Ned Ludd on mon 29 jul 02
>I am wondering why potters seem to devalue themselves. I have seen lately
>that the going rate per hour for a potter's time appears to be $20.00 per
>hour, this seems way too cheap. Especially taking into consideration the
>amount of time/energy it takes to learn this craft including but not limited
>to the art of throwing, hand building, or sculpting, glaze/slip making and
>application, design skill in order to create original - good looking pots,
>the knowledge of firing, the ware and tare on our bodies, and the business
>skill to run a successful business.
>
>I would love to hear what others think...
>All this said, I am the first to volunteer my time to organizations that
>benefit children!!!
>
>Heather D. Bosworth
>Coastal Clay Co
>St. Helena Island, SC 29920
Well, Heather, it seems to me that generations before us have always,
but always, expected useful and unexotic pots to be cheap. (If there
is historical evidence to the contrary, please show me.)
I say 'unexotic' as we know that chinese porcelain fetched extremely
high prices in a post-Renaissance Europe that could not get enough of
it. But by Victorian times you didn't need to be rich to afford at
least some of the fine china pouring out of factories in most all of
the industrialised countries. Potters' wages were low, a situation
shared with the working class. However, the staples of life in those
days were generally cheap. That's not as true today, in the West.
Witness the cost of housing, and the rise in the numbers of homeless
people.
I say this definitely not as an excuse for potters undervaluing
themselves but rather in the way of illustrating that old habits die
hard in the history of our societies. I'm in favor of changing this
one: the world has moved on in its valuation of skilled and educated
labor. Potters have not caught up: far from it!
Whose fault is that, I wonder, and what's to be done about it?
best
Ned
.... 4 yrs college education to degree level, 3 of which were
ceramics, 18 months apprenticeship, four or so years a journeyman
potter/thrower who got paid US$5 an hour in a western Canadian
pottery in '93... a fulltime position. It cost my cheapskate employer
almost nothing, by the way, thanks to a Canadian federal grant that
basically paid for me. When that ran out after six months so did the
job.
Good riddance to all that....! I went on to better things working
south of the border. God bless America!
Bosworth on mon 29 jul 02
I am wondering why potters seem to devalue themselves. I have seen lately
that the going rate per hour for a potter's time appears to be $20.00 per
hour, this seems way too cheap. Especially taking into consideration the
amount of time/energy it takes to learn this craft including but not limited
to the art of throwing, hand building, or sculpting, glaze/slip making and
application, design skill in order to create original - good looking pots,
the knowledge of firing, the ware and tare on our bodies, and the business
skill to run a successful business.
I would love to hear what others think...
All this said, I am the first to volunteer my time to organizations that
benefit children!!!
Heather D. Bosworth
Coastal Clay Co
St. Helena Island, SC 29920
Longtin, Jeff on tue 30 jul 02
Hey Heather,
As one who is often told I charge too little for my work, and my time, I
will offer you this thought. The higher the price we charge for our work the
fewer markets we can sell it in. The fewer markets we can sell it in the
harder it is to find THOSE markets. The harder those markets are too find
the more time we have to spend FINDING them.
So in the end you have a choice: lower price-more markets-less time
selling-more time making or higher price-fewer markets-more time
selling-less time making.
A gross simplification to be sure but one that applies nonetheless.
Or as the old tailor's refrain goes: Dress the classes, eat with the masses,
dress the masses eat with the classes.
I wish I knew the answer. Its a tough choice.
Jeff Longtin
-----Original Message-----
From: Bosworth [mailto:bosworth@hargray.com]
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 11:57 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: hourly wage
I am wondering why potters seem to devalue themselves. I have seen lately
that the going rate per hour for a potter's time appears to be $20.00 per
hour, this seems way too cheap. Especially taking into consideration the
amount of time/energy it takes to learn this craft including but not limited
to the art of throwing, hand building, or sculpting, glaze/slip making and
application, design skill in order to create original - good looking pots,
the knowledge of firing, the ware and tare on our bodies, and the business
skill to run a successful business.
I would love to hear what others think...
All this said, I am the first to volunteer my time to organizations that
benefit children!!!
Heather D. Bosworth
Coastal Clay Co
St. Helena Island, SC 29920
____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.
Joyce Lee on tue 30 jul 02
Jeff said:
"Or as the old tailor's refrain goes: Dress the classes, eat with the =
masses,
dress the masses eat with the classes.
I wish I knew the answer. Its a tough choice."
----------------------------------------------------------
I like this quote, Jeff. Thanks for sharing.
For further information about the whys of selling low, see Warren =
MacKenzie's biography. Works for him. Big time. Every time I review =
his book (about him, not by him), I feel the urge to follow suit. THEN =
I recall all the con-arguments professional potters have offered on =
Clayart .... and I'm confused again.=20
If I HAD to make a living as a potter, I'd have to make a decision and =
get to work one way or the other ... no room for such confusion in the =
face of losing one's home or not being able to feed the kids.
But at my advanced, wobbly age, I don't have to think those thoughts, =
thank goodness. Still...... I would like to develop a consistent =
philosophy concerning kinds of pots to make and how best to sell them.
Joyce
In the Mojave=20
Elca Branman on tue 30 jul 02
...
Joyce Lee writes:
>>
Still...... I would like to develop a consistent =
> philosophy concerning kinds of pots to make and how best to sell
> them.
>
> Joyce
> In the Mojave=20
Why? Why be consistent at this point in your life?>
Me, I just make them because I love to, and when the shelves get too
full, I do something about it.
I make whatever interests me at the moment, because , like yourself, I
no longer need to earn my living at it and I no longer need to justify
anything I make. Its my life ,my time,and my pleasure.
Elca Branman,in Sarasota Florida
elcab1@juno.com
________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.
| |
|
