mel jacobson on sun 8 sep 02
any potter in the world, can study any
style of pot they want.
why not?
there are no sacred styles, just fraudulent potters,
that copy and pretend to be what they are not.
kurt wild studied black ware for 20 years.
still does an occasional firing. tera sig design
work is a wonder to study. earthenware, coil,
tera sig, complex pattern. all a joy to work with
and study. just don't think you are indian, when
you are not. don't pass off being something you are
not. the line is thin, but the world hates fraud.
kurt, early on, saw that his designs must be based on
geometric patterns that came from a source that he
created. so he did that. it took a great deal of time.
but, they are totally his. his patterns could be islamic,
indian, chinese....it does not matter. they are
based on geometry.
the black ware style is the same as if he was doing raku.
just a firing technigue. he has never passed his work off
as indian, he gives credit to maria and others that started
the work. giving credit, being honest, to study, that is the
point.
same as if i pretended to be japanese...never have been, never
will be. i am a nordic, from minnesota, always will be.
i do not wear wooden shoes, headbands, kimono. i do not
pretend to be what i am not. i do eat rice and sashimi...nothing
wrong with that. i studied in japan, with a man that was influenced
by the scandinavian potters of the bauhaus. he was not swedish.
he was japanese. he loved pure white pots, no painting. form
and function. i have never made pure white pots....in fact
i do not even study that. i learned to throw, measure, and
japanese culture during my stay in kyoto. i did not go there to
copy the work of kunio uchida. never entered my mind. i have
enough trouble being me, why would i want to be someone else?
kurt and i have worked together on doing many firing styles.
primitive, pit, hillside, raku, wood, gas, electric, and dozens of alternates.
we sure did not have to ask permission from anyone. that would
be silliness. we just work....same as i do now, get on the wheel,
make pots, think about what goes on their surfaces.
clay formula-body
firing temp
bisque temp
matching glaze surface
decoration. all of these, plus dozens more have to
be considered before you start.
the idiots of the world say things like `hey, martha, i am
going to become an indian....let's get a teepee, and
i am going to make maria pots, get a book.`
it would be like saying `i am going to become an
impressionist`. move to france, grow a beard, drink
a great deal of wine. cut off your ear.
the sad thing is, we all, see it all the time.
val cushing knock offs.
stick a half donut on your pot.
hope to get in a show. instant fame, just like coffee.
derive the idea from another. derivative. a poor
way to be an artist.
look at your skill level, match the pots and design
to your skill level, then grow. one step at a time.
mel
as i have said many times.
if you are a fuss budget, fuss fuss fuss, then you will
fuss over your pots. you cannot help yourself.
so, if that is the case, get real fussy.
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
| |
|
