Vince Pitelka on sun 27 apr 03
> Not only are Afro-Americans under-represented, but
> Hispanic/Latino-Americans, Asian-Americans & Native-Americans. I would
> venture to say that all the American-minorities are under-represented. It
is
> yet again tell tail to the oppression the American-minority has endured.
Whoa Tony - Asian Americans and Native Americans are under represented in
ceramics? Where do you get that? If you include the Native Americans
potters of the American Southwest you could hardly say that that group is
under represented. And in my experience there are large numbers of
Asian-Americans in ceramics in this country.
And regarding Blacks in American ceramics, the dynamics of the academic
education system and the ceramics world at large are changing so fast. I
think that you will see things change dramatically over the next 25 years.
And Mel was right. This was a perfectly reasonable question, and anyone
that chose to attack the sender should be ashamed of themselves.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
terry sullivan on sun 27 apr 03
This is an interesting thread and it has many branches for discussion.
I'd like to address one. That is the seeming disparity between the
percentage of African Americans in the general population and the
numbers of African Americans in both general and specific populations at
certain colleges.
I'll give a specific example: While at Pasadena Community College (
PCC); I was on the Curriculum and Instruction committee. Our job, among
others, was to review existing and proposed courses for the upcoming
catalogue. As part of a larger program to investigate demographics and
contrasting college enrollment we saw that the African American
enrollment was far less than the % in the general area served by the
college. The "Caucasian" and hispanic groups were about the same % as
the general population, the asian enrollment was slightly higher, but
the African American was about half. The obvious question was
why ?
For background; the Pasadena area is a very culturally diverse area. It
was something like 30 % "white", 30 % hispanic, 20 % asian, and 20 %
African American. The Pasadena area is very much integrated, and at the
time there was an African American police chief and African American on
the city council, as well as a large amount of the same in city
government and services. So why were there only 8 % African Americans
enrolled at the college when the population was 20 % ?
It couldn't have been cost as the California Community College fees are
very low and there are tons of assistance programs available.
I decided to do some personal investigation on this. My next door
neighbor was an African American and we would often hang out over a beer
to discuss many topics. I asked him if he had any light to shed on the
disparity. His answers were enlightening and disturbing.
It seemed that in the African American community there was a pervasive
feeling, especially among the younger folks, that it didn't matter if
one got a college education because one would not get jobs or
advancement due to race. He said this was a very widely held opinion
among younger African Americans in the area. This despite the fact that
at the time the Mayor of Los Angeles was African American etc.
In ten years enrolled in the ceramics program at PCC I saw only one
African American student. The same was true in the Geology Dept. and the
Natural Sciences Dept. I was involved deeply in all these departments
and know there was no discrimination at all.
So what was going on here ? I think it was two things basically.
One was the pervasive myth in the African American community that going
to college, even if almost free, would not result in a better life and
advancement. The other was that the curriculum itself did not address
the inherent cultural racism built into the program of instruction.
The college did a survey / sensitivity program that highlighted this to
many professors who truly thought they were non biased in their
instruction. Most of the instructors were white males educated in the
USA.
They are teaching students from Asia, Latin America, Africa, etc.
Students with strong and deep cultural ties to these areas.
Lets say you are teaching Geology and specifically volcanos. The
examples you give are from the Pacific North West, like Mt. St. Helens,
or the Hawaiian Islands. To someone from Indonesia or Chile, these are
not familiar places despite the fact that many of the most current and
historical volcanic events happened in their place of origin. How do
these students feel ? They come from a place that has significant
volcanic activity and the instructor is using examples from the good ole
USA. No connection. No feeling like their homeland matters. Like they
are "outsiders" in this process of learning.
This process of cultural awareness was poignant thought the science
teaching staff as well as other staff.
It was an awakening for many instructors. They had a cultural /
academic bias built into their teaching program that did not reflect the
demographics of their students. They thought they were doing a good job
but hadn't noticed their students weren't white middle class americans
anymore.
There is another issue regarding why there are not more African
Americans in ceramics. It is related to the perception that ceramics is
not a viable career path. That has something to do with the concealing
process. The trend in concealing has been away from the "applied arts"
for at least a decade or more.
The truth is that the society / community values folks who can do
and produce quality work whether as a tradesman or as an artist
craftsman. I think this is a result of most counselors being college
educated to think on has to get an MBA and enter the workforce as a
white coller office type. Many of these folks don't know what end
of a screw driver to use.
Ok, enough of my "rant".
