Dave Finkelnburg on wed 4 feb 04
Mel, Andy, and others,
Mel, I hope you are feeling better soon.
Please, please...it was Bernard Leach, with an "a" (and not two "e's" as
in the Annelid invertebrate), who so influenced many potters around the
world by stradling the world of studio pottery in the Orient, Britain and
North America. I just couldn't take that misspelling...grated like the
sound of the chalk on the blackboard...if you aren't too young to remember
that sound....
My first mentor in clay was steeped in the tradition of British pottery
and that has had a strong influence on my own design sensibilities. What
seems "right" about pots to me tends to look a lot like what apparently also
felt "right" to British potters before 1850. We all have influences. Leach
let some Oriental influences show in his brush decoration and bottle shapes.
Andy has it right. The art you make is what counts, not the tradition
you point to in your past.
Good potting,
Dave Finkelnburg in Idaho, USA
----- Original Message -----
From:
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 4:24 PM
.....> I don't think you can judge the worthiness of someone's art based on
where
> their materials come from, or if they watched the superbowl or not. I
think
> all you can do is make your craft and respect that others are trying to
> find their own way, no matter how different from yours it might be.
Chris Rupp on wed 4 feb 04
Keisha,
You sound like one of the young ones they are describing! I my self am
relatively young at 26. Even being young I feel I have some advise to give
on the subject. Education is important in whatever you are doing. Before you
buy a wheel, before you buy clay, order a kiln, or sit down to throw for
that matter, READ "A POTTER'S BOOK", by Bernard Leach. It will give you more
insight into ceramics than many, many, years of classes could ever give you.
It is absolutely one of the all time best references out there and should be
a text book for ALL ceramics classes today. If you are excited about clay
you should not be able to put this book down. Yes, it is that good!
Chris
Sunny Santa Barbara
>From: Keisha
>Reply-To: Clayart
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Re: hamada/leech tradition
>Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 15:30:00 -0800
>
>i sure dont know much about that tradition. Maybe it
>because I'm so young ha. Ok bye yall....
>
>
>=====
>Keisha Pegues
>Mound Bayou, Mississippi, U.S.A.
>Peace Be With You
>
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Lee Love on thu 5 feb 04
Jean took me into Mugendo's (combination antique/thrift store) to look
at an Ainu hand mirror she though might be good to go on Ebay. I
went over to the long glass counter, where the middled level was full of
Hamada's work. The young sales person there got me out a polka-dot
matchawa to hold. It was mostly blue and and a little white (the
glaze turns blue over ocher), with brown and white polka-dots for
decoration The glaze crawled nicely, especially where the pot was
trimmed for the foot. It was the archetypal "breast" shape and didn't
have a well at the bottom.. All except for one small yunomi, none of
the works were for sale, but only on display.
Lee In Mashiko
Lee Love on thu 5 feb 04
If you examine what these two people taught, it is easy to see that
they didn't believe in simply copying old
Japanese/English/Korean/Chinese work. What they were about was
protecting traditional culture in face of the overwhelming power of
modern materialism and mass produced things that have no heart.
A really good way to see the international perspective they had
is to visit Hamada's reference museum. There is work there from all
over the world, from English furniture to Persian rugs, from Ainu
clothing to Peruvian pottery.
Lee In Mashiko
Susan Giddings on thu 5 feb 04
It is interesting to read all your comments. I am teaching again this term - adults, not college level - no credit. I do not have an art background. I have been doing pottery for about 15 years. I learned from the same co-op studio to which I now belong and for which I now teach. Up until very recently I would not think of myself as a "potter". I think that a significant factor in changing that self awareness came due to an increased awareness and sensitivity towards the traditions of the craft. Books I buy now are not so much HOW to do things, but feature and celebrate what people have done or are doing.
When this class started I was searching for ways to teach the same basic material to people who had already taken several classes with us. It hit me that it is our duty and responsibility as teachers of this craft to pass on knowledge, understanding and respect for the traditions on which it is rooted. So with this term, I start each class with a 10-15 minute talk to people that is mostly centered around the history of pottery and the more technical aspect of what we. Material that is never covered in any of our classes. Last night's class indicated to me that this has been a good strategy. Students have gone on day trips, stopped at potteries and are now not embarrassed to get into conversation with other potters. (Nor am I by proxy!) One of the students had gotten into a conversation with another potter she ran into about Bernard Leach. We talked a little about Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach last week. It pleased me that she was not ignorant. She was also proud of herself that she at least had heard the names and knew a little bit. She expressed, and the others agreed, that they are all very happy that I have made a point to take the time to go over this sort o
f material with them. Even the few students who are brand new to pottery this term also have enjoyed these "talks". Throughout the evenings we talk more. They ask a lot of questions. I bring in books or print topics off websites for them the following week.
So, in my opinion, those of us who teach, no matter at what level or context, must accept the time honored traditions that have come before and be sure we pass on knowledge. Beginning potters are more focused on learning HOW to throw shapes and HOW to make "things", because that is just their nature. But I do believe there will come a time when they will ask WHY and want to know about the potters who have come before. As teachers, I think we need to be sure they at least are exposed to the vast history of this craft.
------------------
Susan Giddings
"There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." — Pablo Picasso
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