> >
> > MacKenzie at least sells his cheap, I don't think it bothered Hamada any
> > to get what he could out of his "unsigned" pots.
>
> Earl,
>
> Hamada's prices were very cheap for a National Living
Treasure.
> While he was alive, his highest price pots were only a couple thousand
dollars.
> Maybe you weren't aware of this.
>
> It's probably best for us to worry about our own work, if we stamp
it or
> not and what we charge for it. We look like Lilliputians when we infere
that
> Hamada was greedy and MacKenzie is arrogant without knowing the facts
about
> them.
> --
> Lee Love
> Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
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Hank Murrow on sun 1 jul 01
David wrote;
>I don't know or care one bit what Hamada sold his work for.
>I am all for all potters making a good living by their work, but to suggest
>that a couple of thousand dollars for a pot is 'very cheap' is not
>reasonable.
>If that was in the 1950's, it would be the equivalent of $10,000-15,000
>today.
>If it was the 1930's, it would be equal to $30,000 today, more than the
>median annual income in the U.S.
Dear David;
I was a lucky workshop attendee for a month with Hamada and his son
in the early 60s. At the end, he had everyone ('bout 50 of us) take a
number to pick a teacup/yunomi. there were enough to give a second pick and
he reversed the order. Everyone got two as a gift from he and his son.
There was a show of the work done during the workshop (my guess,
130 pots). Again we picked numbers out of a hat to go into the gallery to
pick a piece to buy. I picked a five pound bowl which his son threw and
Hamada trimmed and decorated with slips and oxide washes. The price was
$25. He also made a visit to the studio that Jane Heald and I operated in
Venice, CA, and which was right around the corner from the Charles Eames
Studio. He was great friends with the Eames. they had furniture collecting
in common.
You would not believe the wonderful work that these two men quietly
produced during their time there. BTW, he was unable to take yen out of
Japan at that time, so the workshop and pottery sales went to finance his
daughter's education at Mills College in Oakland.
He taught so much while saying very little, and not because he
spoke english poorly BTW. Lunchtime was a riot of good humor and great
stories.
thanks for reminding me, Hank in Eugene
Janet Kaiser on mon 2 jul 01
Just recovering from a day at Aberystwyth where there
was a £17,000+ "pot" for sale in the "Snake in the
Garden" revival of earthenware/slipware exhibition... I
had never heard of the maker (not that that says very
much) nor did I particularly like the large slab-built
pot with gaudy splashed slips on a black ground...
There was no red dot on it either BTW!
It did make me wonder if this was a marketing ploy or
strategy in the Chihuly tradition...? When he set his
price of $1,000 on his very early work in the early
1970s... He did not sell for a while, but it soon set a
precedent... Now $28,000 minimum apparently... But when
employing 200 staff, I suppose that is quite necessary?
Talking to a young student (who bases her aesthetic
judgements on what her mother "who does not know
anything about art" would like!!!?) she stated she
would rather give her work away, than sell it for £20.
"If people are not prepared to pay at least a £100 for
my work, I feel they would not appreciate it enough."
This most interesting comment was after crowing about
buying a pot by an exhibitor for just a few pounds...
"Why does she give her work away? I never would do
anything silly like that!".
The potter in question was selling a healthy number of
pots and would go home with empty boxes and a full
purse. The high priced work by others, will wander from
exhibition to exhibition and gallery to gallery with
maybe a sale one day and all the worry / expense about
shipping etc. in the meantime... I know which I would
prefer if I were a young maker full of ideas and
enthusiasm.
Janet Kaiser - At least my red eyes from all the smoke
(two wood and one paper fired kilns) and the drive home
through the night have settled down... Full report on
Aberystwyth 2001 to follow! :-)
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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