Terry Sullivan
Nottingham Arts
www.nottinghamarts.org
SusanRaku@AOL.COM on sun 27 apr 03
The head of the ceramics dept. at the University of Kentucky is
african-american. His name is Bobby Scroggins. I am sure he could fill you
in on others also.
Susan
Wiliam Sheppard on sun 27 apr 03
I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone by.
For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have ever
come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
attended.
I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
collected at art shows, same discovery.
MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
Dana H Flemming on sun 27 apr 03
Hi...look up David McDonald. He creates beautiful work!
Dana H Flemming
Artful - Sculptural & Functional Clay Works
Albuquerque, NM
On Sun, 27 Apr 2003 02:53:35 -0400 Wiliam Sheppard
writes:
> I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night.
> The
> first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years
> gone by.
>
> For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I
> have ever
> come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I
> have
> attended.
>
> I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
>
> I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of
> artists
> collected at art shows, same discovery.
>
> MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art
> field?
>
> Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
> interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
>
>
_________________________________________________________________________
_____
> 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.
>
>
Dannon Rhudy on sun 27 apr 03
.............For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe
I have ever
> come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
> attended...............
Yes, there are a good many.
For instance, the Lark book on alternative firing methods
that is currently under discussion - James Watkins will be
editing, or jurying, or curating, or all of those. He is an
Afro-American. Lives & teaches in Lubbock Texas. Went
to Kansas City Art Institute and then Indiana University. One
of the faculty at Indiana is an Afro American, don't remember
his name. A recent past president of NCECA is Afro-American.
There are more, of course.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Maid O'Mud on sun 27 apr 03
Yes, there are. Have I met any? Yes.
Does it matter what colour their skin is to we (clayarters) sitting home
behind our computer screens? Absolutely not.
Maybe it's a Canadian thing, but *I* find questions related to skin colour
offensive. A good potter is a good potter. Period. Good pots are good
pots. Pot(ter)s don't need "affirmative action".
Rant over.
Sam - Maid O'Mud Pottery
Melbourne, Ontario CANADA
"First, the clay told me what to do.
Then, I told the clay what to do.
Now, we co-operate."
sam 1994
http://www.ody.ca/~scuttell/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wiliam Sheppard"
To:
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 2:53 AM
Subject: Are there any AfroAmerican ceramic artists?
> I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
> first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone
by.
>
> For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have
ever
> come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
> attended.
>
> I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
>
> I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
> collected at art shows, same discovery.
>
> MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
>
> Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
> interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
>
Marcia Selsor on sun 27 apr 03
Yes there are several. Of U.S. Contemporaries there are: James Tanner
(former President of NCECA, Winnie Owens Hart, Ma Po, Richard Buncamper,
Angelica Pozo, just a few off the top of my head.
Marcia Selsor
Wiliam Sheppard wrote:
> I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
> first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone by.
>
> For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have ever
> come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
> attended.
>
> I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
>
> I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
> collected at art shows, same discovery.
>
> MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
>
> Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
> interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>
--
Tuscany in 2003
http://home.attbi.com/~m.selsor/Tuscany2003.html
Brian Guffey on sun 27 apr 03
the simple answer to your question is .... yes there is.
about ... oh a year and a half ago in the studio at my community college,=
a young black man came in to take some classes, one of which was the scu=
lpture class. he had enough raw talent to make me want to slit my wrists =
and become a banker. i think for a while after that class he did some fr=
ee lance sculpture work, and i know he did some graphic design work. =20
but yes there are ceramic artists that are african-american and this is j=
ust one example of the ones i know about.
----- Original Message -----
From: Wiliam Sheppard
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 6:17 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Are there any AfroAmerican ceramic artists?
I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone =
by.
For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have ev=
er
come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
attended.
I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
collected at art shows, same discovery.
MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
_________________________________________________________________________=
_____
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@pclin=
k.com.
