Lili Krakowski on sun 10 apr 05
I have been reading the posts about national delicacies others consider =
inedible. Obviously even delicacies need PR. So let me out in a good =
word for Mohawk Valley Limburger....
But that is not really my point.
Already half a century ago the U of New Hampshire put out a booklet and =
a plan on how to build an electric kiln. (I sent my copy to John =
Hesselberth.) I wanted to build it a few years back and the UNH =
contributed some length of Kanthal TAPE, not wire. I abandoned the =
project because the ancillary parts --once cheap--now were too expensive =
for a small kiln.
Robert Fournier in his wonderful book "Building an Electric Kiln" not =
only has plans, but, my guess is, any potter plus an electrician or =
similar could do it, easily, modifying as they go.
BUT there is in the US such a mindset, hostility, bigotry and then some =
against electric kilns that --as we have been told--top of the line ones =
do not sell.
About twenty five years ago gas was deregulated. Till that time it had =
been infinitely cheaper to fire with gas than with electricity. Since =
then the fuel prices have evened out, and I assume that in some places =
electricity is costlier than gas.
The fuel-burning mystique is strong though, and persistent . If I call =
it a mystique it is NOT that I dislike fuel burning, I loved my little =
obasanogama while I had her, but time and circumstance do not allow =
everyone to fire with fuel. I don't even dislike the attachment to a =
particular technique. What I find extremely troubling is the =
denigration of other techniques by those who practice a particular one. =
Every firing technique can yield amazing and gorgeous results. If one =
has made up one's mind, or had it made up by the Zeitgeist, that ONLY =
this one is worthwhile, then one not only is wearing blinders, but =
advocating their use.
One of my favorite lines in literature [!!!} is in "Who's Afraid of =
Virginia Woolf" when Martha tells a presumptuous young man who proved =
a failure in the night to get her something--coffee, juice I forget =
what. He balks and says he is not a houseboy, to which she truthfully =
replies : "You're either a stud or a houseboy."
My point being that you either are a potter or some sort of anchorite to =
a firing method. Yes, Mel, inter al, turns out splendors of reduction =
wood fired pottery: pots to fall on one's knees for--if one has the =
knees. But I know that if Mel for some reason could not fire gas or =
wood or any fuel he would plug in an electric kiln and go from there.
Why is there no magnificent electric kiln? Because the public--yes, =
that means you--has not demanded one. And why have you not demanded it? =
Because you have been brainwashed into thinking electric firing =
inferior. We are back in Victorian times when the master's family had =
bed sheets of linen, and the servants muslin ones.
What kind of a jackass would make linen sheets for the servants? =20
If people want high quality electric kilns then there is no reason not =
to have them. I have seen the prices on some Geihl and Bailey kilns. I =
am sure that, were the potting public willing to invest that kind of Big =
Cash in electric kilns they would appear. But as long as electric firing =
is considered "lesser" this ain't going to happen no how. I bet Arnold =
could and would build them. The saving in BUYING an electric kiln over =
building one (and I calculate this at the full moon of August every =
year) is to benefit from the economy of volume. Kanthal wire is sold =
by the endless roll. Yes, Durolite and Euclid sell finished coils and =
will custom make them. Individual soft brick is affordable if bought by =
the truckful. It isn't by the box. =20
So. There is a market out there for variable kiln kits. One would =
either buy a ready kit or write and ask for one to be assembled; so =
soft brick so much fiber board, so many elements of specific gauge and =
size and so on. Slotted steel frame and insulation board and wires to =
be bought locally.
This is a project a fistful of graduate students could work on as a =
thesis. And while I am being a pain, let me add this. NO reason such a =
kiln could not be provided from the get go with a lid that can be =
lifted off, a base on strong wheels, and so on. =20
Last: Ceramics Monthly Books, A & C Black, and Lark--wake up and smell =
the fumes!
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
John Baymore on mon 11 apr 05
Great rant Lili !!!!!! You go girl. Well said.
Why is there no magnificent electric kiln? Because the public--yes, that=
means you--has not demanded one. And why have you not demanded it? =
Because you have been brainwashed into thinking electric firing inferior.=
=
We are back in Victorian times when the master's family had bed sheets of=
linen, and the servants muslin ones.
