John Baymore on mon 7 jul 03
Marta,
i would like to know, maybe lee love can help us to understand, how did
the japanese potters did their market positioning in the public perceptio=
n?
i am sure, that the reason why pottery is valued much more in japan is no=
t
just because they dont say things like "its nothing but mud" or "made of=
dirt" or "it`s only clay"...the public is well educated over there, they
treasure =
their pots and potters.
i`d be curious: are the japanese glass artists on a higher 'art-level'
than potters there?
The reverence the Japanese have for the potter's art IS pretty legendary
. I have been lucky enough to have had some experiences relating to
that and it has been a pleasure to experience that very special viewpoint=
firsthand a little bit. The scope of the craft is so broad and well
developed there in great part because the art itself is valued so highly =
by
the populace. It has been not only preserved.... but encouraged and
supported by the populace. Being a professional potter in Japan today
caries a very positive association in the eyes of the public....... where=
as
here in the USA people usually want to know what you do for your REAL job=
. =
As a potter that has been influenced by and studied Japanese ceramics sin=
ce
college days over 30 years ago....... I THOUGHT I had SOME grasp of the
reality of that great appreciation even from afar. But it was not until =
I
had the opportunity to actually be there and interact with the ceramics
community that I really got any kind of a handle on it. I have a good
friend who apprenticed in clay in Japan (Bizen) for a year or two back
during his undergrad days in the 60's. After my first invitation to Japa=
n
on pottery related business.... the first time he saw me after I returned=
he said..... "Now you really understand, huh?" All I could say was, "Hai=
,
sugoi desu". (Yes....awesome.)
There certainly are great pots made the world around, but I really don't
think that there is any other country in the world where POTTERS and thei=
r
pots are as well appreciated as in Japan. As a potter.... it truly IS a
"mecca". Can this level of appreciation be "created" elsewhere? I don'=
t
really think so. Not even given that proverbial "big budget". It is/was=
a
fluke of god or fate. Thank goodness it happened somewhere! If you can
get or MAKE a chance to visit the Japanese pottery centers...... do it. =
It'll be well worth the trip.
Maybe god just decided that (s)he needed to set things in motion SOMEPLAC=
E
in this crazy world where potters would be really highly valued for their=
talents .
There are MANY factors that came into play that affected the perception o=
f
the ceramic arts in Japan over the centuries..... not the least of which
was the state of civil war that raged for years and left the populace,
including the warriors themselves, looking for ways to see the good side =
of
a transient and all too fleeting life. That set the stage for the arts i=
n
general to achieve a significant role in life.... in providing an escape
from day-today reality. No one lone factor probably can be said to solel=
y
be responsible for this unique situation coming to pass....... but one of=
the main factors in this was the importation of tea drinking from China,
through Korea, and it's eventual "Japanization" into a unique ritual of
what might be described as performance art merged with naturalistic
spirituality. In the context of a weary, war-torn society, it offered an=
island of scerenity in a violent and oppressive world.
It is also a factor in that that until the influence of westrern concepts=
arrived in Japan....... the differentiation of "art" from "craft" did not=
really exist. All arts were condidered arts. To a large degree there,
they still are.
It is also important to remember here that in the historical PAST, even
though the POTS were often highly valued and literally became state
treasure and secrets,
often the potters themselves were still poor as dirt. Japan has a well
documented 10,000 + year history of ceramics. It is only in less than t=
he
last 100 that the potter him or (rarely) her self was well rewarded for
their skills. Yes, there were a few that got the favor of a patron who
had the power and money to reward them well. Sometimes whole villages. =
But they were few. And even those who were =
so rewarded were at the complete mercy of their "patron"........ who coul=
d
as easily just kill or abandon them at any time. Some of the pottery
villages we now know sort of as "household words" even in the West were
"created" by Hideoshi's army capturing Korean potters and "relocating" th=
em
to Japan. Good pottery work was THAT much desired in Japan.
