Cantello Studios on wed 10 apr 02
Dale
Wow ! Thanks for the great post. I feel the same way as you do. Husband
produces functional ware along with one of kind large pieces. Right now I
am applying for the end of the year shows and it was nice to know we are not
the only ones out there a bit confused.
Tracy - The other half of Cantello Studios
www.cantellostudios.com
[So being primarily a functional potter for 25 years and because usually 9
out of 10 customers to my booth will buy a batter bowl, mug, plate and the
like. Usually one customer will gladly spend $250 to $350 for one of my
decorative large Shino, or ash glazed, crackle slip covered jars just to
have the pot perform no function other than to be a nice, big beautiful pot.
So do I submit slides to the "Art Festivals" of my batterbowls and risk
being rejected as "just another potter" or will showing a large jar in with
my slides of just mugs and bowls tag me as not having direction or
consistency? Does having slides of the same glaze combinations on all of my
work show consistency? What happens when I show a carved porcelain celadon
piece in with my dinnerware slides? If I get juried in to a show on just my
slides of large amphora jars and then have mugs in my booth? Can the show
organizer ask me to remove the mugs because I misrepresented my cohesive
body of work
Dale Tex]
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Dale Neese on wed 10 apr 02
Presenting your work in slides to a jury is indeed a paradox to some of =
us. Most of my pottery income is from "craft fairs". I don't "work" for =
galleries at 50%, don't produce wholesale and very little consignment. I =
notice that many of the shows are now called "Art Festivals" instead of =
Craft Fairs. I started out when burlap in your booth was cool. So now is =
that why I see so many people carrying "art on a stick" at these =
Festivals? Cute bent wire butterfly with glass bead eyes on the end of a =
brass rod. Some vendors will sell thousands of these things. Get in a =
crowd there and risk having your eye put out. Is this art? Hardly craft. =
What do the "artists" write on their artist's statement about their =
"art"? These "artists" seem to get selected for every show.
So being primarily a functional potter for 25 years and because usually =
9 out of 10 customers to my booth will buy a batter bowl, mug, plate and =
the like. Usually one customer will gladly spend $250 to $350 for one of =
my decorative large Shino, or ash glazed, crackle slip covered jars just =
to have the pot perform no function other than to be a nice, big =
beautiful pot. So do I submit slides to the "Art Festivals" of my =
batterbowls and risk being rejected as "just another potter" or will =
showing a large jar in with my slides of just mugs and bowls tag me as =
not having direction or consistency? Does having slides of the same =
glaze combinations on all of my work show consistency? What happens when =
I show a carved porcelain celadon piece in with my dinnerware slides? If =
I get juried in to a show on just my slides of large amphora jars and =
then have mugs in my booth? Can the show organizer ask me to remove the =
mugs because I misrepresented my cohesive body of work? Does the potter =
have the advantage because of consistency of production? I tend to think =
that is not always true. The last "Festival" I attended you could count =
the number of truly functional production potters on one hand out of 300 =
exhibitors. Some of the other "award winning ribbon" clayworks were =
shown on pedestals in slick gallery like booths, maybe only 30 pieces of =
work on display. Yeah, I must say it all looked alike. The $300 to $500 =
a piece price tag was about the same consistency too. But there I was, =
sellin' and sackin' my always top quality $12 mugs, $15 bowls and $35 =
plates like crazy. Isn't that the idea? Selling or just having a big =
name? Can't take your big name to the bank. I guess I am missing the =
credibility of consistency issue somewhere in the past 25 years now when =
a juror doesn't see it in my set of slides.
Dale Tex
Sharon Villines on wed 10 apr 02
> The last "Festival" I attended you could count the number of
> truly functional production potters on one hand out of 300 exhibitors. Some of
> the other "award winning ribbon" clayworks were shown on pedestals in slick
> gallery like booths, maybe only 30 pieces of work on display. Yeah, I must say
> it all looked alike. The $300 to $500 a piece price tag was about the same
> consistency too. But there I was, sellin' and sackin' my always top quality
> $12 mugs, $15 bowls and $35 plates like crazy. Isn't that the idea? Selling or
> just having a big name?
This has been a major division in the art world since the academies of the
19th century and the elite image of art that it fostered -- demand became
separated from quality.
The academy allowed artists to live without selling their work -- all they
had to do was exhibit it. They lived off teaching. The old system of
training artists in working studios that took commissions died out. Art
became art for art's sake and the glory of the individual artist who
produced "unique" and "earth shattering" work became the highest standard.
Along with this came the vanity presses, vanity galleries, vanity craft
shows, etc. where no one expected to sell work. Prizes were given. The
standards for the prizes were unknown. Sales never publicized. Being in a
museum or collector storehouse was of more importance than anyone ever
seeing your work.
In the process the idea that a bowl or a plate or a mug could also be of
equal artistic value was lost. They sell too well. They are useful, not pure
art. The one of a kind pot that follows the current art vogue became the
ideal. Then high prices became a judge of quality. Reported prices were
inflated beyond belief as artists took the fall for dealer discounts, etc.
The only way to change this is for artists to change it. Keep selling work.
And use the wonderfully subversive tactic of giving the jury what they want
and selling the "other stuff." But don't accept the jury's decision that the
other stuff is of lesser artistic value.
Potters actually have the best position of all the arts in that they can
work in separate markets. Do production work part of the day and one of a
kind work the rest. The market for "production work", the plates and mugs,
is less attractive in painting and sculpture.
Sharon.
--
Sharon Villines, Arts Coach
http://www.artscoach.ws
ArtsCoachFAQs now (almost) free!
| |
|
