Lily Krakowski on fri 5 sep 03
If I went to NCECA I would write a skit (ha!) called Children of a Lesser
Fuel, all about the attitude (in contemporary sense) of Reduction firers
towards Electric firers.
What is the problem? And with deep respect for those like Lee who go study
in Japan and steep themselves in Japanese pottery culture, there was/is a
Western pottery aesthetic from Persian ware to Medieval ware, to folk ware,
to modern times. An aesthetic that was transplanted to the US and dominated
the American scene for many years. The old Craft Horizons I have all
feature Scandinavian, Dutch, US etc work, and it is beautiful.
Unfortunately the contemporary culture is faddist. Things come into
fashion, no one can live/do without them, the fashion passes, and a new one
takes over. Short hair, long hair, curly hair, straight hair. Tofu, melted
goat cheese, Portobello mushrooms....right. Instead of plates with neat
clean rims, plates with shredded kale or carrots strewn all over as though a
bunny had had a go at your food first, and dubious looking sauces dribbled
all over otherwise attractive deserts.
And so electric firing which, by the way, introduced a new fuel, it did not
introduce a new method, as those of us who remember muffle kilns can
testify, now is snarled at, because the fad, yes, FAD of reduction is IN,
and oxidation out.
Believe me I love woodfired pots. They CAN be gorgeous. Too many though
look like sad old men with dandruff all over the shoulders of their brown
suits. Furthermore fuel burners are costly, costly to maintain, require--how
often do we do this?--permits, zoning and so on. And the vast majority of
urban and suburban potters cannot have them....
That is not my point. Too many potters, maybe just newer ones, learn from
those who are reducers, woodfirers and consider even gas a second-best. I
remember when I wanted to build my woodburning kiln I went to Alfred to see
all those cherishable monster kilns. So beautiful! So romantic! So labor
intensive! So costly! I also was properly impressed by the slews of handsome
vigorous young men who laughingly told us about stoking 48 hours steady on.
I know that fuel-firing is a high. I love to see a huge kiln ablaze with
flame. It is an intense and wonderful atavistic experience. I loved to
fire my little Obasanogama. (She will be rebuilt, she will, she will.
I realize many potters love the social aspect of a big firing. I have read
the reports on Clayart: we went to help X with the anagama and we had a
ball, stayed up all night, drank beer, cooked steaks, I met X Y & Z whom I
had read but not met.....This is wonderful....but not necessarily in a clay
sense.
I dug out all my books and am compiling a list of electric firers who
produce work of gorgeous beauty and lasting value.....I will post the list
because I think it should be in the archives....
Meanwhile. Yes. A red Dão is a lovely wine. Yes, one can sit all evening
drinking it, and eating lentil soup and brown bread. WONDERFUL. And one can
sit all evening drinking brut champagne, and eating salmon aspic and Italian
bread.....WONDERFUL. They are different. Neither is better.
And the notion that one is better is destrutive.
To get back to firing. Most people in this country have an easier time
acquiring and maintaining electric kilns than fuel burners. And to hold up
the "standard" of fuel firing to them constantly and repetitiously is
harmful. Marvelous effects can be gotten through electric firing. Even
before Ron and John and Michael published on it....
I am convinced that this Missmacherei (Janet? Spelling? translation?) about
oxidation is doing great harm. It is making new potters feel inferior from
the get go, and pining for something they cannot have, instead of enjoying
and growing into the glories of oxidation.
Lili Krakowski
Constableville, NY
Be of good courage....
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