Frank Bales on fri 2 jan 04
I find this thought ironic. It's crossed my mind before. I'm certainly not
a pottery historian, but functional pottery was originally used by the
masses because they needed inexpensive items for cooking, holding water,
wine, etc. Now pottery is considered a luxury item that the masses can't
afford. You suppose it will come full circle when all the land fills are
full of the throw-away stuff?
By the way, Lee, I agree with your sentiment here.
FrankB
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Lee Love
Because, in the mind of society, the essential need for
pottery has been replaced by functional objects made in other ways, pottery
is pretty much seen as a luxury, and not essential. Of course, I would
argue that hand crafted things are essential for a humane society, but
modern culture does not have that value.
Lee Love on sat 3 jan 04
----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Bales"
> You suppose it will come full circle when all the land fills are
> full of the throw-away stuff?
I don't think there is any guarantee, but I do suspect that it can
only change with a lot of hard work. It is possible, I suppose, when all
the ticky-tacky is made overseas, we might have to find something else for
"hands" to do besides polishing the boots and toilets of the folks whose
money comes from their overseas investments. Effecincy of production
should free people up to do more creative things and have more leisure to
appreciate them. This isn't happening because rather than folks being
rewarded for higher effecency, they are loosing their jobs. It isn't so
much a problem of physics or economics. It is a political problem.
On the other hand, Japan is every bit as materialistic and
throw-away as America, but they have been able to develop a cultural
interest in traditional hand-made things. I think this is primarily due
to tea aesthetics and also the work done by the Mingei folks in the first
half of the 20th century. For example: there were only 35 or 40 kilns in
Mashiko before the war. Now, there are over 400. Mingei was a response
to Japan being flooded with Western things and was influences by Morris and
the craft movement in Europe. We have resources to draw upon to present
where we are coming from.
One important tool we have is the internet. It can bring people
together who have specialized, minority interests. The potters here in
Japan who I have talked to, who sell their work on the web have all said
that they primarily make their internet sales to people in America. It
encouraged me to put up my web gallery.
So, I think it is pretty much up to us.
--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://Mashiko.us
| |
|