Elizabeth Priddy on sun 27 apr 03
Dave the Slave was a potter in NC/SC/GA region at the turn of the century. He was trained as a slave and then traveled as a Journeyman potter after he was freed. He is very famous and his pots are copiously collected, Mint Museum, etc. They are traditional forms, some very large with wood fired glazes, some face jugs. Most Early American pottery from the south and the north for that matter was made by slaves. Face jugs and such ilk are supposedly derived from and as grave markers to scare away evil spirits, a west African influence. I think that maybe this has something to do with why blacks got away from it as a people, but that is just a theory. And once you get away from it as a chosen career, the line of makers/teachers is broken. And maybe a career of being broke, dirty and indigent (like a lot of journeymen, who were mostly men) didn't have as much appeal as moving to an industrial area and getting clean work. Ben Watford (sp) in Little Washington/Oriental, North Carolina is a well-known local potter. He does traditional folk forms and is famous for a dragon design on his handles. I am also sure that some of your fellow clayarters are black and american. In my cl
asses with kids, I have found zero differeence in the interest level or skill between races or gender. Everybody loves clay. But it is a tradition that is passed from generation to generation. Due to self-segregation and enforced segregation, the lines of training have probably not allowed for as much mentoring as there should be between older black potters and young. I did see a wonderful black potter on Modern Masters, did great African inspired work with carving on large platters. He was american. It was over a year ago, though. I remember the pots like a vision, but the name is long gone (a congenital defect in my programming!). I had to look into this as an issue when I was grant seeking for my clay program. The Agencies want diversity, and on inspection I found that there is not a strong tradition in the black commmunity for potters as there is in the white community. But my program is set in a black neighborhood and about 1/3 of my young students are black. So maybe the cycle is broken in my neighborhood and some future potters are being born, I certainly see the potential.
Wiliam Sheppard wrote:I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone by.
For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have ever
come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
attended.
I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
collected at art shows, same discovery.
MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
______________________________________________________________________________
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.
Elizabeth Priddy
www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
Beaufort, NC
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
Tony Ferguson on sun 27 apr 03
William,
Not only are Afro-Americans under-represented, but
Hispanic/Latino-Americans, Asian-Americans & Native-Americans. I would
venture to say that all the American-minorities are under-represented. It is
yet again tell tail to the oppression the American-minority has endured.
It is no different than the majority of the other careers out there--yet
this is changing, slowly, by sheer population growth and ascension through
education.
Thank you.
Tony Ferguson
On Lake Superior, where the sky meets the Lake
Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku and more
by Coleman, Ferguson, Winchester...
www.aquariusartgallery.com
218-727-6339
315 N. Lake Ave
Apt 312
Duluth, MN 55806
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wiliam Sheppard"
To:
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 1:53 AM
Subject: Are there any AfroAmerican ceramic artists?
> I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
> first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone
by.
>
> For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have
ever
> come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
> attended.
>
> I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
>
> I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
> collected at art shows, same discovery.
>
> MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
>
> Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
> interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> 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.
>
Ingeborg Foco on sun 27 apr 03
Sam,
Your point is well taken.
The fact that most black people (in the US) want to be called "African
American" tells you they choose to be differentiated by the color of their
skin. If they didn't, wouldn't they just refer to themselves as American?
It is however, their choice.
Ingeborg
the Potter's Workshop & Gallery
P.O. Box 510
3058 Stringfellow Road
St. James City, Florida 33956
239-283-2775
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maid O'Mud"
To:
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 8:35 AM
Subject: Re: Are there any AfroAmerican ceramic artists?
> Yes, there are. Have I met any? Yes.
>
> Does it matter what colour their skin is to we (clayarters) sitting home
> behind our computer screens? Absolutely not.
>
> Maybe it's a Canadian thing, but *I* find questions related to skin colour
> offensive. A good potter is a good potter. Period. Good pots are good
> pots. Pot(ter)s don't need "affirmative action".
>
> Rant over.
>
> Sam - Maid O'Mud Pottery
> Melbourne, Ontario CANADA
>
> "First, the clay told me what to do.
> Then, I told the clay what to do.
> Now, we co-operate."
> sam 1994
>
> http://www.ody.ca/~scuttell/
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wiliam Sheppard"
> To:
> Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 2:53 AM
> Subject: Are there any AfroAmerican ceramic artists?
>
>
> > I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night.
The
> > first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone
> by.
> >
> > For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have
> ever
> > come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I
have
> > attended.
> >
> > I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
> >
> > I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
> > collected at art shows, same discovery.
> >
> > MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
> >
> > Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
> > interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
> >
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> 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.
Karin Hurt on sun 27 apr 03
Bill Capshaw in Oak Ridge, TN, you'll find him at every major art fair (like
the Knoxville Fall show at the Convention Center) demonstrating his amazing
Raku technique. His pots sell right out of the fire, people don't even ask
for the price. I took a wonderful workshop from a man in Chicago, can't think
of the name, but have a copy of one of his fountains. I don't think that
Pottery is a white art.
kARIN
Arizona, USA
Laughing Bear Pottery
John Jensen on sun 27 apr 03
It was explained to me that members of historically disadvantaged groups
would tend to avoid those avenues to advancement which were associated
with hardship and disadvantage. When you are trying to get a leg up you
don't want your feet in the mud, I guess.