What kind of a jackass would make linen sheets for the servants? =
If people want high quality electric kilns then there is no reason not to=
have them. I have seen the prices on some Geihl and Bailey kilns. I am
sure that, were the potting public willing to invest that kind of Big Cas=
h
in electric kilns they would appear. But as long as electric firing is
considered "lesser" this ain't going to happen no how. I bet Arnold cou=
ld
and would build them. The saving in BUYING an electric kiln over buildin=
g
one (and I calculate this at the full moon of August every year) is to
benefit from the economy of volume. Kanthal wire is sold by the endless=
roll. Yes, Durolite and Euclid sell finished coils and will custom make
them. Individual soft brick is affordable if bought by the truckful. It=
isn't by the box. =
It is interesting to note here that in Japan........ home of the
"venerable" wood fired kiln........... a HUGE portion of the pottery bein=
g
made today is electric fired. In many cases you would never know looking=
at the work that it was from the so-called (ahem.....) "inferior" electri=
c
firing process. It is also interesting to note that many of the Japanese=
pots that people routinely "ooh and aah" over are oxidation fired.... eve=
n
when fired in fuel kilns!
The electric kilns available over there are amazing. All manner and
sizes.......... heavily constructed, well designed. Puts the stuff
available here to shame. But in defense of the manufacturers here in th=
e
USA.... the market for clay in Japan is absolutely huge and the prices go=
od
work commands are much, much higher. So the Japanese potters are a far
better market for good (and expensive) kilns than the market here in the
USA...... where we tend to "nickle and dime" the suppliers to death for a=
ny
kind of equipment and supplies .
Of particular note there is the prevelance of electrc reduction firing. =
It
is VERY common. Electric for heat and wood or gas for reduction. The
amount of smoke from the wood is minimal and the venting is similar to
venting a wood stove. This can and is regularly done in Japan and has be=
en
for years and years. The kilns are designed for it. Heavy surface mount=
zig-zag strip elements that are easily replaced solves the deterioration
factor. Replacing elements every so often is just a "cost of doing
business" for reduction electric firing. The value of the pots there mak=
es
up for the costs involved. (Look up my old posts in the CLAYART archive=
s
on the old "Reduction Productions" line of reduction electric kilns
produced here in the USA in the 70's.) I would imagine that mayor mel's
recent discussions about and promotion of reduction electrics had its roo=
ts
in the stuff he saw when he lived in Japan. And here's to Axner for
working on getting a practical commercial reduction electric back into th=
e
USA market.
By the way........ I had the great pleasure of visiting with Kondo Hirosh=
i
-san and Kondo Takahiro -san (son and grandson of deceased Living Nation=
al
Treasure in Porcelain, Kondo Yuzo) in the Kyomizu section of Kyoto last
summer and Hiroshi-san was telling me that in Kyoto you cannot build ANY
new reduction kilns anymore. Period. Not even electric reduction. The
only reason that he is able to continue to use his electric reduction kil=
ns
is the high profile his family has as well as the "grandfathered in"
factor. His recent apprentice "graduates" have had to move into the
mountains east of Kyoto to even build gas kilns.
There is another faculty member at the New Hampshire Institute of Art whe=
re
I teach, Chris Archer, who does cone 6 electric wares that anyone not
knowing how it was fired would FOR SURE never guess that it was electric
fired work. Electric fired work can be as vibrant and exciting as any
wood fired pots. It is what you DO with the tools you use that matters
......... not the tools themselves. =
Do a web search for Shimada Fumio (head of the ceramics department at
Geidai in Tokyo) and look at some of his porcelain peices ...... electric=
fired. Also, I'll try to post some pictures of the electric kilns at
Geidai (Tokyo National University of Art and Music) and Kondo-san's in
Kyoto on the "Clayart" page on my website in the next few days.
Geeze... and this post is coming from a 30+ year inveterate woodfiring
potter . But I do fire overglaze enamels onto some of my woodfired po=
ts
in one of them thar' "inferior electric toaster thingies"... with a
programmable controller. =
Psst.......... anyone seen a computerized stoker that I can buy ?
I'd love to sleep at night. =
best,
.......................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086-5812 USA
JBaymore@compuserve.com
http://www.JohnBaymore.com
603-654-2752 (studio)
800-900-1110 (studio)
"Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop: July 29 - August=
7, 2005"
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