Phil Smith on mon 25 aug 03
If I were to make a thousand cylinders all exactly alike in every detail,
Perfectly round, square,parallel with perfectly trimmed foot, would many
consider this to be art?. i think not. The skills involved are not much
different than say, the plumber who has just brazed a thousand perfect
joints while on his back under the house. If I were to look at the cylinder
and say to myself "what if i do this to the top and that to the middle, add
some clay here so the glaze will do this". Am I now crossing the line
between craft and art?. Iv'e had folks say "Phil you are an artist".
My first reaction is always an "Aw shucks,I'm just playing around."
As if the term should only apply to the highly exalted mystic ruler.
If I make something and someone percieves it as art then it must be art.
If my neighbor thinks it's crap then it's crap to him. Ancient cave drawings
are percieved by most to be art. I wonder if the ancient man who documented
his hunt with a drawing was trying to be creative or just leaving a mark.
"mike was here and he had a good day". One person wanted to make his knife
handle unique in some way so he carved a design on it. Folks liked his work
and placed a value on it. This could be traded for something else of value.
The knife itself could have been made by many but the individual put his
own unique spin on it, elevating it above the rest of the ordinary knives.
Was that first carving Art?. Or just a finely crafted knife handle.
I'll take the Kurt Wild over the correlle everytime.
They way I look at it Kurt makes Art and correlle make dishes.
Phil...
Malcolm Schosha on mon 25 aug 03
--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Phil Smith wrote:
If I were to make a thousand cylinders all exactly alike in every
detail, Perfectly round, square,parallel with perfectly trimmed foot,
would many consider this to be art?. i think not.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Phil
I realize that there are different ways if seeing this. But my own
view, rather classicly oriented, is that many potters expect too much
originality from their shapes. The thousand cylinders could be very
original, depending on surface decoration, if any.
There really are not that many fundamentally different shapes that
are possible on the wheel. It becomes a question of refinement of
shapes, so the creativity comes more easily from the surface
treatment. There the possibilities really are infinite. Of course, if
you are altering the shapes after throwing them, to make sculptural
work, that is an entirely different story.
I learned potting in Italy, in a production studio. The day I
started, the owner (who was a very good potter) gave me a cup to
throw, and told me he wanted 500 EXACTLY the same. What a job! And
when I finished he said they looked pretty good, and should make
another 1000! It was not creative, but after three years I could make
just about any shape I wanted. I'll let others decide if what I made
later is creative.
Malcolm
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on mon 25 aug 03
If you arranged them in some way on the floor of a
'Gallery', as an 'installation'...it would, or could, be
accepted as 'Art'...
(other) Phil
Las Vegas
> --- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Phil Smith
wrote:
>
> If I were to make a thousand cylinders all exactly alike
in every
> detail, Perfectly round, square,parallel with perfectly
trimmed foot,
> would many consider this to be art?. i think not.
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> Phil
@pclink.com.
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