Lili Krakowski on sat 26 mar 05
=20
Too bad this topic came up just as I am about to go off Clayart for a =
while to go get a new knee. To all Brits: I HAVE a copy of Knees Up =
Mother Brown with me. You bring the stout!
I have given a great deal of thought to La Condition Poti=E8re for =
decades. And have it in my own writing! As well as working on a book. =
Temporary title: The Problem of William Morris.
When I started in clay in 1949 one still could go to college room and =
board included for 1 year's work at minimum wage. This has changed. As =
has much else.
"Everyone" was poor in those days. Nobody had anything. Which worked =
very well in a calling where poverty is part of the way of life.
We assumed we were going to be craftsmen living THAT life, and =
realizing a long held belief in the reunification of ALL work. We =
believed-I still do-that ALL work that is done with one's whole heart =
and soul is meaningful to ALL. And that, as intellectuals, we would =
live simple lives and do simple work. I referred then, as I do now, to =
the reality that Socrates was not Herr Doktor Professor, but a slave. =
That Hillel the woodcutter, and Shamai the stonemason were giants in =
jurisprudence. That Jesus the Carpenter, and Peter the fisherman had =
more impact on history-and I am not speaking of religion here, but =
history-than any PhD. And like that.
What has happened is that the base level of consumption has risen =
tremendously. Mel may joke about an outhouse, but many grew up with =
such, and today in most places they are forbidden. ( I saw o.h in =
Manhattan years ago! }
Pace, pace, re-enactors! But when I see you I can only smile. There =
is no one among you who had rickets, who has scrofula, leprosy, =
syphilitic lesions, or small pock scars. No one has an uncorrected =
cleft palate, or a leg or arm deformed by not being set after a break. =
I will not even mention the many embarrassing disorders middle aged and =
old women suffered from as a result of continual pregnancies, and which =
you do not have. And everyone has teeth-not rotted stumps..
We approach re-enactment through rose colored glass. That is fine.
=20
But we also are being pushed into living our craft the same way. When =
we discuss getting to shows, on sales trips we speak vans and pickups. =
When was the last time we discussed where to get the best mules? And if =
we have spouses/partners, children and like that then there are =
ancillary demands. Children no longer walk to school barefoot in the =
snow summer and winter. Children no longer write on slates. Nor wear =
hand-me-downs. Mothers no longer reverse wool skirts to get more use of =
the nap, and shorten dad's pants for Son to wear. All this is gone. =
Mandated gone, because the child that wears such clothes would be =
ostracized.
Concomitant with these economic and social demands have come huge =
schooling demands. Vince, were I reincarnated I certainly would go to =
your school, which seems as much like my dear old SAC as I could hope to =
find. I even would eat squirrel stew! But what I keep being so =
bothered about is the huge amount of money inexperienced kids spend on a =
course of study most will have to abandon out of economic necessity as =
soon as they graduate. Unless they teach, which again is NOT potting, =
nor living the potter's life. [ I "get" the $120M I spoke of from =
figures about $30 plus for tuition a year. If tuition is $25 p.a. add =
housing, transportation, food, clothing, medical insurance, and the =
expenses of "proper" collegiate life. Maybe $120 M is too much. But as =
Sen. Dirksen said: ' Here a billion, there a billion. Soon it adds up =
to real money."
I have urged for years that pottery schools should make students take =
courses in "real world" skills. Mel says everyone should know how to =
weld! Right on! I think everyone should have both a verbal and =
non-verbal skill. Why should TTU not teach accounting or plumbing, =
nursing, carpentry, duct work, computer repair skills ALONG WITH/AS PART =
OF the total curriculum? Some may cavil at retirees becoming potters. =
But why? These are the people who first made a living and raised a =
family and then turned or re-turned to clay. Others do it on a parallel =
track: enough other work to pay bills, rest of time in the studio.
I still would say to a young potter: save some money buy a few acres, =
lived and pot there. See how it is. And if you do it in TN, fine. =
Swell. Just live the life. Because I think it IS a vocation, it is the =
grain of sand around which the pearl of craft evolves.
Won't YOU all be happy when I am out cold as a flounder on Tuesday-with =
my mouth closed, and my fingers idle.
=20
All blessings.
=20
=20
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
Krista Peterson on sun 27 mar 05
>But what I keep being so bothered about is the huge amount of money inexpe=
rienced
>kids spend on a course of study most will have to abandon out of economic =
necessity
>as soon as they graduate. Unless they teach, which again is NOT potting, =
nor living
>the potter's life.
High school counselors and others say that it doesn't matter what kind of d=
egree
you get just that you should get one. I contend that what kind of degree do=
es matter.
When you spend all of your time in school in the studio learning the things=
that=20
potters and ceramic artists need to know like firing kilns, mixing glazes a=
nd clays=20
and working with the clay it doesn't really qualify you for much in the rea=
l world, as=20
skilled as you may be. I can see how it would be advantageous for potters a=
nd other=20
craftspeople seeking degrees at universities to get another skill under the=
ir belt just so
one is not relying on ones potter skills only after grduating. And Vince wi=
ll say here that
you can't get the kids out of the studio and he's right. That's a good thin=
g, but that's why=20
the school imposes graduating requirements and I don't think it's asking t=
oo much to=20
impose a little business sense too. If anything but for survival of the Cra=
ft and it's history.
