Tommy Humphries on mon 19 nov 01
Much talk lately about academics and clay...
You would not believe (or maybe you would) how many potters we get at the
pottery who want to come and work for a summer, just to learn to make pots
well enough, and fast enough to at least have a chance to make a living.
These guys have, for the most part, been through 4+ years of college clay
courses.
To the last one, all have a wonderful knowledge of the history of
clay...what kind of pots who made and when. Things that I know little about,
though I listen with interest when they speak. But if the truth be known,
they have only the bare essentials of a working knowledge of clay. Oh, they
can mix clay, most can make up a batch of glaze following a recipe (some can
even speculate what the different chemicals do!). But put them in front of a
wheel, and they will fiddle with a pot, pokin and tweakin and pinchin on one
3 pound cup for an hour, and still not be satisfied, cover it up to work on
it again tomorrow.
Meanwhile I have 30-40 pots on my rack, they come over look at them and
wonder why they can't do that.
I tell them, that the work they are doing is what the teacher taught them,
they are still full to brimming with imagination, wanting every pot to be a
"work of art", a "masterpiece". There is a time and place for that...a
working production studio is not the place to expect every pot to be
perfect. Here you make up a couple hundred pounds of clay, make pots, throw
out the bad, make more pots, throw out the bad on and on and on...It is a
terrible amount of work, but it is satisfying work... to look with pride at
a days production of mugs, or pitchers, or plates or whatever... and know
all are within a few fractions of inches of being the same.
Some get it, some run...but all say that they were never told what to expect
out in the real world. In the world they just left, if you could pull an
8" cylinder from #3 of clay you got an A and a pat on the back, regardless
of how long it took.
I see young potters all the time that have never pulled a handle, or fitted
a lid, and yet they have their degrees to show that they are potters.
I know that 4 years is not a lot of time, especially when you have other
classes to attend to. But why can't teachers in general let these kids know
what they really need to know before setting them loose to find their way?
Is it really necessary to spend more time talking about the history of clay
than the potters' future in clay?
I have never attended a single class involving clay, all I know of clay in
college is stories told to me.
I don't think I missed much.
Tommy Humphries
BS, hardknock U (that ain't bachelor of science folks!)
John Baymore on tue 20 nov 01
Tommy,
But put them in front of a wheel, and they will fiddle with a pot, pokin=
and tweakin and pinchin on one
3 pound cup for an hour, and still not be satisfied, cover it up to work=
on it again tomorrow.
I think part of this is often because our culture chases that good old
"instant gratification" god. The idea of doing throwing exercises that
develop mechanical skills and hand/eye coordination is a "tough sell" her=
e
in the USA. Everyone wants to make "art" before they can even throw at a=
basic level. This sort of goes back to my comments in another post about=
the devaluation of the "doing" activities. One big aspect of manipulatin=
g
clay is VERY "doing" oriented...... all mechanical skill. Mechanical ski=
ll
is looked at as "vocational". "The hell with the craft part .... I wanna=
make ART."
I drive my intermediate throwing students nuts with various throwing dril=
ls
and design problems. My basic premise is that if you have a high level =
of
mechanical skills... then it is not a question of IF you can make
something....... it becomes WHAT do you want to make. =
Meanwhile I have 30-40 pots on my rack, they come over look at them and
wonder why they can't do that.
Yeah.... I hear that a lot too. I often give out some "multiples" proble=
ms
in a low intermediate throwing course... and people do a couple dozen for=
ms
and wonder why they don't yet all look the same yet. My usual answer is
that when they have made the 300th of them, the dozen from numbers 288
through 300, will likely start to look pretty darn similar . By then
the body knows what to do to make the form... the movements have become
internalized.
The students that "get it" ....and really attempt to put in the butt
breaking work it takes to do such tasks ...... are the ones that eventual=
ly
really excel. Then the other "less committed" students look at those
student's work developing so beautifully........ and tend to assume that
they are "just talented" . It is amazing what hard work accomplishes=
.
I still remember having an assignment in my u.g. days at UMass back in th=
e
60's of making 300 matched thrown mugs with pulled handles, due asembled
and leatherhard for the next week's class. At first I thought the teache=
r
was crazy! After bitchin' about it to myself........ and realizing that
the assignment wasn't going away anytime soon......... I just got down t=
o
it. Long hours...no sleep. Ups and downs. Pretty soon I came to the
conclusion that I was learning a hell of a lot in the process. =
Somehow..... the 300 mugs got done...... by making something like 450-500=
pieces to get the final 300. Out of the 300...... about 75 or so were
clearly "the best matched". Much later I realized he was crazy like a fo=
x.
To this day I thank ole' Woz for that demanding approach to teaching us
the basic skills. It has provided a solid skill based foundation for me.=
One of my favorite Hamada Shoji quotes is, "Clay and wheel.... (they) tea=
ch
us."
Some get it, some run...but all say that they were never told what to
expect out in the real world.
This unfortunately is too often all too true. However... clay programs a=
re
not alone in the regard. When my brother in law left medical research to=
set up a private practice...... he came to me to ask a lot of "setting up=
and running a business" questions. That stuff isn't taught to doctors
either .
I see young potters all the time that have never pulled a handle, or fitt=
ed
a lid, and yet they have their degrees to show that they are potters.
There are better programs...and there are worse programs. Hopefully
students will "vote with their feet" and the weak programs will find
enrollment dwindling . We can dream, can't we?. And there is always
that comment about the compentency of the person graduating at the bottom=
of his/her class in medical school too .
Pick ANY field and you'll find programs that are good and programs that a=
re
not so good. Clay again is right there with most other fields. Word get=
s
around about where the good programs are. Unfortunately.... not everyone=
is in a position to just "up and go" to those places. All too many have =
to
make due with what is local or affordable. So they do the best with what=
they have..... and often look for "outside" opportunities ....like
apprenticeships and workshops.... to augment their programs content in we=
ak
areas. =
I know that 4 years is not a lot of time, especially when you have other
classes to attend to. But why can't teachers in general let these kids kn=
ow
what they really need to know before setting them loose to find their way=
?
Is it really necessary to spend more time talking about the history of cl=
ay
than the potters' future in clay?
Some programs DO deal with this stuff. Our program at NHIA attempts to
cover this as well as possible within the constraints of a 4 year BFA
degree program. All the faculty in the clay program were unanimous in
expressing the need to write this into the educational outcomes of the
program we offer. Do we do it as good as it COULD or SHOULD be done? N=
o.
Not yet. But we try. That is important. At least we start the ball
rolling.
As you so accurately point out.... 4 years is a short time to cover all
that goes with a formal degree. Like in any field... a bachelor's degre=
e
is JUST scratching the surface. The "on-the-job stuff" that happens late=
r
is the real teacher . Undergrad school just teaches the basics and,
most importantly, "how to approach learning what you need to know when yo=
u
are not in school anymore".
I hope that you don't get too "down" on academic programs from your
experiences so far. There ARE some good programs and graduates out there=
. =
Best,
..............................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752 (s)
800-900-1110 (s)
JohnBaymore.com
JBaymore@compuserve.com
John.Baymore@GSD-CO.com
"Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop 2002 Dates TBA"=
| |
|
