Tony Ferguson on wed 31 jul 02
> > "Still... I would like to develop a consistent
> > philosophy concerning kinds of pots to
> > make and how to sell them......"
Why do you feel the need to have a consistent philosophy concering "kinds"
of pots to make and how to sell them?
Are you not like the river, ever flowing, ever changing? A river is never
the same river twice when you step into it. This notion of consistency is
the desire of the mind to obtain some sense of comfortably in something that
appears stable, for sure, controllable. You are constantly changing and so
this should be represented in your work if you are expressing yourself
honestly through a work that should represent the elemental changes in you.
Make your work first and your ever changing philosophy will come to be,
adaptive, perspective, observing where the right market is for your voice.
More too often we are taught things backwards and so our thinking follows.
Thank you.
Tony Ferguson
Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku
www.aquariusartgallery.com
218-727-6339
315 N. Lake Ave
Apt 312
Duluth, MN 55806
Joyce Lee on wed 31 jul 02
Elca, my bud, said:
"I no longer need to justify
anything I make. Its my life ,my time,and my pleasure" when I said:
"Still... I would like to develop a consistent
philosophy concerning kinds of pots to
make and how to sell them......"
--------------------------------------------------------
Drat! Cut that out, Elca ... Elca, who so often speaks my heart's =
thoughts...... just when I've worked out what my thinking/action Should =
Be concerning clay. Sometimes I get to feeling guilty that I'm such a =
dilettante when it comes to clay .... clay/maybe art, which yet means so =
much to me.=20
I begin to Think .... which for me is definitely separated from =
Feeling, ... and when
I Think Too Much I Feel a Sense of Responsibility ...... to clay, to =
myself, to others who struggle and love the struggle as much as I, to =
the Gurus and to others who've helped, taught and inspired me for six =
years now. Seems I Should have more to show for those years .... and NOT =
feel the compulsion to Hammer every last pot in my studio and Start Over =
Once Again ... strong compulsion this morning ..... may just do it.....
In the same six years, I could have (should have?) completed the =
doctorate and then some that I had a big step up on .... before =
retiring.
THAT would have been life-enhancing, too, I think, and much more aligned =
with Who I Was Before Clay.... maybe who I continue to be. But ..... =
then ...... by this time I'd still be restless&searching for "something" =
that sparks me, no doubt .... something that has no finish line to =
cross and then celebrate (even if to oneself) "Whew! I did it! Hooray =
for me!"
I know that In Clay I'll never cross a single finish line .... never be =
Forever Finished ..... with even one aspect of this sometimes tortuous =
journey ..... would you believe that I'm still working on square vases? =
...... find them incredibly intriguing? .... difficult for me .... that =
and really well-made but gestural lidded jars/pots/ with feet ..... =
don't think it's going to happen.
Actually, it's somewhat like "studying" languages ...... you're never =
through there either .... not really ..... BUT you don't get to be muddy =
every single day ...... nor experiment a thousand times over with =
whatever crosses your mind .... nor wade through the mounds of =
publications and printouts of Clayart posts telling me what I Have To =
Try and head for the garage to attempt my dreams .... nor ... either =
lose the pretentious garb we academics sometimes seemingly need to wear =
..... lose it, or be prepared to be called on it on Clayart .....
