Joan Berkwitz on tue 2 sep 03
Hey, hey, I'm all over this! That's what I do....I buy copyrights of =
sculptures from artists, make waste molds, master molds, production =
molds....cast, clean, underglaze and glaze the pieces. Then produce and =
market them in limited quantities to a very specialized and select =
customer base.
I often joke to my friends that I am not an "artist", I am a "craftsman" =
(and damned proud of it) because all of the artists I know get restless =
and fidgety when trying to reproduce even a few good pieces. Their pull =
is to create...to explore...to find the boundaries. And bless them. But =
I can sit and make three hundred of the same thing, with the same level =
of quality, the same colors, the same finish. We both have different =
skills. I know how to finish the pieces and make the most of the =
sculpture, from the customers point of view. Make them appealing, =
marketable, and make them so that customers buy time after time. Would =
you like to have customers that just give you their credit card numbers, =
and say "send me one of whatever you make"? Welcome to my world.
Certainly slip casting has the same negative connotations as many other =
"crafts" because commercial molds are very cheap, available, and for the =
most part perfectly awful. Tawdry. Cheesy.=20
But being a moldmaker is demanding, and in order to make production =
molds one must have a great deal of skill. Especially when the artist =
has no idea how to sculpt for moldmaking, and complex forms such as =
figure sculpture need to be reproduced accurately and efficiently. =
Making slip is also tedious and exacting. Like fishing-- casting slip is =
easy for beginners, but finesse requires practice. Airbrushing =
underglazes, masking, etching, sgraffito effects, air erasing, =
underglaze pencils, all of these are different skills and must be =
learned.
When you see a badly thrown mug being sold by someone in a craft booth, =
is it automatically "respectable" because it is handformed? Or do you =
cringe, and look away? Throwing and glazing, decorating and firing, all =
of these are skills. They all require practice and understanding. Which =
is more respectable, the badly thrown mug or a slipcast, finely finished =
limited edition of a wonderful sculpture? Done by someone directly under =
the sculptors control?
The limited edition I am currently collaborating on is attaining auction =
prices of $1150.00 to $2700.00. They are 5 1/2" tall. So maybe =
"respectable" is in the eyes of the consumer........?;^)
Sorry, it just all burst out.....and by the way, I love this forum and =
find myself hovering over the computer when the digest is due.......
Joanie =20
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