Alisa og Claus Clausen on tue 14 aug 01
I must be losing my command of any English.
Dear Tony,
what does this mean,and how do I make my life like that?
Clip
In my area of Ontario it costs at least a quarter million for an old house,
a slum in Toronto is $300,000. then what about a studio????? Students are
being taught in art school to make a life like penis. they are not being
taught to make a living.
End clip
As for professional, hobby, and all that.
Artist I leave for the public to decide.
However, professional for me is fact. One who makes professional pots.
Professional pots? Those that are made according to the standard of the
craft of the
particular region one is making pots for.
I believe I am a professional potter because I earned a professional degree
in ceramics.
I passed my exams because I learned the skills expected of a student in
order to pass.
I believe there are professional potters with no degree, but acquired the
skills by other means.
Now that I live in a different area than where I earned my degree, I have
to re-navigate good craftsmanship in some ways. The actual technique for
getting a lump of clay into a pot are the same, but a lot of what I am
making is totally different to suite the tastes and lifestyles of my region.
In my area, some people have the opinion that professional potters are
those who earn a living solely from their pots.
In that case I am not a professional potter.
My living is selling pots. Can I live on my earnings? Not in the standard
we do now. My husband's income helps (mild use of the word) to support our
standard of living, including different toothpaste tubes for each one of
us. I could support my shop and materials on my earnings. But I would
have to brush my teeth with grog, eat Kaolin and sleep in the shop, lit by
candles. However, in Denmark I could support myself in "a" lifestyle with
some standard, because of our welfare system. Could I support myself
somewhere else in the world? Probably not in New Jersey, but probably have
a decent life according to the standard in my beloved Cape Verde.
So now the infinite discussion. There are millions of points, variables,
few hard and fast facts. I
can stand on the only fact I believe as fact is that a professional potter
is someone who makes professionally made pots. Who knows what that
is? Those who have learned the craft/skill and learn more about their
potential everyday. Good craftsmanship, pots that support the purpose they
are made for, is largely what I think professional is. Earning a living
from these professional pots takes work, planning, time, space, living
under a desired standard to one day meet the standard desired, hopefully
solely supported by one's pottery income.
I think all craftsmen have potential to be artists but not all artists are
craftsmen. Before I am a ceramist, I am a potter. Of course in my own
ego, I would like to hear that I am also a ceramic artist.
But, finally, it is the name thing. There is so much to discuss, great to
discuss. But in the end of all ends, I do have the need to wrestle too
much with artist, potter, professional. I honestly need to throw pots and
see how professional they can be.
I wish had more time to think about all these things, but truly I hope one
day I will earn a living to support a lifestyle where I can work less and
read and write more.
Tony, I have not forgotten your statement. I am smiling like a cat until I
hear what this is.
Best regards,
Alisa in Denmark
Lee Love on wed 15 aug 01
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alisa og Claus Clausen"
> I think all craftsmen have potential to be artists but not all artists are
> craftsmen. Before I am a ceramist, I am a potter.
It is possible to be a craftsman and not be able to be an artist. For
the most part, craft can be learned. Aspects of creativity can be learned
also, but creative genius is much more difficult.
I'm with Hamada on this question: I am just a workman. Only
time will tell if my work is that of an artist.
--
Lee Love
Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
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