Elca has caused such reflections ... that and a call from a childhood =
friend I haven't seen since 8th grade. Was I ever in 8th grade?? Knew =
him from kindergarten through 8th when he "moved away" from the Kentucky =
mountains waay off to Carbondale, Illinois. He had some grand things to =
tell me about my dad ... things I didn't know, being the flighty child =
that I was ... with eyes only on the goal of having fun ..... John had =
been searching for 20 years so he could tell me. Finally, enough =
coincidences occurred ... and there we were talking as if it truly were =
yesterday. Made me wonder all over again..... grandiosely and ad =
nauseumly .. Who Am I Honestly? How Did I Get Here? What's My Purpose? =
.... does this self-perusal never stop? Don't I owe more to the people =
and things that I love than I'm giving?=20
Joyce
In the Mojave ...... recalling that I'm continuing to misrepresent my =
"educational background" ..... I never went to Kindergarten .... my =
parents with new twins 5 years younger than I in the midst of the =
Depression .... didn't have the $8.00 a month tuition ..... that =
building in which the kindergarten was held forever represented mystery =
and shame ... double shame...... shame that I didn't attend .... and =
shame that I resented my parents for not making it happen. The sludge we =
heap upon our tiny persons before we're old enough to know better! Wait =
... though .... have I really moved on? From the age of 4? Odd, too, =
that John was certain he remembered me in Kindergarten .....=20
Elca Branman on wed 31 jul 02
I forgot to tell you to drop the "shoulds" from your life and concentrate
on the coulds.. important for those of us on the far side of 75(me, I
don't know about you)
Why not grant yourself an honorary doctorate while you're at it..
Nobody who really matters in your life gives a damn about it.
It won't make you either a better potter or a better person, but if you
need it to feel okay, do it,
And as far as time goes(I'm on a lecture roll here) all the time you have
is now..the past is done, the future nebulous...you are learning and
doing as fast as YOU can which is all any of us do..no race or finish
line here..that's the joy of it. NO PHD IN CLAY !
But you know all this stuff.......so give yourself a break.
.Don't think......use your brain work for technical stuff and none for
theorizing about clay..
We all want to be famoius and wonderful and top dog..but its a waste of
time to use those as goals.
.I think of them as luggage, and damned heavy at that.
Elca..just finished looking a book O'Keefe's OKeefes, the work she kept
for herself..amazing and simple seeming and pure..she just kept on
working..
On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 06:48:32 -0700 Joyce Lee
writes:
> Elca, my bud, said:
> "I no longer need to justify
> anything I make. Its my life ,my time,and my pleasure" when I
> said:
> "Still... I would like to develop a consistent
> philosophy concerning kinds of pots to
> make and how to sell them......"
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Drat! Cut that out, Elca ... Elca, who so often speaks my heart's =
> thoughts...... just when I've worked out what my thinking/action
> Should =
> Be concerning clay. Sometimes I get to feeling guilty that I'm such
> a =
> dilettante when it comes to clay .... clay/maybe art, which yet
> means so =
> much to me.=20
>
> I begin to Think .... which for me is definitely separated from =
> Feeling, ... and when
> I Think Too Much I Feel a Sense of Responsibility ...... to clay, to
> =
> myself, to others who struggle and love the struggle as much as I,
> to =
> the Gurus and to others who've helped, taught and inspired me for
> six =
> years now. Seems I Should have more to show for those years .... and
> NOT =
> feel the compulsion to Hammer every last pot in my studio and Start
> Over =
> Once Again ... strong compulsion this morning ..... may just do
> it.....
>
> In the same six years, I could have (should have?) completed the =
> doctorate and then some that I had a big step up on .... before =
> retiring.
> THAT would have been life-enhancing, too, I think, and much more
> aligned =
> with Who I Was Before Clay.... maybe who I continue to be. But
> ..... =
> then ...... by this time I'd still be restless&searching for
> "something" =
> that sparks me, no doubt .... something that has no finish line to
> =
> cross and then celebrate (even if to oneself) "Whew! I did it!
> Hooray =
> for me!"
> I know that In Clay I'll never cross a single finish line .... never
> be =
> Forever Finished ..... with even one aspect of this sometimes
> tortuous =
> journey ..... would you believe that I'm still working on square
> vases? =
> ...... find them incredibly intriguing? .... difficult for me ....
> that =
> and really well-made but gestural lidded jars/pots/ with feet .....
> =
> don't think it's going to happen.
>
> Actually, it's somewhat like "studying" languages ...... you're
> never =
> through there either .... not really ..... BUT you don't get to be
> muddy =
> every single day ...... nor experiment a thousand times over with =
> whatever crosses your mind .... nor wade through the mounds of =
> publications and printouts of Clayart posts telling me what I Have
> To =
> Try and head for the garage to attempt my dreams .... nor ... either
> =
> lose the pretentious garb we academics sometimes seemingly need to
> wear =
> ..... lose it, or be prepared to be called on it on Clayart .....
