mel jacobson on mon 27 sep 04
one of the most difficult attitudes to teach is
`what is class?`
`what is cliche?`
when working with teenagers, the most common themes
re/occur in their work. they copy, they fall back on cliche.
always.
same for many adults.
that is where the knickknack theme, maple leaf theme,
and the shell theme come from. cliche.
as adult artists we must always be mindful of the
repeated form, repeated theme...and most often
the repeated theme that many have used as a crutch
when we do not know what to do. it is important to think.
and, not lie to yourself. it is the old `no one will notice that
i copy this theme`. sorry. we all know. and, we know ourselves.
american flag
christian cross
hearts
shells
maple leaf and the list is a mile long.
making small things, elegant tiny things
has nothing to do with cliche. size is not the issue.
it is the theme. unthinking, just grab a used up image.
pass it off.
it is like putting a val cushing donut on the top of your pot.
cliche, it has been done.
it is trying to make volkous pots. careful, he did that to death.
we all know, we have seen thousands of images.
it is painting with beige, be careful, we all know.
what we are all trying to do each day is take a step up.
that is all we can do. take a step forward, and up.
making the same image, time after time may be good `craftsmanship`
but, the human condition asks for more.
what i object to most is:
seeing the cover of cm, running home and making those pots.
sending in slides to a show two months later, same pots.
we saw it a couple of years ago with `the house theme`, the `boat
theme`, `salt theme`, now of course we have the `wood fired look.`
and, what tony and others are objecting to is:
brown, three flashes, two shell patterns, one ash run. copied theme.
they all look the same.
i try and remind folks that the wonderful ming dynasty pots....
celedon, blue/green, porcelain were `wood fired`. i constantly
ask. can one put glazed pots in a wood kiln? of course. so,
why not? all of the chinese glazes and pots we are studying
(yes, study) were fired in a wood fired/huge anagama style kiln.
oxidized.) probably sagger fired.
in most cases, we cannot change our personality. we try,
and most often it comes busting out in our work.
and, as a teacher, i have always felt that we should
`extend our personality`. if you are a fuss budget, be one.
don't be loose. it is a lie. be what you are.
i always compare kurt and me. he is tight, i am loose.
he teases me with:
mel designs with `jappo, slappo`. and he uses templates and stencils.
so. who cares.
we cannot change who we are.
and, there is the rub.
make things that make you happy and pleased.
when you open the kiln.... is it what you wanted?
do others like and respect it.
i just looked at several connie christianson slides.
shino.
#one was elegant, tall, tapered teapot. it was wonderful.
the other was a kinda goofey, looked like a human form...
cliche design.
i said:
the number one slide is wonderful...perfect.
number two is not.
honest conversation.
she said:
number two was for a show of female form...thematic.
and, it did not represent her work.
so. there you have it.
well, to end this, mr. uchida always told me this:
we all copy, it is in our nature to look and see, and
take what we love most and put it in our work.
smart people copy great work, the work of old masters.
dumb folks copy cliche. over and over and over.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
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