Joyce Lee on tue 17 jul 01
on my pots....... sort of......
A fine fabric artist loaned me her linoleum
blocks for my use any way I choose while
she's away for a month. Wonderfully generous!
Her designs have always pleased me, and
sure enough they translate very well to clay.
I've enthusiastically imprinted the complete
design, or incorporated parts of a design
with other decoration, on about 30 pieces ... am excited by the look...=20
The problem: slowly it's dawning on me that
these are NOT my work ... and that I could
make similar tools for myself ... not as professional as hers since she =
has 30 years
experience ....... and I'm feeling like a fraud...
I don't think this is the same as having someone
else throw your pots, or purchasing tiles, which you then decorate ...
when decoration is your real interest. I guess
that I think the decoration...... or no decoration...
says the most about the potter and should be
genuinely hers. What do you think...... if you
care to comment .... ??
Joyce
In the Mojave disliking such twists and turns
of my own mind..... can't trust it for a second....
can one tell one's mind to "get outta my head"
and expect any meaninful change??? Think
I'll go find the new lizard.... about the thickness of
3 cherry stems..... thought he was a stick ... until
he began to do pushups which exposed teeny
feet .......
Dannon Rhudy on tue 17 jul 01
.... artist loaned me her linoleum
>blocks.... they translate very well to clay.
...... it's dawning on me that
>these are NOT my work ... and that I could
>make similar tools for myself .....
No, they're not your work. But using them the way
you are IS your work. If it turns into a series
that you enjoy, then make some blocks of your own.
Meanwhile, it is a collaboration of the most
interesting kind. Collaborations can be very
invigorating, I do them from time to time and
enjoy them thoroughly. Helps me see differently,
dealing with shapes and designs that are another's.
Don't fret about temporary incidentals. Just do
what is interesting to you, and it will evolve.
After all, you only get to use them a month. After
that, you're on your own, and you've meanwhile had
some great design lessons.
Carry on.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Richard Jeffery on tue 17 jul 01
I don't think any learning process should feel fraudulent....
what I'm reading is:
that seemed like a good idea - lets' try...
hey - I like that!
wonder if I can develop my own designs...? (which for most of us is not
rhetoric, but the starting gun for the next development)
OK - so you've got 30 pieces which you like, and you're not sure what to do
with... so what? Talk that problem over with your friend when she's back.
But that's a small little thing, and not to be made into a barrier to
progress. It might even be the basis for fruitful collaboration as you
explore how to make the printing blocks themselves. The work you make is
the work you make. Maybe if you sold the pots as shirts it might be
fraudulent?
and I'm envious of the lizard - it's gone back to about 11 C here on the
south coast of UK - you know, the holiday, beach and seaside end - poor
thing would need gloves
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Joyce Lee
Sent: 17 July 2001 18:37
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Other People's Work
on my pots....... sort of......
A fine fabric artist loaned me her linoleum
blocks for my use any way I choose while
she's away for a month. Wonderfully generous!
Her designs have always pleased me, and
sure enough they translate very well to clay.
I've enthusiastically imprinted the complete
design, or incorporated parts of a design
with other decoration, on about 30 pieces ... am excited by the look...
The problem: slowly it's dawning on me that
these are NOT my work ... and that I could
make similar tools for myself ... not as professional as hers since she has
30 years
experience ....... and I'm feeling like a fraud...
I don't think this is the same as having someone
else throw your pots, or purchasing tiles, which you then decorate ...
when decoration is your real interest. I guess
that I think the decoration...... or no decoration...
says the most about the potter and should be
genuinely hers. What do you think...... if you
care to comment .... ??
Joyce
In the Mojave disliking such twists and turns
of my own mind..... can't trust it for a second....
can one tell one's mind to "get outta my head"
and expect any meaninful change??? Think
I'll go find the new lizard.... about the thickness of
3 cherry stems..... thought he was a stick ... until
he began to do pushups which exposed teeny
feet .......
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Des Howard on wed 18 jul 01
Joyce
Enough with the angst!
Do you worry about the producer of the hessian (burlap) sacking
or onion bag used to roll a slab on?
What about the manhole covers mentioned recently?
Accept that the IDEA of lino cut patterns & make your own, 30 years just flies by.
If you still feel guilty about the "other person's patterns"
on the already made pots, trash them, move on.
Keep potting & posting.
Des
Joyce Lee wrote (in part):
> on my pots....... sort of......
>
> The problem: slowly it's dawning on me that
> these are NOT my work ... and that I could
> make similar tools for myself ... not as professional as hers since she has 30 years
> experience ....... and I'm feeling like a fraud...
>
> I don't think this is the same as having someone
> else throw your pots, or purchasing tiles, which you then decorate ...
> when decoration is your real interest. I guess
> that I think the decoration...... or no decoration...
> says the most about the potter and should be
> genuinely hers. What do you think...... if you
> care to comment .... ??
--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
LUE NSW 2850
Australia
Ph/Fax 02 6373 6419
http://www.luepottery.lisp.com.au
Joyce Lee on wed 18 jul 01
Des says:
"Enough with the angst!"
You're right, Des. I've never been particularly
credible at angsting ... am much more
effective with whining.... a little wine sprinkled
with a mess of whine and I'm a happy person.
AND many private responses have convinced me that I
have no reason to be concerned as long as I
don't print the designs on clothing ... several
pointed out that supply houses sell roulette
wheels and stamps; that most of us have
some commercial ones in our studios which
we use for their intended purpose
without hesitation. And, Dannon is correct, in
that using the blocks has already sparked a
dozen different ideas for my "own" work.
So, Des, I shall go forth and allow the designs
to multiply ... let the blocks fall where they may... and keep in mind that
no potter is an
island .... for the bell tolls for each of us ...
AND, this above all, be true to myself so that
I will then be not false to any fabric artist... and, most importantly, that
s*** happens....
so I'm gonna go make clay while the blasted
sun shines&shines&shines........
Joyce
In the Mojave
Chris Clarke on wed 18 jul 01
I think it's a collaboration between the both of you. She now has the honor
of having her work emblazoned in clay, and you had the good fortune to have
a generous artist lend her work to yours. It's a win win situation.
And I love those pushup lizards, especially the blue ones that think they
are so tuff. After I fire my kiln they huddle around it like it's a camp
fire and they're roughing it. chris
temecula, california
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
Alisa og Claus Clausen on thu 19 jul 01
Dear Clayart,
On the subject of using others' motives or ideas as a basis for initiating
new work of your own, I think about what one of my
greatly respected teachers told me a long time ago. Do not borrow an idea,
steal it and make it yours.
Not to take it so literally, but more in line with what Dannon and others
say also. Use the blocks as a springboard, incorporate it in work as
yours, and if it looks and feels and smells like your work, I would say it is.
I have used linoleum blocks from an old printing workshop, newly manholes
and other patterened stamps. The same idea crossed my mind. Who made these
patterns? I then made a stack of stamps which I carved motives from my
fantasy. I was not impressed with my work! They were all right, but using
parts of the manhole patterns or blocks and just arranging them in joined
patterns all around the vessels, made up new patterns which were better.
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