>
> Elca has caused such reflections ... that and a call from a
> childhood =
> friend I haven't seen since 8th grade. Was I ever in 8th grade??
> Knew =
> him from kindergarten through 8th when he "moved away" from the
> Kentucky =
> mountains waay off to Carbondale, Illinois. He had some grand
> things to =
> tell me about my dad ... things I didn't know, being the flighty
> child =
> that I was ... with eyes only on the goal of having fun ..... John
> had =
> been searching for 20 years so he could tell me. Finally, enough =
> coincidences occurred ... and there we were talking as if it truly
> were =
> yesterday. Made me wonder all over again..... grandiosely and ad =
> nauseumly .. Who Am I Honestly? How Did I Get Here? What's My
> Purpose? =
> .... does this self-perusal never stop? Don't I owe more to the
> people =
> and things that I love than I'm giving?=20
>
> Joyce
> In the Mojave ...... recalling that I'm continuing to misrepresent
> my =
> "educational background" ..... I never went to Kindergarten .... my
> =
> parents with new twins 5 years younger than I in the midst of the =
> Depression .... didn't have the $8.00 a month tuition ..... that =
> building in which the kindergarten was held forever represented
> mystery =
> and shame ... double shame...... shame that I didn't attend .... and
> =
> shame that I resented my parents for not making it happen. The
> sludge we =
> heap upon our tiny persons before we're old enough to know better!
> Wait =
> ... though .... have I really moved on? From the age of 4? Odd,
> too, =
> that John was certain he remembered me in Kindergarten .....=20
>
>
_________________________________________________________________________
_____
> 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.
>
>
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/.
claybair on thu 1 aug 02
Elca.....
You are my hero.... mentor... mind reader.
Much love,
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Elca Branman
I forgot to tell you to drop the "shoulds" from your life and concentrate
on the coulds.. important for those of us on the far side of 75(me, I
don't know about you)
Why not grant yourself an honorary doctorate while you're at it..
Nobody who really matters in your life gives a damn about it.
It won't make you either a better potter or a better person, but if you
need it to feel okay, do it,
And as far as time goes(I'm on a lecture roll here) all the time you have
is now..the past is done, the future nebulous...you are learning and
doing as fast as YOU can which is all any of us do..no race or finish
line here..that's the joy of it. NO PHD IN CLAY !
But you know all this stuff.......so give yourself a break.
.Don't think......use your brain work for technical stuff and none for
theorizing about clay..
We all want to be famoius and wonderful and top dog..but its a waste of
time to use those as goals.
.I think of them as luggage, and damned heavy at that.
Elca..just finished looking a book O'Keefe's OKeefes, the work she kept
for herself..amazing and simple seeming and pure..she just kept on
working..
On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 06:48:32 -0700 Joyce Lee
writes:
> Elca, my bud, said:
> "I no longer need to justify
> anything I make. Its my life ,my time,and my pleasure" when I
> said:
> "Still... I would like to develop a consistent
> philosophy concerning kinds of pots to
> make and how to sell them......"
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Drat! Cut that out, Elca ... Elca, who so often speaks my heart's =
> thoughts...... just when I've worked out what my thinking/action
> Should =
> Be concerning clay. Sometimes I get to feeling guilty that I'm such
> a =
> dilettante when it comes to clay .... clay/maybe art, which yet
> means so =
> much to me.=20
>
> I begin to Think .... which for me is definitely separated from =
> Feeling, ... and when
> I Think Too Much I Feel a Sense of Responsibility ...... to clay, to
> =
> myself, to others who struggle and love the struggle as much as I,
> to =
> the Gurus and to others who've helped, taught and inspired me for
> six =
> years now. Seems I Should have more to show for those years .... and
> NOT =
> feel the compulsion to Hammer every last pot in my studio and Start
> Over =
> Once Again ... strong compulsion this morning ..... may just do
> it.....
>
> In the same six years, I could have (should have?) completed the =
> doctorate and then some that I had a big step up on .... before =
> retiring.
