Karen Sullivan on thu 18 jul 02
I am amazed that this group can continually
generate interesting things to discuss.
My feeling about seconds is that if one
is letting the clay object venture out into
the world...that will forever be the evidence
of your abilities.
Years ago, I sold seconds at a sale, and
a family member bought them. At Christmas,
she gave them as gifts. A caserole was given
to an artist friend of hers. He tried to pull the lid off,
and it was warped...would only pull out at one specific
rotation in the well. So humiliation followed.
I decided then not to sell seconds.
Another story from Paul Soldner...
who gave a demo about repairing pots.
His thinking was that one could repair work.
A collector visited looking for something to buy.
Finally with a long search, the collector picked
out a piece. It was a sculptural work.
Paul said that he did not want to sell the collector
the piece because it was a second.
So the collector said, okay then, make me a first.
The moral of that story is that often the forces of
the process are not immediately/specifically able to
be duplicated...so seconds win.
Another wrinkle on that thought is when
we pull Greek amphora out of the ocean, we
accept all sorts of flaws...are they seconds?
That logic doesn't fly if one is trying to justify
selling a second.
I think it is a complex issue...
I have an elegant shard pile...I want the best
I can possible make to leave my hands.
the bamboo
karen
Martin Howard on fri 19 jul 02
What was a first last year is a second this year.
We all improve or perhaps just change our ideas, routines etc.
So, I keep last years, if it hasn't sold.
Drop the price really low.
If it doesn't sell then in goes in the box for the next year's Smash the
Crockery Stall at the village fete or meets the hammer and becomes shard for
a path or patio area.
We need a constant flow of shards to show how we are improving.
Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
Updated 6th July 2002
| |
|
