Pat Southwood on thu 10 oct 02
Hallo,
Lily, re your post:
The thing that I think we all have to remember is that our purchasing and
viewing public are not fortunate enough to be able to use the visual
shorthand that we can do.
Things that are blindingly obvious to ones self and maybe another potter
are special shared secrets to others.
Before I was fortunate enough to be allowed to become myself ,I worked for
the Department of Social Security,
( I don't suppose they have one of those in America.)
After 9 years upstairs, I spent 2 years as the counter clerk, I was the
person that sat at the front desk and took it all. And then some............
It fairly quickly occurred to me that the more clearly I was able to
explain things to all levels of people , the sooner they would go away
happy. Artists statements kind of serve the same purpose, those that are
interested in talking about it further won't have to ask that seriously
creepy question-- Oh, --what inspires your work,--- they have been told. If
they want to take it further, great, but we have said where we are.
Best.
Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lily Krakowski"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 8:21 AM
> Artists statements are just that. STATEMENTS.
> What matters to me, Vince, is not their why and wherefore, but the whole
bit
> about LANGUAGE, which already has come up several times in the brief time
> (two months?) I have been back on CLAYART.
>
> Plenty of potters are, as I think Janet said, dyslexic. From what I know
of
> the world, some may be on heavy medications for depression, schizophrenia,
> and other problems. Others may have damaged language skills from CP
> neurological disorders, and deafness.
>
> What clay offers is a world of silent communication. A world in which
> those who, for whatever reason, have less language than most are treated
as
> equals. I have a niece who is deaf, and I have been a refugee and seen
> brilliant brilliant educated people silenced by their inability to
> communicate in the local lingo. ( I add here that the beauty of religious
> services in Hebrew, or in Latin is/was that no one was really deprived of
> understanding the service by being a stranger in a strange land.)
>
> For all I care, any verbaly skilled, language blessed person can write a
> whole Megilah about her work. How she was influenced by a little puppy,
how
> he spent three years in a Buddhist monastery, how she never understood
clay
> till she got a PhD in geology, how he wants to capture the mystery of
> cobwebs....
>
> What matters to me, enormously, is that a potter who has clay as her main
> language is barred or handicapped when there is a show or similar where a
> statement is asked for. THIS IS WHAT BUGS THE BOOTS OFF ME!!!!!
>
> It does not matter to me, that one can read the statement after seeing the
> pots, before seeing it, or when taking a break in the middle of examining
a
> show. What I am so deeply concerned about is that someone might be
deprived
> of an opportunity glib, verbal people like me have.
>
> I value, I cherish the silence of clay. I value, I cherish that we talk
to
> each other and the world in the same language whether we "speak" 2500 year
> old Peruvian --was it already Ke'chua?-- or 3000 year old Chinese, or
> medieval Portuguese, or modern Japanese or English or Flemish. And I do
not
> like when assaults --and I see them as such-- are made on that muddy
> language by demands for words.
>
> I know there is something oxy-moronic in my request, but I would
appreciate
> it, and I think we all would benefit, if some of you who know what I am
> talking about, some of you silent, shy lurkers, would communicate with
> Clayart and tell us YOUR view.
>
> Or, at the risk of seeming arrogant, write me, and I will tally the
answers,
> not comment, nor discuss,nor reveal, and just pass the count on to
Clayart.
>
> And. Speaking of communication. When I returned to Clayart I was enrolled
> as Lily. Which makes no never mind. But my name really is as I sign it.
> Not a diminutive, just
>
>
> Lili Krakowski
> P.O. Box #1
> Constableville, N.Y.
> (315) 942-5916/ 397-2389
>
> Be of good courage....
>
>
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