In some cases, like porcelain, the technology was sort of the equivalen=
t
of the next "Intel processor chip"........ the next high tech wonder.
A lot of the current "valuation" of potters and their pottery in Japan ca=
n
be linked to Yanagi Soetsu, Hamada Shoji, and Bernard Leach's work at the=
beginning of the just past century. Which is direclty related to William=
Morris' approach in England/Europe. For a good discussion of this work,
look up "Mingei" and the "Arts and Crafts Movement" on the net or in
reference books. They laid a lot of the seeds that helped focus the
public's attention on the importance of preserving handcrafts in our live=
s.
In Japan, it fell on particularly fertile ground. A read of Yanagi's
book "The Unknown Craftsman" I think is a "must read" for any serious
student of ceramics...... (along with the "Towards a Standard" chapter in=
Bernard Leach's "Potter's Book").
Generalizations are always subject to exceptions....... but that being
said......... the Japanese as a people tend to value the arts in general
much more than citizens of the US. (What is the first to go in school
budget cuts?) They appear to be well aware of the value of their rich
historic culture and as a nation seem to work to try to preserve it. The=
y
are also seemingly willing to PAY for it. They were the inventors of the=
the concept of "Intangible Cultural Property".......... extending not onl=
y
to objects but to PEOPLE as well (designated Living National Treasures). =
The average Japanese seems to have a good background in general culturall=
y
related things. Japanese TV is filled with cultural, nature, and arts
programming (It is ALSO filled with the worst crap you have ever seen =
.)
Arts related educational opportunities are widespread. "Tradition" and
"conforming to social and societal norms" is still a VERY powerful
influence in day-to-day Japanese life.... and those traditions are often
directly linked to traditional handcrafts. I was often amazed at the
"ceramic literacy"
of even average people that I met there. They knew a lot about how
pottery was made, recognized specific wares or glazes, and so on.
Unfortunately .......... I have clearly seen the influence of the pursuit=
of western culture on their own culture in the short time between my 1996=
visit and my vist last year. Some of it is good....... as in the improvi=
ng
role of women in their society and in ceramics. Some is negative...... a=
s
they assimilate "Disney aesthetic values".
As to maintaining that favorable "market position" today, many potters in=
Japan
work very hard at it and take it quite seriously. The market for claywo=
rk
is appreciative and large...... but VERY competitive too. Seems like tha=
t
for every potter... there is a pretty knowledgable critic . And when =
it
comes to making tea wares......... the "critics" come out in force.
The training a lot of the Japanese potters =
have gone through is pretty rigerous by our standards. The development o=
f
basic hand work skills is given a lot of attention. While there might no=
t
be the emphasis on a broader scientific technical background that some US=
potters get within university programs... there is usually the developmen=
t =
of serious empirical technical depth within a =
narrow focus of techniques. While there may not be the breadth of
awareness of contemporary trends in art that a student in art school here=
might get....... the apprentice potter's eye is highly developed =
within the scope of the work produced. So the road to be able to hang ou=
t
the shingle of "master potter" in Japan is a somewhat tough one. And whe=
n
one finally does..... the critics are ready. (The toughest critic is in =
a
sense the public...... who is pretty well aware of ceramic objects....and=
vote with their Yen.) The rigerous nature of traditional crafts training=
in Japan is known by the populace... and they understand the value of and=
time taken in that training, and it's impact on the necessary cost of the=
art works. =
=
And costs to PRODUCE pottery in Japan are typically quite high. We may
complain about materials costs going up here in the US.......... but they=
are a bargain when compared to Japanese prices. Wood firing in Japan is
pretty much a luxury for most (attaboy Lee!!!!). A single bundle of
prepared red pine wood (about 20" in diameter and 24" long +/-) for firin=
g
a wood kiln (from the kiln wood supplier!) costs (depending on where you
are) something around the equivalent of $4.00 to $5.00 US. If I am
remembering correctly, last year when I visited him Matsuzaki Ken told me=
that he used about 2500 bundles a firing.... plus many pounds of wood
charcoal. Do the math on that one! And that is a kiln that is NOT all
that large (but he runs a long firing cycle). So this kind of expense
helps to make the raw materials used not "JUST clay".
