Hendrix, Taylor J. on mon 25 nov 02
Well, well.
I have just finished _Hamada: potter_, 1975 by Bern Leach. Must share =
with you a jewel of a thought which depends from the end of this longish =
quote:
pg.137 "The best bowls are made by children who are unself-conscious. =
But just as you are reaching the peak of skill--summer--this is when the =
danger sets in. You become aware of your skill, and then you must get =
beyond that awareness before you can reach autumn and then winter. Then =
you must come into the next spring, not end with winter but arise with =
the next spring when the new buds form--the second spring. This is the =
period Japanese handcraftsmen know to be the time to develop their true =
craft. It is the second apple we are talking about, that is why it must =
be born, not made."
In my research, I have been shocked to discover a growing swell of =
anti-Leach/Hamada/Mingei over the past few years. Yes, I continue to =
read myself stupider. After reading a few articles I begin to wonder =
who the stupid one is and have decided that if I am going to fan the =
flames of idiocy, I'd sure as tootin' better do it with the pages of a =
peer reviewed journal!
As my dear Zoology Prof. Herr Eselshlagger used to say, "If you're dumb =
enough to give a chimp a stick, he's bound to eventually poke it in your =
ant hole."
Taylor Hendrix
Documents Night Supervisor
Client Services Division
Baylor University Libraries
P.O. Box 97148
1301 S 2nd St
Waco, TX 76798-7148
Taylor_Hendrix@baylor.edu
254.710.4456
Bob Pulley on tue 26 nov 02
THanks for the quote. I don't know for sure what point you are making,
but I liked the spirit. Having come of age in the Hamada/Leach
dominated 60's I have never really questioned their meanings. And in
recent years I've pretty much quit reading the periodicals and texts.
Bob Pulley
>>> Taylor_Hendrix@BAYLOR.EDU 11/26/02 12:54AM >>>
Well, well.
I have just finished _Hamada: potter_, 1975 by Bern Leach. Must share
with you a jewel of a thought which depends from the end of this longish
quote:
pg.137 "The best bowls are made by children who are unself-conscious.
But just as you are reaching the peak of skill--summer--this is when the
danger sets in. You become aware of your skill, and then you must get
beyond that awareness before you can reach autumn and then winter. Then
you must come into the next spring, not end with winter but arise with
the next spring when the new buds form--the second spring. This is the
period Japanese handcraftsmen know to be the time to develop their true
craft. It is the second apple we are talking about, that is why it must
be born, not made."
In my research, I have been shocked to discover a growing swell of
anti-Leach/Hamada/Mingei over the past few years. Yes, I continue to
read myself stupider. After reading a few articles I begin to wonder
who the stupid one is and have decided that if I am going to fan the
flames of idiocy, I'd sure as tootin' better do it with the pages of a
peer reviewed journal!
As my dear Zoology Prof. Herr Eselshlagger used to say, "If you're dumb
enough to give a chimp a stick, he's bound to eventually poke it in your
ant hole."
Taylor Hendrix
Documents Night Supervisor
Client Services Division
Baylor University Libraries
P.O. Box 97148
1301 S 2nd St
Waco, TX 76798-7148
Taylor_Hendrix@baylor.edu
254.710.4456
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Snail Scott on tue 26 nov 02
At 11:54 PM 11/25/02 -0600, Taylor wrote:
>In my research, I have been shocked to discover a growing swell of
anti-Leach/Hamada/Mingei over the past few years.
Actually, I find the opposite. There was a time,
mid-20th-century or so, when the Gospel of Leach
seemed to dominate ceramics to the exclusion of
all else. That didn't make it a Bad Thing, but
it's only natural that many people rebelled against
it, seeking alternatives. (The Funk movement stands
out as the most extreme of these, but it wasn't
alone.)
Now, ceramics practice is perhaps as diverse as it
has ever been in history, and many folks who were
among the dissenters 30 years ago, (or even 15)
can now appreciate the Leach/Hamada legacy afresh,
without the oppressive burden of dogma that it
carried for so long.
-Snail
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