John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
mudbug@toadhouse.com , http://www.toadhouse.com
L. P. Skeen on sun 27 apr 03
> From: "Maid O'Mud"
> > Does it matter what colour their skin is to we (clayarters) sitting home
> > behind our computer screens? Absolutely not.
> > Maybe it's a Canadian thing, but *I* find questions related to skin
colour
> > offensive.
Sam,
Please get a grip; the man just asked a simple question; he did NOT state or
imply anything negative in doing so. The fact is that if there ARE any
black potters, they're few and far between. In fact, until I started
reading the replies to this question, (which I myself have asked myself on
more than one occasion) _I_ had never heard of, seen, or met any, (other
than Dave the slave potter) and I've been at this for 8 years.
When I was in college I asked the question aloud (Where are the black
artists; why aren't there any here?), because there were a grand total of
ZERO black students (and, come to think of it, zero black instructors too.)
in the Art program. I was told there were some, but they preferred to go to
all-black colleges. (Prolly that's a load of ca-ca.....) Come to think of
it now, I had NO instructors of any race other than white............
L
Suzanne Wolfe on sun 27 apr 03
On Sun, 27 Apr 2003, Dannon Rhudy wrote:
> .............For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe
> I have ever
> > come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
> > attended...............
>
> Yes, there are a good many.
>
> James Watkins ... is an Afro-American.
> A recent past president of NCECA is Afro-American.
That would be Jim Tanner.
There are more, of course.
David MacDonald, who teaches at Syracuse University is another. So is
Steve.... Can't remember his last name, whom I met briefly at an NCECA
conference.
Of course there is Dave -- I made this jar...
Paul Lewing on sun 27 apr 03
on 4/27/03 9:49 AM, Suzanne Wolfe at swolfe@HAWAII.EDU wrote:
>> James Watkins ... is an Afro-American.
So is his co-author on the upcoming Lark book, Paul Wandless.
So is
> Steve.... Can't remember his last name, whom I met briefly at an NCECA
> conference.
That would be Steve Carter, who teaches at the U of Vermont.
Paul Lewing
Peter Coates on mon 28 apr 03
http://www.etudaiye.com/
this one is an okie now...
pete
Snail Scott on mon 28 apr 03
At 02:53 AM 4/27/03 -0400, you wrote:
>MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
Absolutely! I think it's mainly because we often don't
see the makers of the work, that many people fall into
the unfortunate and unconscious pattern of thought that
if we know nothing about the maker, then the maker must
be a white male until proven otherwise.
Race often goes unmentioned in magazine articles unless
it forms a significant aspect of the work or the maker's
development as a craftsman/artist. The same is often
true of sex, ethnicity, age, religion, and many other
factors that make the population of artists so diverse.
(At least pronouns can give a gender clue.) Just because
it's not explicitly stated, doesn't mean there's not a
wide range of folks making stuff out of clay!
-Snail
mudslingers@ATT.NET on mon 28 apr 03
David McDonald. awesome potter and instructor!
i had the good fortune to be able to take a workshop
with him and it was fantastic.
check out a little bit of the at:
http://home.att.net/~lbellero/mcdonald/mcdonald.html
lauren
--
Lauren Bellero
Mudslingers Pottery
Red Bank, NJ 07701
http://mudslingers.home.att.net
732.747.4853
Jim Brooks on mon 28 apr 03
James Watkins of Lubbock Tex..teaches at Texas Tech. wonderful potter--
gives workshops all over the place. (Tony maybe he would come to Canada.).
He has been in CM..
Brenda Beeley on mon 28 apr 03
At NCECA this year I met 2 wonderful black artists........Angelica Pozo and
MaPo Kinnord-Payton.
MaPo showed the most amazing slide show of building a traditional woman's
hut in Ghana......starting with the women going to the well to get water,
bringing it back to the village in huge jugs balanced on their heads.
Dumping it on dry clay, pounding it with their feet, rolling the clay into
balls to be tossed to the master hut builder while men and women played
music and danced to keep everyone entertained! I was moved to
tears..........the collaboration, community and involvement of all. When
the lights came on I turned around and behind me was Angelica Pozo who I
had never heard of before........but I had just bought the new Penland
book and she was a featured artist. It was so serendipituous that I
instantly invited her to come teach at my studio in 2005.
Brenda
_________________
ClaySpace on Puget Sound
Brenda Beeley
P.O. Box 1339
Suquamish, WA 98392-1339
(360) 598-3688
email: mtimes@telebyte.net
http://www.clayspaceonpugetsound.com
>From: Wiliam Sheppard
>Subject: Are there any AfroAmerican ceramic artists?