> THAT would have been life-enhancing, too, I think, and much more
> aligned =
> with Who I Was Before Clay.... maybe who I continue to be. But
> ..... =
> then ...... by this time I'd still be restless&searching for
> "something" =
> that sparks me, no doubt .... something that has no finish line to
> =
> cross and then celebrate (even if to oneself) "Whew! I did it!
> Hooray =
> for me!"
> I know that In Clay I'll never cross a single finish line .... never
> be =
> Forever Finished ..... with even one aspect of this sometimes
> tortuous =
> journey ..... would you believe that I'm still working on square
> vases? =
> ...... find them incredibly intriguing? .... difficult for me ....
> that =
> and really well-made but gestural lidded jars/pots/ with feet .....
> =
> don't think it's going to happen.
>
> Actually, it's somewhat like "studying" languages ...... you're
> never =
> through there either .... not really ..... BUT you don't get to be
> muddy =
> every single day ...... nor experiment a thousand times over with =
> whatever crosses your mind .... nor wade through the mounds of =
> publications and printouts of Clayart posts telling me what I Have
> To =
> Try and head for the garage to attempt my dreams .... nor ... either
> =
> lose the pretentious garb we academics sometimes seemingly need to
> wear =
> ..... lose it, or be prepared to be called on it on Clayart .....
>
> Elca has caused such reflections ... that and a call from a
> childhood =
> friend I haven't seen since 8th grade. Was I ever in 8th grade??
> Knew =
> him from kindergarten through 8th when he "moved away" from the
> Kentucky =
> mountains waay off to Carbondale, Illinois. He had some grand
> things to =
> tell me about my dad ... things I didn't know, being the flighty
> child =
> that I was ... with eyes only on the goal of having fun ..... John
> had =
> been searching for 20 years so he could tell me. Finally, enough =
> coincidences occurred ... and there we were talking as if it truly
> were =
> yesterday. Made me wonder all over again..... grandiosely and ad =
> nauseumly .. Who Am I Honestly? How Did I Get Here? What's My
> Purpose? =
> .... does this self-perusal never stop? Don't I owe more to the
> people =
> and things that I love than I'm giving?=20
>
> Joyce
> In the Mojave ...... recalling that I'm continuing to misrepresent
> my =
> "educational background" ..... I never went to Kindergarten .... my
> =
> parents with new twins 5 years younger than I in the midst of the =
> Depression .... didn't have the $8.00 a month tuition ..... that =
> building in which the kindergarten was held forever represented
> mystery =
> and shame ... double shame...... shame that I didn't attend .... and
> =
> shame that I resented my parents for not making it happen. The
> sludge we =
> heap upon our tiny persons before we're old enough to know better!
> Wait =
> ... though .... have I really moved on? From the age of 4? Odd,
> too, =
> that John was certain he remembered me in Kindergarten .....=20
>
>
_________________________________________________________________________
_____
> 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.
>
>
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/.
____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.
Cindi Anderson on thu 1 aug 02
I like what you're saying. When you start as a beginner, you want to do
everything, so you do a little bit of everything. You get messages from
"professionals" that you should pick one thing and really focus on it, and
explore it in depth. (To sell successfully for example, you can't have a
hodgepodge of different types of work as a beginner is apt to do; rather it
has to have a consistent theme.) At first I couldn't imagine working this
way, especially when I saw potters working on the same types of pieces for
many years. However, I am finding it to be a natural progression that you
start to narrow down on what you like aesthetically, and on how you like to
work, etc. and those things cause you to get more consistent without really
trying.
Cindi in Fremont, CA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Ferguson"
> > > "Still... I would like to develop a consistent
> > > philosophy concerning kinds of pots to
> > > make and how to sell them......"
You are constantly changing and so
> this should be represented in your work if you are expressing yourself
> honestly through a work that should represent the elemental changes in
you.
> Make your work first and your ever changing philosophy will come to be,
> adaptive, perspective, observing where the right market is for your voice.
> More too often we are taught things backwards and so our thinking follows.
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