Tommy Humphries on thu 14 mar 02
Everyone is going to see things in a different light. Nobody is the
same...what I like, you might hate, and viceaversa.
If you don't like something the first time you see it, don't make a
permanent judgment about it. In a few years you might come back to that
piece and love it, often for the same qualities that you previously
disliked.
I have learned over the years not to make hasty judgments about art, or
people. What you see at first is NOT what is important. I have come to
think that "pretty" is not important in art. If something is "NICE" to look
at it gets pretty boring. How many have those "nice" pictures on the walls
of your house, that you haven't looked at (really looked at) in years? The
art (and people) that hold our interests are those with a slightly
disturbing aura about them. Mystery...That is a good quality in art. Why
did they do that, you ask...keeps you interested in the piece.
Many artists will intentionally place an inappropriate brush stroke, or add
a rock or chunk of iron to the clay...It makes the piece INTERESTING. When
you see a pretty piece of art, a nice little vase with the perfect glaze on
it, or the photo realistic painting of a rose...you feel good about the
piece, but soon forget about it. You feel that all is right with that
object.
Those teabowls you don't understand...you are still thinking of them, you
don't particularly care for them, but they are still in you're mind. That
is good, you will think of them often...If they were "pretty" you wouldn't
have given them a second thought.
Whether you are making good art or bad art, always strive for interesting
art!
Tommy
Hank Murrow on fri 15 mar 02
David Woof wrote;
>hi, didn't get all the posts on this i'm sure, wish to add to
>someone's post re the "trick" to not look contrived while makeing
>the pot interesting. the shortest path to interesting is to be
>interested. as an undergrad i took note of a prof that required
>no research paper for the course and would not accept one unless the
>student had a yearning/burning desire to learn or discover
>something. if we weren't personaly invested he didn't wish to
>waste his time or ours.
>
> as i walk the path to my studio i prepare myself to ask " i wonder
>what would happen if " as i enter. My best pieces, "art" if you
>will, usuall come with inquiry, a problem to solve, an answer to
>find, a search, frustration, satori at 3 am... feet hit the
>floor, wide awake, excited... must go, must do, now.
>
>my "other work" is good, well crafted, a pleasure to use and i'm
>proud of it. it evokes the sense that i care and took care, even
>enjoyed it's creation but some pieces say more about clay, the
>process and my involvement in it.
>
>loosely quoted: if one is to discover new lands, both wonderful
>and magical, one must be willing to travel great and unknown
>distances from familiar shores.
>
>we all must at times ask how of others, but what would happen if a
>thousand of us took the same problem and each worked out a
>personal solution?
>
>what would the booths at art fairs look like then? what would be
>said about us potters, potter artists, crafters, clay
>artists..........?
Dear David;
Loren Eisley wrote this in one of his books, quoting a
Jamaican woman, "Them as seek treasure must go alone, at night, and
leave a little blood behind."
Best, Hank
Joseph Dallas on fri 15 mar 02
Tommy Humphries wrote:
>
> Whether you are making good art or bad art, always strive for interesting
> art!
>
>Hey Tommy,
Your post on this topic is exactly where my thoughts are on
this. For years I produced technically correct but
uninteresting pots. Then I realized that what I liked
about others art and pots was not the perfectly pretty
pieces but the ones that left you thinking. So I began
the slow shift to more interesting surfaces and glazes...
The real trick is to do this without the pots looking
contrived...Anyway thanks for a good post.
Later,
Joe Dallas
Dallas Pottery & Architectural Ceramics
jedallas@att.net
http://home.att.net/~jedallas
>
> ____________________________________________________________
Wes Rolley on fri 15 mar 02
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At 10:01 PM 3/14/02 -0600, you wrote:
>If you don't like something the first time you see it, don't make a
>permanent judgment about it. In a few years you might come back to that
>piece and love it, often for the same qualities that you previously
>disliked.
Good comment, Tommy. My wife is a painter/collage artist. Often, new
works will go up on our walls for periods of six months or more, and then
be pulled down to rework, because it was finally judged as being "not
good." Even though it may take a long time to complete a piece with drying
time and firing schedules, there is something of "instant gratification" in
the work of the potter, at least when piece is unloaded from the kiln. But
some of those that I put aside as "seconds" when first unloaded are now
featured on my personal shelves in my study. And a few that I really liked
on first viewing are now priced for sale.
I also agree about "pretty." If you want pretty, buy a Thomas Kincaide
"original print" edition of 10,000. (Should not bad mouth someone who as
made so much money and has his company HQ in my home town.) Pretty sells,
Kincaide's company is listed on the NY Stock Exchange. But it is not
something that I would buy.
Wes
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
wesley@rolley.com
(408)778-3024
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David Woof on fri 15 mar 02
hi, didn't get all the posts on this i'm sure, wish to add to someone's post re the "trick" to not look contrived while makeing the pot interesting. the shortest path to interesting is to be interested. as an undergrad i took note of a prof that required no research paper for the course and would not accept one unless the student had a yearning/burning desire to learn or discover something. if we weren't personaly invested he didn't wish to waste his time or ours.
as i walk the path to my studio i prepare myself to ask " i wonder what would happen if " as i enter. My best pieces, "art" if you will, usuall come with inquiry, a problem to solve, an answer to find, a search, frustration, satori at 3 am... feet hit the floor, wide awake, excited... must go, must do, now.
my "other work" is good, well crafted, a pleasure to use and i'm proud of it. it evokes the sense that i care and took care, even enjoyed it's creation but some pieces say more about clay, the process and my involvement in it.
loosely quoted: if one is to discover new lands, both wonderful and magical, one must be willing to travel great and unknown distances from familiar shores.
we all must at times ask how of others, but what would happen if a thousand of us took the same problem and each worked out a personal solution?
what would the booths at art fairs look like then? what would be said about us potters, potter artists, crafters, clay artists..........?
David Woof
525 Fiesta St.
Clarkdale, Az. 86324
928-649-5927
Always a little over the edge; reverently takeing an irreverent look at everything.
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: Click Here
David Woof on mon 18 mar 02
David Woof
525 Fiesta St.
Clarkdale, Az. 86324
woofpots@hotmail.com
928-649-5927
Always a little over the edge; reverently takeing an irreverent look at
everything.
hi, didn't get all the posts on this i'm sure, wish to add to someone's
post re the "trick" to not look contrived while makeing the pot interesting.
the shortest path to interesting is to be interested. as an undergrad
i took note of a prof that required no research paper for the course and
would not accept one unless the student had a yearning/burning desire to
learn or discover something. if we weren't personaly invested he didn't
wish to waste his time or ours.
as i walk the path to my studio i prepare myself to ask " i wonder what
would happen if " as i enter. My best pieces, "art" if you will, usuall
come with inquiry, a problem to solve, an answer to find, a search,
frustration, satori at 3 am... feet hit the floor, wide awake, excited...
must go, must do, now.
my "other work" is well crafted, a pleasure to use and i'm proud of it.
it evokes the sense that i care and took care, even enjoyed it's creation
but some pieces say more about clay, the process and my involvement in it.
loosely quoted: if one is to discover new lands, both wonderful and
magical, one must be willing to travel great and unknown distances from
familiar shores.
we all must at times ask others how, but what would happen if a thousand of
us took the same problem and each worked out a personal solution?
what would the booths at art fairs look like then? what would be said about
us potters, potter artists, crafters, clay artists..........and our work?
David Woof
525 Fiesta St.
Clarkdale, Az. 86324
woofpots@hotmail.com
928-649-5927
Always a little over the edge; reverently takeing an irreverent look at
everything.
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