Hluch - Kevin A. on sun 6 jan 02
"Ahhhhhh," Gavin released his breath as if he had just made the
last pull on tall, thrown pot. "That was GREAT!" he said, while lifting
his weight from hers.
Alice, thankful for at least that release, responded less
enthusiastically, "Great, yeah but it seems your communication skills wind
up writhing mostly on your pots....which, of course is not such a BAD
thing," she added quickly. "But you know, I was thinking about that
recently. Communication is really why the internet discussion group
CeramicArt exists in the first place."
"Yeah, so what?" Gavin sighed, suddenly in an uncommunicative
mood.
"Well, don't you think that its rather odd that most of the topics
on that group end up being about craft? I mean every time a subject comes
up it's about how to fix your kiln, your engobe, your slab, your glazes,
your burners, or how to make a bat, or a mold, or throw this form or
that. Jesus, they even tell you how to write an e-mail!" she said with a
tone of exasperation reflecting distress about other unmet goals.
"But who can define art? It's more about problem solving: fixing
things,taking it apart and putting it back together. You know, bang it
here, bang it there and see if it does the trick." Gavin said with less
enthusiasm and more accuracy than Alice cared to think about.
"But that's just it! All of these mechanical and technical issues
dont really say anything about ART. Ask any ARTIST! I mean after all isn't
art the use of imagination to create objects of aesthetic
significance?" Alice asked with more firmness than Gavin could muster at
the moment.
Rapidly fading, Gavin tried to respond, "Yeah, create. Make
stuff... sell it. Art...yeah. Do art."
In frustration Alice also started to close her eyes and asked,
"Well if people won't define art then why is it part of the name of the
discussion group?"
"Important..." Gavin said vacantly, almost asleep.
Getting more frustrated, Alice softly demanded, "But what do you
mean? What's important? Important to whom? If Art is important why don't
they talk about it more? Why are the vast majority of questions on
CeramicArt about Craft instead of Art? Isn't Art more important than
Craft?"
Slumbering, Gavin responded to Alice's litany of questions with
only deep,labored breathing.
Reflecting on Gavin's unsatisfying behavior Alice said softly to
herself, "What a big dick." In a flash she immediately added, softer and
with belated enthusiasm, "I wish!!!"
Gavin abruptly mumbled something unitelligible and began to snore.
Kevin A. Hluch
e-mail: kahluch@umd5.umd.edu
http://www.erols.com/mhluch/mudslinger.html
David Hendley on mon 7 jan 02
"'Art' is part of the name of the discussion group, but 'Ceramic'
is an equally important part of the name," said Gavin with
a sudden renewed vigor (Gavin is 18 years old).
"The ' mechanical technical issues don't really say anything
about art' because the artists say all they need to say about
art through their manipulations of clay. The technical issues
are just a means to get to the real expression. Why talk about it
when you can do the real thing again and again?" he added
as his hand found its way to Alice's face and lazily brushed
through her hair.
"Art...yeah. Do art," sighed Alice with reinvigorated
anticipation.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hluch - Kevin A."
To:
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2002 2:31 PM
Subject: CeramicArt
> "Ahhhhhh," Gavin released his breath as if he had just made the
> last pull on tall, thrown pot. "That was GREAT!" he said, while lifting
> his weight from hers.
> Alice, thankful for at least that release, responded less
> enthusiastically, "Great, yeah but it seems your communication skills wind
> up writhing mostly on your pots....which, of course is not such a BAD
> thing," she added quickly. "But you know, I was thinking about that
> recently. Communication is really why the internet discussion group
> CeramicArt exists in the first place."
> "Yeah, so what?" Gavin sighed, suddenly in an uncommunicative
> mood.
> "Well, don't you think that its rather odd that most of the topics
> on that group end up being about craft? I mean every time a subject comes
> up it's about how to fix your kiln, your engobe, your slab, your glazes,
> your burners, or how to make a bat, or a mold, or throw this form or
> that. Jesus, they even tell you how to write an e-mail!" she said with a
> tone of exasperation reflecting distress about other unmet goals.
> "But who can define art? It's more about problem solving: fixing
> things,taking it apart and putting it back together. You know, bang it
> here, bang it there and see if it does the trick." Gavin said with less
> enthusiasm and more accuracy than Alice cared to think about.
> "But that's just it! All of these mechanical and technical issues
> dont really say anything about ART. Ask any ARTIST! I mean after all isn't
> art the use of imagination to create objects of aesthetic
> significance?" Alice asked with more firmness than Gavin could muster at
> the moment.
> Rapidly fading, Gavin tried to respond, "Yeah, create. Make
> stuff... sell it. Art...yeah. Do art."
> In frustration Alice also started to close her eyes and asked,
> "Well if people won't define art then why is it part of the name of the
> discussion group?"
> "Important..." Gavin said vacantly, almost asleep.
> Getting more frustrated, Alice softly demanded, "But what do you
> mean? What's important? Important to whom? If Art is important why don't
> they talk about it more? Why are the vast majority of questions on
> CeramicArt about Craft instead of Art? Isn't Art more important than
> Craft?"
> Slumbering, Gavin responded to Alice's litany of questions with
> only deep,labored breathing.
> Reflecting on Gavin's unsatisfying behavior Alice said softly to
> herself, "What a big dick." In a flash she immediately added, softer and
> with belated enthusiasm, "I wish!!!"
> Gavin abruptly mumbled something unitelligible and began to snore.
>
> Kevin A. Hluch
>
> e-mail: kahluch@umd5.umd.edu
> http://www.erols.com/mhluch/mudslinger.html
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