=
Last year I was visiting one potter during day two of a seven day firing =
of
his anagama...... and he showed me some special clay he used for certain
pieces. This clay was from an almost depleted deposit in the Shigaraki /=
Iga area and was (according to him) quite rare. The stuff was more small=
rocks than clay....... and in US equavilent it would have =
cost about $100.00 for 50 pounds of it. It was gorgeous stuff...... the
handling was nice and the tactile and visual qualities were incredible. =
Picture $2.00 a pound for the clay for a mug . =
How many of us here in the US are overtly saying to our public things lik=
e
............. "This claybody I use contains a rare and just about
unavailable clay that imparts the truly special color to these peices. I=
t
is called NEWMAN RED. Unfortunately, it will be unavailable soon and th=
en
no one will be able to reproduce this color and texture exactly. What a
loss to the art." No... here in the west we don't have the same kin=
d
of reverence for and connection to the raw materials of ceramics. We'll
try to figure out a way to duplicate as close as we can the color and
texture of the old clay......... and hopefully do it cheaper while we ar=
e
at it. This is a whole different approach to things..... and helps make
our work LESS special.
Now it is very important to understand that in talking with me this potte=
r
was CONTINUING the "market positioning" about his (and every other Japane=
se
potter's) work....even though I was a potter too and not a pot buyer. He=
wasn't directly trying to sell me anything.... in fact he gave me a piece=
of his work made with that clay (and some raw clay). He was making sure
that I knew that this was very SPECIAL materials he used and it was not
"just ANY clay".
He was simply glorying in the raw material itself and getting me to se=
e
them for what they were too....... special. And here I am, a year later,=
helping him out with his job..... spreading the word further . This i=
s
the "grassroots" stuff that really works if most people do it.
Just about every potter I talked to in Japan would take the time to expla=
in
all about what makes his/her materials very high quality, and his/her
process laborious and time consuming, and very difficult. And how it too=
k
years and years of study and learning to really "see" to produce good pot=
s.
They were always making sure that the public didn't think of what they d=
id
as something that ANYONE could do given a little extra time, a few bucks
for a wheel and kiln, and a years lessons. And with the "aware" audience=
that exists there for good pots....... anyone could NOT do it without som=
e
real skills..... cause the "market" would tend to "vote with their feet".=
=
Just more verbal market positioning.
When I was in Japan for an award a while back, one of the best pieces of
advice that I got before I went was from Tacoma, WA area potter /
professor, Richard Mahaffee
. He said "Get a dark business suit and wear it." As a US potter.....
this was a pretty unusual concept to assimilate.
At openings and awards ceremonies we tend to dress pretty casually. =
When I arrived at the official awards ceremony.... I was VERY glad that I=
had followed his experienced advice. There I found "folk art" potters
including Shimaoka-sensei ....... not looking like our typical US concept=
of potters........ but looking like Wall Street (or Nikkei) executives. =
The press coverage was truly impressive, museum people were there from al=
l
over Japan, Joan Mondale was there representing the US Ambassador's offic=
e,
and EVERYONE was dressed to kill. It was CLEARLY an "important event". =
It
wasn't "JUST" about clay. It was about CLAY!!!! While the making of
pottery might be messy work and the place for casual clothes...... the
business of pottery was just that........BUSINESS. And in Japan that
business often involves high pricetags and lots of money. The preception=
and the reality tend to go hand in hand.
