Dean Walker on wed 18 dec 02
Dannon wrote about not wanting to take Steve Reynolds ceramics class at
Univ.of Texas at San Antonio. I did take his class and I considered it an
education. His specialty seems to be the penis. Sometime in his career this
was a real attention getter and he decided to make the most of it. Sure
enough at the end of the semester several of the students in the class had
made their own penis. One girl had sculpted the image of an infant sucking
on a bottle........no look closer. You guessed it ....a penis. Just think
of all you could have learned from this class. Heck you COULD do this kind
of work at home, but then you don't get the kudos from a real master.
The best college ceramics classes I ever took were from Roland Hockett in
Panama City, Florida in 1971 and 72. He is a sculptor and painter. He still
teaches there at Gulf Coast Community College. He casts in bronze and carves
wood. Roland encouraged all forms of clay art. He instructed us on wheel
throwing, slab, coil and pinch pots as well as sculpting. He was a generous
and considerate teacher. He shared all of his experience with us. He
actually was IN the classroom. The two kick wheels in the class where his
own wheels that he had traded artwork for a guy to make. He was all art all
the time. He could find something encouraging to say even if what you just
made looked like a piece of crap. I hope he still employs this same style.
It is because of him that I have come back to clay after over 30 years. I
touched base with it again at UTSA and it almost put me off. I just built a
600 SF studio with two kilns and a wheel. It's time to dig in.....nobody is
going to ask to see your degree. They want to see your work.
Dean
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