>
>I was watching a special on TV about the Ed Sullivan show last night. The
>first acts included some of the GREAT AfroAmerican singers of years gone by.
>
>For some reason the thought occured to me that I do not believe I have ever
>come across an AfroAmerican ceramic artist in all of the art shows I have
>attended.
>
>I searched the ClayArt Archives and found nothing either.
>
>I also looked at a web site that has hundreds of pictures of artists
>collected at art shows, same discovery.
>
>MY QUESTION IS: Are AfroAmericans represented in the ceramic art field?
>
>Some of you will wonder why I am asking this question. I am just
>interested in things like this. Definately, no harm ment.
>
Janet Kaiser on mon 28 apr 03
Now we all know how old Liza is! >grin<
She is definitely older than Lili, who I personally consider to be our Most
Senior Mentor!
There... Am I being provocatively AGEist!? Tone, I believe, should be
"read" as much as the written content.
Thank you Alisa (almost the third "L") for that illuminating post on your
professor at Syracuse. I believe that he and other black artists and makers
should not only be "outed" so to speak, but celebrated as a very important
part of the developing visual landscape of (North) American Art in its
widest sense. Everyone has a unique cultural, historical and ethnic
background which informs what an artist creates and should be given full
credit at all times. Having been robbed even of their very names as slaves
(a taboo in many cultures, including Celtic traditions), the descendents of
these wonderfully resourceful and creative peoples, are no longer instantly
recognisable to others by name. Their "assimilation" is therefore complete,
but by doing that their own roots are being denied them and they are
actually being robbed of an important part of their identity in an
insidious way. All the East European and even the Irish immigrants who were
given new Anglocised names do not suffer to the same extent, although again
the target to achieve an All American and preferably W.A.S.P. persona was
and remains the priority.
The wonderful diversity provided by black, white, yellow, brown races,
colours and creeds should be a great cause of celebration, but it is not
quite working out that way, is it? Native American including Innuit
(formerly known as Eskimo) peoples have regained pride in their cultural
and ethnic identity to a certain extent, but the Afro-Americans? The Latin
Americans? The Asian Americans? Where are the Afro-American pots, for
example? We cannot find them, if we do not know who their makers are! Yes,
thankfully at least music is different... There the huge influence of black
artists cannot be hidden or denied.
As a "foreign student" myself back in 1970s at Plattsburgh SUNY, I can
remember fellow students from the Near East, Africa, Asia and the Indian
sub-continent being particularly bemused at the noticeable lack of any
Afro-American or any other coloured US citizens and we were told by the guy
who was in charge of us all (like we needed special supervision) back then,
that "they" all attended SUNY in New York City!? My best friend then and
through college back in the UK (now a naturalised US citizen) was from
Sierra Leone, is black and tells me that there is more division in US
society than there need be today, because people avoid referring to ethnic
background, race and skin colour in an HONEST and NATURAL manner. Talking
about the blond up the road or the redhead at the bank is OK so she does
not understand people wrapping themselves up in politically correct
language, whilst still expressing and enacting prejudices. Indeed, the
studied avoidance of such subjects and expressions is, she says, a dead
give-away to anyone who is from an ethnic minority themselves. We went into
this subject in depth, because there is a lot of soul-searching going on in
the UK about what has been termed "institutionalised racism". She laughed
about that dismissively... She now lives in Washington DC which may inform
some of you why she found it amusing.
I regard ethnicity a source of pleasure, adventure, discovery and
excitement NOT the can of worms that many would like to make it!
Sincerely
Janet Kaiser - awaiting the result of my blood tests after EIGHT WEEKS
waiting... Hope they found it was suitably blue!
*** IN REPLY TO THE FOLLOWING MAIL:
*** From: L. P. Skeen
>_I_ had never heard of, seen, or met any, (other
>than Dave the slave potter) and I've been at this for 8 years.
*** THE MAIL FROM L. P. Skeen ENDS HERE ***
**********************************************************************
TRUTH is too precious to tell every fool who asks for it...
****** This post was sent to you today by Janet Kaiser *******
The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
8 Marine Crescent, Criccieth LL52 0EA, Wales, UK
Tel: ++44 (01766) 523570 URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
**********************************************************************
BRAX Ltd. on thu 8 may 03
Winton and Rosa Eugene of Cowpens, South Carolina, were featured in Ceramics
Monthly in September 2000. I had the pleasure of seeing their work and
talking with them recently at a show in North Carolina. Their booth was the
one that stayed pack the whole time that I was there.
Very nice work.
Janice in NC
| |
|