The best context I can give you if you haven't experienced this unique
approach to clay business......... picture going to NCECA and having ALL =
of
the presenters =
(except those actually working at the time with clay demo-ing) wearing
Brooks Brothers suits or executive office / boardroom type dark dresses.=
And probably most of the participants watching too. (And have NBC , AB=
C,
and CBS along with PBS covering the event. And the NY Times and
Washington Post vieing for the rights to sponsor the event. And Fleet Ba=
nk
paying for the annual dance with open bar. )
Tom Peters, business and marketing "guru", basically has this to say abou=
t
customers: "Perception is the only reality for him or her." I find th=
at
Japanese potters manage the public's preception quite well. (In this
regard..... the US glass artists have kinda' taken the same approach.)
Another example of a serious business approach to clay is from a potter
whom I have come to know a tiny bit who is living in the hills outside
Tokyo. He makes, among other things, teabowls for Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony).=
=
He has also reached the level of being considered a tea master in the
practice of Chado (Way of Tea). He is by no means at the "level" of
someone like Shimaoka-sensei in the Japanese ceramic heiarchy...... but h=
e
is what might be considered here in the US a successful, moderately well
known, mid-career, very good potter. He explained to me that he LIMITS=
his production of tea bowls
to only 100 a year. This is specifically to keep supply low and demand=
high. This is the same kind of sharp business strategy that many corpora=
te
entities use for more exclusive items. That helps him controls his price=
s.
He does not really charge a lot for his tea bowls by Japanese
standards............ if I remember correctly he gets about the US
equivalent of $3500.00 for them. Do the math.......... 100 X $3500.00. =
That is JUST for his teabowls.
=
Now it would be easy for him to crank out MANY more. But he doesn't. He=
says that would not be a good thing to do. =
I am sure that Lee-san will have some good insights into this stuff too. =
Lee just finished his apprenticeship to Shimaoka-sensei..... who is
probably considered one of the best of the best in Japan. Aside from the=
fact that the learning opportunity Lee had was pretty darn
special........... in the Japanese system of relationships..... Lee will=
gain a lot of help from that association..... and also will forever be
indebeted to his sensei. Lee doesn't "blow his own horn" much..........
but he is a really good potter....a nice person....... and has just been
the recipient of an incredible honor to have been accepted by and to have=
studied with Shimaoka-sensei.
(Lee....... I was supposed to be back in Japan this summer.........invite=
d
to present at the Woodfire Festival again..... was hoping to visit you
again.......... but they canceled it due to the SARS situation. Shoga na=
i
ne'.)
funny, i am in a ceramic show right now in bemidji,minnesota, titled:
"it`s only clay" ... you see?
Marta....... oh yeah....... how right you are.......... we do a lot of it=
to ourselves .
best,
........................john
PS: There is a LOT of discussion about this topic in the archives.... it
has come up before (like most topics) and has been discussed thoroughly b=
y
many people. The archives are a WONDERFUL resource to check out. I
probably said a lot of this stuff better before .
PPS: Our beloved mayor mel is known to show up in a suit and tie at time=
s.
If I remember correctly, when we presented together at the Alabama Clay
Conference...... he showed up for one part of the event wearing a suit. =
And at the CLAYART room at NCECA at least once. It makes an impression
about professionalism. Interestingly, mel studied in Japan. =
Hum.............
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086-5812 USA
JBaymore@compuserve.com
http:\\www.JohnBaymore.com
603-654-2752 (studio)
800-900-1110 (studio)
"Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop: August 15-24,
2003"
Longtin, Jeff on mon 7 jul 03
John,
Great response. Fascinating reading!
Question: Why don't we recognize that the political/social climate in Japan
may have contributed to the status of the arts there? The arts that
flourish/ed there are not the arts of individualism/democracy but more the
product of a repressed social atmosphere. In other words, if you, as a
citizen, do not have the right to speak your mind, let alone raise your
voice, maybe you would appreciate artifacts that are similar in style, i.e.
artifacts that don't obviously state their opinions, but rather, do so
quitely, much like a pot.
To state that the arts are better appreciated in Japan maybe true, to a
degree, but I do think the type of art being appreciated needs to be taken
into account.
