Tig Dupre on sun 31 oct 04
Dear Mudbuds,
I have no personal experience with an "art god," as such. Those more inclined toward animism will no doubt chime in here about the natural forces of the earth and the heavens, the inherent properties of rocks and sand, the spirits attendant in all the parts of the earth, and so on.
What some may mean when they refer to an art god, I look on as my Muse. Many times I sit at the wheel or stand at the bench and make "stuff." Stuff is OK. But, it's just stuff. You know, the usual mug, the bowl-thing, the rose bud vase...
But, sometimes, if I am in a certain mood, if the moon is right, if the planets are aligned just so, I catch a faint whiff of violets, indicating that my Muse is present. And the clay flows through my fingers, time stands still, I feel an ethereal glow to the wheel, the tools, the entire studio. And the pieces I make, no matter how ordinary in concept, are *MUCH* better in shape, better balanced, more flowing, more passionate and inspired.
Some of you out there have obviously figured out how to entice your Muse, nearly on demand. As Terry Pratchett (British fantasy author) says, "Chant a myffic prune," or something. Utter some cabalistic incantation and "POOF," up she pops.
Don't know about the Art God, but I have personal experience with my Muse.
How 'bout the rest of you?
Best wishes to all,
Tig Dupre
in glorious FALL in Port Orchard, Washington, USA
Lee Love on mon 1 nov 04
Tig Dupre wrote:
>Don't know about the Art God, but I have personal experience with my Muse.
>
>
I think "Art God" and "Muse" are just different
labels for the same thing. But "God" is not P.C. (damn, I hate that
term P.C., but I am using it to turn it back on its typical use.) I
say this from the perspective of a practicing Buddhist and personally
don't use the term "God" in my own thinking.
I am working on a book related to this Tig. I had an
epiphany during my apprenticeship: I was working in a beautiful
environment, that was very similar to a zen monastery and tea garden.
Actually, the relationship to the teacher was very similar to my
experiences with Zen Masters at Zen monasteries. The teacher had many
qualities of a Zen Master. But I also worked with a couple "Old
guys", who grew up in this "perfect" environment, and seemed not to be
at all effected by it. In many ways, their development was arrested at
the age at which they started at the pottery: 14. I realized, that
intention was necessary for devotional practice and if you didn't have
this intention, it didn't matter what environment you lived and worked
in.
This is also a mental attitude that Hamada and Leach had, that
hasn't been successfully passed down. I think it is something that is
responsible for the "feeling" I mentioned before, that is apparent in
the work of Hamada and his contemporaries.
I will write something longer related to Vince's post later
(trying to get some clay tests together to put in Euan's soda fire),
but I think it the "devotional" attitude that is difficult to keep alive
in the University situation because materialism holds sway there.
The modern attitude is very strange to me, because
devotion has been the primary motivator for artists through out the
existence of man, until recently.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/ WEB LOG
http://public.fotki.com/togeika/ Photos!
| |
|
