karen terpstra on fri 5 oct 01
Hi folks,
After a break from Clayart I'm back to skimming posts on pretty much a
daily basis. The discussions on losing sight of passion and energy have
been moving and oh, how I can relate. After I found out about my friend
missing at the WTC, it was hard enough to teach let alone think about
making my own work!
We had a workshop here last week that gave my students and I a much
needed kick-in-the-pants. Jim Leedy was up here from Kansas City for a
workshop to kick off the show in the gallery coordinated by our gallery
director. Those of you who know him or know of him may have the same
prejudice or apprehensions as I had. He is of the genre of Abstract
Expressionists from the 60's and 70's. Who needs that now? I was
thinkin. Who wants to watch the beer drinkin, b*** scratchin, cigar
smokin, skirt chasin, kind of guy. (He admits it, we talked about it,
so I can say this. He even apologized for it.) Apprehensive in this
conservative little community of La Crosse, WI? You bet I was.
Here's what we learned: He was making the big "stacks" that didn't
really make any sense to anyone at first, then he talked about
PASSION. He talked about how his participation in the Korean War
affected him. And how WWII affected other artists in New York at the
time. He HAD to do what made him feel good: simply make art that he
wanted to make. He talked about those feelings resurfacing from the
Sept. 11 incident. He was very moving in describing how events like war
affects all of us personally and as a whole. He gave us examples of the
Dada movement after WW1. Never heard it explained so eloquently except
maybe in Beatrice Wood's "Mama of Dada" video.
All of a sudden this work that seldom makes any sense to anyone new to
art and especially up here in Wisconsin where all the art over one's
sofa are of ducks flying over the lake or deer jumping through the
woods.
He engaged the students and made them work. Some students were throwing
clay on the floor to make slabs. Others were then checking the audience
for the best textured soles of shoes they could find. Nickel and copper
carb, cobalt sprinkled around, white slip, bronze slip splashed.
Metalsmithing and sculpture students were scouring their studios for
junk to embed. Painting students made design decisions on clay. All
were engaged. All received a new understanding of the meaning of the
word PASSION.
The after effects this week have been priceless! Had one of the most
moving crits with students that I've had in my little 5 year
experience. We talked about art movements, and are making predictions
on how Sept. 11 will influence the next major movement in ceramics. We
talked about the importance of finding one's creativity. The importance
of experimentation, the problem of getting stuck in a rut, how good it
feels to have a medium where you can express yourself freely.
Half of the students here are non-art majors and they talked about how
they can and should relate the process of creativity to their own
discipline. We talked about the relationships between creating art, a
poem, a writing assignment, the theories of physics, abstract thinking
in math. (I should have taped recorded that conversation for school
administrators who want to cut art programs!)
What I learned: The students teach me so-o-o-o much! Two students are
taking their tight little pots, tripling the amount of clay and
practicing the Volkous-Leedy "grunt" as they manipulate clay in a new
spontaneous way. I have a transfer student who came here able to throw
pots and throw rings around people. He could blow everyone away with
his throwing skills. Instead, he's throwing clay on the floor, table
anywhere he feels like it and he started making the ugliest hand built
pots you've ever seen! Did I say anything? Absolutely not! He has a
renewed energy. We are all watching him experiment and work with
renewed PASSION! We are now looking at this large series of
funny-looking pots and they are precious. Lined up in a row you can see
the development of good design magically unfold. Did I have anything to
do with it. Nope. It was his energy and inspiration!
Most outrageous comment during crits: One of the advanced students said
Jim Leedy reminded her of Mel. I think the eyes almost popped out of my
head and mouth dropped to the floor and it took me a moment to regain my
composure!!! "Uh, how, mm uh, how's that?" I mustered. "His PASSION,"
she simply and quietly stated, "Mel has passion too."
Loss of passion. It will return to us in the most unexpected ways. It
historically has had a way of doing that. Be patient. Be open to it.
Karen Terpstra
La Crosse, WI
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