Perhaps the reason why art appreciation in Japan differs from art
appreciation in the western world may also involve not so much the art
literacy of the viewer, but rather, the willingness of the viewer to allow
others to make artistic judgements on their behalf. In democratic societies
individuals are taught to repect their own voice, respect their own
judgements. With such an attitude one might be less inclined to "follow" the
judgement set forth in a work of art,i.e. the viewer might be more willing
to say "that's crap" and less willing to allow an artist the opportunity to
say "consider this as art".
A thought on attire: I was taught that a guy wears a suit, or a jacket, when
going out to show respect for the event (if it deserves repect). If we ask
the public to respect our work shouldn't we, in turn, do that which
indicates that we respect it?
The last time I did a show I wore a jacket each day. I think my work
deserves respect, I think I communicate that fact by dressing approriately.
take care
Jeff Longtin
in warm minneapolis
glad to have Mel back at the helm, glad that so many others are willing to
help out
-----Original Message-----
From: John Baymore [mailto:JBaymore@COMPUSERVE.COM]
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 12:33 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Got Clay? / Japanese market position (long)
Marta,
i would like to know, maybe lee love can help us to understand, how did
the japanese potters did their market positioning in the public perception?
i am sure, that the reason why pottery is valued much more in japan is not
just because they dont say things like "its nothing but mud" or "made of
dirt" or "it`s only clay"...the public is well educated over there, they
treasure
their pots and potters.
i`d be curious: are the japanese glass artists on a higher 'art-level'
than potters there?
The reverence the Japanese have for the potter's art IS pretty legendary
. I have been lucky enough to have had some experiences relating to
that and it has been a pleasure to experience that very special viewpoint
firsthand a little bit. The scope of the craft is so broad and well
developed there in great part because the art itself is valued so highly by
the populace. It has been not only preserved.... but encouraged and
supported by the populace. Being a professional potter in Japan today
caries a very positive association in the eyes of the public....... whereas
here in the USA people usually want to know what you do for your REAL job
.
As a potter that has been influenced by and studied Japanese ceramics since
college days over 30 years ago....... I THOUGHT I had SOME grasp of the
reality of that great appreciation even from afar. But it was not until I
had the opportunity to actually be there and interact with the ceramics
community that I really got any kind of a handle on it. I have a good
friend who apprenticed in clay in Japan (Bizen) for a year or two back
during his undergrad days in the 60's. After my first invitation to Japan
on pottery related business.... the first time he saw me after I returned
he said..... "Now you really understand, huh?" All I could say was, "Hai,
sugoi desu". (Yes....awesome.)
There certainly are great pots made the world around, but I really don't
think that there is any other country in the world where POTTERS and their
pots are as well appreciated as in Japan. As a potter.... it truly IS a
"mecca". Can this level of appreciation be "created" elsewhere? I don't
really think so. Not even given that proverbial "big budget". It is/was a
fluke of god or fate. Thank goodness it happened somewhere! If you can
get or MAKE a chance to visit the Japanese pottery centers...... do it.
It'll be well worth the trip.
Maybe god just decided that (s)he needed to set things in motion SOMEPLACE
in this crazy world where potters would be really highly valued for their
talents .
There are MANY factors that came into play that affected the perception of
the ceramic arts in Japan over the centuries..... not the least of which
was the state of civil war that raged for years and left the populace,
including the warriors themselves, looking for ways to see the good side of
a transient and all too fleeting life. That set the stage for the arts in
general to achieve a significant role in life.... in providing an escape
from day-today reality. No one lone factor probably can be said to solely
be responsible for this unique situation coming to pass....... but one of
the main factors in this was the importation of tea drinking from China,
through Korea, and it's eventual "Japanization" into a unique ritual of
what might be described as performance art merged with naturalistic
spirituality. In the context of a weary, war-torn society, it offered an
island of scerenity in a violent and oppressive world.