I always wished The Bauhaus was still around. I think it should be a model =
for the education
of artists, with a few tweeks to bring it into the 21st century of course.
Take care
Krista
-----Original Message-----
From: Lili Krakowski
Sent: Mar 26, 2005 6:36 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: A response to Vince about his plug for his lovely school
=20
Too bad this topic came up just as I am about to go off Clayart for a while=
to go get a new knee. To all Brits: I HAVE a copy of Knees Up Mother Bro=
wn with me. You bring the stout!
I have given a great deal of thought to La Condition Poti=E8re for decades=
. And have it in my own writing! As well as working on a book. Temporary =
title: The Problem of William Morris.
When I started in clay in 1949 one still could go to college room and bo=
ard included for 1 year's work at minimum wage. This has changed. As has =
much else.
"Everyone" was poor in those days. Nobody had anything. Which worked ver=
y well in a calling where poverty is part of the way of life.
We assumed we were going to be craftsmen living THAT life, and realizing =
a long held belief in the reunification of ALL work. We believed-I still d=
o-that ALL work that is done with one's whole heart and soul is meaningful =
to ALL. And that, as intellectuals, we would live simple lives and do simp=
le work. I referred then, as I do now, to the reality that Socrates was no=
t Herr Doktor Professor, but a slave. That Hillel the woodcutter, and Sha=
mai the stonemason were giants in jurisprudence. That Jesus the Carpenter,=
and Peter the fisherman had more impact on history-and I am not speaking o=
f religion here, but history-than any PhD. And like that.
What has happened is that the base level of consumption has risen tremendo=
usly. Mel may joke about an outhouse, but many grew up with such, and toda=
y in most places they are forbidden. ( I saw o.h in Manhattan years ago! }
Pace, pace, re-enactors! But when I see you I can only smile. There is =
no one among you who had rickets, who has scrofula, leprosy, syphilitic les=
ions, or small pock scars. No one has an uncorrected cleft palate, or a le=
g or arm deformed by not being set after a break. I will not even mention =
the many embarrassing disorders middle aged and old women suffered from as =
a result of continual pregnancies, and which you do not have. And everyone =
has teeth-not rotted stumps..
We approach re-enactment through rose colored glass. That is fine.
=20
But we also are being pushed into living our craft the same way. When we d=
iscuss getting to shows, on sales trips we speak vans and pickups. When wa=
s the last time we discussed where to get the best mules? And if we have s=
pouses/partners, children and like that then there are ancillary demands. =
Children no longer walk to school barefoot in the snow summer and winter. =
Children no longer write on slates. Nor wear hand-me-downs. Mothers no lo=
nger reverse wool skirts to get more use of the nap, and shorten dad's pant=
s for Son to wear. All this is gone. Mandated gone, because the child tha=
t wears such clothes would be ostracized.
Concomitant with these economic and social demands have come huge schooling=
demands. Vince, were I reincarnated I certainly would go to your school, =
which seems as much like my dear old SAC as I could hope to find. I even w=
ould eat squirrel stew! But what I keep being so bothered about is the hu=
ge amount of money inexperienced kids spend on a course of study most will =
have to abandon out of economic necessity as soon as they graduate. Unless=
they teach, which again is NOT potting, nor living the potter's life. [ I =
"get" the $120M I spoke of from figures about $30 plus for tuition a year. =
If tuition is $25 p.a. add housing, transportation, food, clothing, medica=
l insurance, and the expenses of "proper" collegiate life. Maybe $120 M is=
too much. But as Sen. Dirksen said: ' Here a billion, there a billion. =
Soon it adds up to real money."
I have urged for years that pottery schools should make students take cou=
rses in "real world" skills. Mel says everyone should know how to weld! =
Right on! I think everyone should have both a verbal and non-verbal skill=
. Why should TTU not teach accounting or plumbing, nursing, carpentry, duc=
t work, computer repair skills ALONG WITH/AS PART OF the total curriculum? =
Some may cavil at retirees becoming potters. But why? These are the peop=
le who first made a living and raised a family and then turned or re-turned=
to clay. Others do it on a parallel track: enough other work to pay bills=
, rest of time in the studio.
I still would say to a young potter: save some money buy a few acres, live=
d and pot there. See how it is. And if you do it in TN, fine. Swell. Ju=
st live the life. Because I think it IS a vocation, it is the grain of san=
d around which the pearl of craft evolves.
Won't YOU all be happy when I am out cold as a flounder on Tuesday-with my=
mouth closed, and my fingers idle.
=20
All blessings.
=20
=20
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
___________________________________________________________________________=
___
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Earl Brunner on sun 27 mar 05
And all blessing to you in your surgery. We will miss you. At least I
will.
Earl Brunner
Las Vegas, NV
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Lili Krakowski
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 5:37 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: A response to Vince about his plug for his lovely school
Won't YOU all be happy when I am out cold as a flounder on Tuesday-with my
mouth closed, and my fingers idle.
All blessings.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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