It is also a factor in that that until the influence of westrern concepts
arrived in Japan....... the differentiation of "art" from "craft" did not
really exist. All arts were condidered arts. To a large degree there,
they still are.
It is also important to remember here that in the historical PAST, even
though the POTS were often highly valued and literally became state
treasure and secrets,
often the potters themselves were still poor as dirt. Japan has a well
documented 10,000 + year history of ceramics. It is only in less than the
last 100 that the potter him or (rarely) her self was well rewarded for
their skills. Yes, there were a few that got the favor of a patron who
had the power and money to reward them well. Sometimes whole villages.
But they were few. And even those who were
so rewarded were at the complete mercy of their "patron"........ who could
as easily just kill or abandon them at any time. Some of the pottery
villages we now know sort of as "household words" even in the West were
"created" by Hideoshi's army capturing Korean potters and "relocating" them
to Japan. Good pottery work was THAT much desired in Japan.
In some cases, like porcelain, the technology was sort of the equivalent
of the next "Intel processor chip"........ the next high tech wonder.
A lot of the current "valuation" of potters and their pottery in Japan can
be linked to Yanagi Soetsu, Hamada Shoji, and Bernard Leach's work at the
beginning of the just past century. Which is direclty related to William
Morris' approach in England/Europe. For a good discussion of this work,
look up "Mingei" and the "Arts and Crafts Movement" on the net or in
reference books. They laid a lot of the seeds that helped focus the
public's attention on the importance of preserving handcrafts in our lives.
In Japan, it fell on particularly fertile ground. A read of Yanagi's
book "The Unknown Craftsman" I think is a "must read" for any serious
student of ceramics...... (along with the "Towards a Standard" chapter in
Bernard Leach's "Potter's Book").
Generalizations are always subject to exceptions....... but that being
said......... the Japanese as a people tend to value the arts in general
much more than citizens of the US. (What is the first to go in school
budget cuts?) They appear to be well aware of the value of their rich
historic culture and as a nation seem to work to try to preserve it. They
are also seemingly willing to PAY for it. They were the inventors of the
the concept of "Intangible Cultural Property".......... extending not only
to objects but to PEOPLE as well (designated Living National Treasures).
The average Japanese seems to have a good background in general culturally
related things. Japanese TV is filled with cultural, nature, and arts
programming (It is ALSO filled with the worst crap you have ever seen .)
Arts related educational opportunities are widespread. "Tradition" and
"conforming to social and societal norms" is still a VERY powerful
influence in day-to-day Japanese life.... and those traditions are often
directly linked to traditional handcrafts. I was often amazed at the
"ceramic literacy"
of even average people that I met there. They knew a lot about how
pottery was made, recognized specific wares or glazes, and so on.
Unfortunately .......... I have clearly seen the influence of the pursuit
of western culture on their own culture in the short time between my 1996
visit and my vist last year. Some of it is good....... as in the improving
role of women in their society and in ceramics. Some is negative...... as
they assimilate "Disney aesthetic values".
As to maintaining that favorable "market position" today, many potters in
Japan
work very hard at it and take it quite seriously. The market for claywork
is appreciative and large...... but VERY competitive too. Seems like that
for every potter... there is a pretty knowledgable critic . And when it
comes to making tea wares......... the "critics" come out in force.
The training a lot of the Japanese potters
have gone through is pretty rigerous by our standards. The development of
basic hand work skills is given a lot of attention. While there might not
be the emphasis on a broader scientific technical background that some US
potters get within university programs... there is usually the development
of serious empirical technical depth within a
narrow focus of techniques. While there may not be the breadth of
awareness of contemporary trends in art that a student in art school here
might get....... the apprentice potter's eye is highly developed
within the scope of the work produced. So the road to be able to hang out
the shingle of "master potter" in Japan is a somewhat tough one. And when
one finally does..... the critics are ready. (The toughest critic is in a
sense the public...... who is pretty well aware of ceramic objects....and
vote with their Yen.) The rigerous nature of traditional crafts training
in Japan is known by the populace... and they understand the value of and
time taken in that training, and it's impact on the necessary cost of the
art works.
And costs to PRODUCE pottery in Japan are typically quite high. We may
complain about materials costs going up here in the US.......... but they
are a bargain when compared to Japanese prices. Wood firing in Japan is
pretty much a luxury for most (attaboy Lee!!!!). A single bundle of
prepared red pine wood (about 20" in diameter and 24" long +/-) for firing
a wood kiln (from the kiln wood supplier!) costs (depending on where you
are) something around the equivalent of $4.00 to $5.00 US. If I am
remembering correctly, last year when I visited him Matsuzaki Ken told me
that he used about 2500 bundles a firing.... plus many pounds of wood
charcoal. Do the math on that one! And that is a kiln that is NOT all
that large (but he runs a long firing cycle). So this kind of expense
helps to make the raw materials used not "JUST clay".
Last year I was visiting one potter during day two of a seven day firing of
his anagama...... and he showed me some special clay he used for certain
pieces. This clay was from an almost depleted deposit in the Shigaraki /
Iga area and was (according to him) quite rare. The stuff was more small
rocks than clay....... and in US equavilent it would have
cost about $100.00 for 50 pounds of it. It was gorgeous stuff...... the
handling was nice and the tactile and visual qualities were incredible.
Picture $2.00 a pound for the clay for a mug .
How many of us here in the US are overtly saying to our public things like
............. "This claybody I use contains a rare and just about
unavailable clay that imparts the truly special color to these peices. It
is called NEWMAN RED. Unfortunately, it will be unavailable soon and then
no one will be able to reproduce this color and texture exactly. What a
loss to the art." No... here in the west we don't have the same kind
of reverence for and connection to the raw materials of ceramics. We'll
try to figure out a way to duplicate as close as we can the color and
texture of the old clay......... and hopefully do it cheaper while we are
at it. This is a whole different approach to things..... and helps make
our work LESS special.
Now it is very important to understand that in talking with me this potter
was CONTINUING the "market positioning" about his (and every other Japanese
potter's) work....even though I was a potter too and not a pot buyer. He
wasn't directly trying to sell me anything.... in fact he gave me a piece
of his work made with that clay (and some raw clay). He was making sure
that I knew that this was very SPECIAL materials he used and it was not
"just ANY clay".
He was simply glorying in the raw material itself and getting me to see
them for what they were too....... special. And here I am, a year later,
helping him out with his job..... spreading the word further . This is
the "grassroots" stuff that really works if most people do it.
Just about every potter I talked to in Japan would take the time to explain
all about what makes his/her materials very high quality, and his/her
process laborious and time consuming, and very difficult. And how it took
years and years of study and learning to really "see" to produce good pots.
They were always making sure that the public didn't think of what they did
as something that ANYONE could do given a little extra time, a few bucks
for a wheel and kiln, and a years lessons. And with the "aware" audience
that exists there for good pots....... anyone could NOT do it without some
real skills..... cause the "market" would tend to "vote with their feet".
Just more verbal market positioning.
When I was in Japan for an award a while back, one of the best pieces of
advice that I got before I went was from Tacoma, WA area potter /
professor, Richard Mahaffee
. He said "Get a dark business suit and wear it." As a US potter.....
this was a pretty unusual concept to assimilate.
At openings and awards ceremonies we tend to dress pretty casually.
When I arrived at the official awards ceremony.... I was VERY glad that I
had followed his experienced advice. There I found "folk art" potters
including Shimaoka-sensei ....... not looking like our typical US concept
of potters........ but looking like Wall Street (or Nikkei) executives.
The press coverage was truly impressive, museum people were there from all
over Japan, Joan Mondale was there representing the US Ambassador's office,
and EVERYONE was dressed to kill. It was CLEARLY an "important event". It
wasn't "JUST" about clay. It was about CLAY!!!! While the making of
pottery might be messy work and the place for casual clothes...... the
business of pottery was just that........BUSINESS. And in Japan that
business often involves high pricetags and lots of money. The preception
and the reality tend to go hand in hand.
The best context I can give you if you haven't experienced this unique
approach to clay business......... picture going to NCECA and having ALL of
the presenters
(except those actually working at the time with clay demo-ing) wearing
Brooks Brothers suits or executive office / boardroom type dark dresses.
And probably most of the participants watching too. (And have NBC , ABC,
and CBS along with PBS covering the event. And the NY Times and
Washington Post vieing for the rights to sponsor the event. And Fleet Bank
paying for the annual dance with open bar. )
Tom Peters, business and marketing "guru", basically has this to say about
customers: "Perception is the only reality for him or her." I find that
Japanese potters manage the public's preception quite well. (In this
regard..... the US glass artists have kinda' taken the same approach.)
Another example of a serious business approach to clay is from a potter
whom I have come to know a tiny bit who is living in the hills outside
Tokyo. He makes, among other things, teabowls for Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony).
He has also reached the level of being considered a tea master in the
practice of Chado (Way of Tea). He is by no means at the "level" of
someone like Shimaoka-sensei in the Japanese ceramic heiarchy...... but he
is what might be considered here in the US a successful, moderately well
known, mid-career, very good potter. He explained to me that he LIMITS
his production of tea bowls
to only 100 a year. This is specifically to keep supply low and demand
high. This is the same kind of sharp business strategy that many corporate
entities use for more exclusive items. That helps him controls his prices.
He does not really charge a lot for his tea bowls by Japanese
standards............ if I remember correctly he gets about the US
equivalent of $3500.00 for them. Do the math.......... 100 X $3500.00.
That is JUST for his teabowls.
Now it would be easy for him to crank out MANY more. But he doesn't. He
says that would not be a good thing to do.
I am sure that Lee-san will have some good insights into this stuff too.
Lee just finished his apprenticeship to Shimaoka-sensei..... who is
probably considered one of the best of the best in Japan. Aside from the
fact that the learning opportunity Lee had was pretty darn
special........... in the Japanese system of relationships..... Lee will
gain a lot of help from that association..... and also will forever be
indebeted to his sensei. Lee doesn't "blow his own horn" much..........
but he is a really good potter....a nice person....... and has just been
the recipient of an incredible honor to have been accepted by and to have
studied with Shimaoka-sensei.
(Lee....... I was supposed to be back in Japan this summer.........invited
to present at the Woodfire Festival again..... was hoping to visit you
again.......... but they canceled it due to the SARS situation. Shoga nai
ne'.)
funny, i am in a ceramic show right now in bemidji,minnesota, titled:
"it`s only clay" ... you see?
Marta....... oh yeah....... how right you are.......... we do a lot of it
to ourselves .
best,
........................john
PS: There is a LOT of discussion about this topic in the archives.... it
has come up before (like most topics) and has been discussed thoroughly by
many people. The archives are a WONDERFUL resource to check out. I
probably said a lot of this stuff better before .
PPS: Our beloved mayor mel is known to show up in a suit and tie at times.
If I remember correctly, when we presented together at the Alabama Clay
Conference...... he showed up for one part of the event wearing a suit.
And at the CLAYART room at NCECA at least once. It makes an impression
about professionalism. Interestingly, mel studied in Japan.
Hum.............
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086-5812 USA
JBaymore@compuserve.com
http:\\www.JohnBaymore.com
603-654-2752 (studio)
800-900-1110 (studio)
"Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop: August 15-24,
2003"
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Marta Matray Gloviczki on mon 7 jul 03
john,
thank you very much for your long
and wonderful post,
i am so glad i asked those questions!
and i am even more so that you answered...
thanks again,
marta
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