Janet Kaiser @ The Chapel of Art on thu 16 jun 05
I find it difficult to imagine someone ever wanting to copy Bev Bell Hughes=
BBH work in the first place. How can somebody be inspired by the "vision"=
of another artist right down to the choice of clay, glaze, technique, etc?=
And in this instance, there is absolutely nowhere to go once one has=
mastered the technique and quirky style... No room at all for personal=
development or expression, not least because BBH makes such distinctive=
work, which is so much informed by her extreme poor sight, which I believe=
practically verges on blindness. For those who have not come across her=
work before, check it out at these sites below. She does not appear to=
have a site of her own, but I did not look beyond the first page of my=
Google search:
Her AXIS entry:
http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=3D3247
(AXIS is a great site for looking at work by UK artists in all media)
http://www.ceramics.org.uk/galleryArtistInfo.php?record=3D6
University of Wales, Aberystwyth:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/ceramics/makers/beverlybellhughes.htm
http://www.aber.ac.uk/ceramics/sensation/beverley-bell.htm
National Museums and Galleries of Wales:
http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/www.php/214/
where the following image is shown
http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/media/3/7/4/bellhughes_bowl.jpg
She is also listed in the Potters book published by the CPA -- Craft=
Potters Association of Britian. As for what she should do... As a Fellow=
of the CPA she should ask for more expert opinion of the situation in the=
UK. She could also talk toTony White, a potter in Ceridigion, mid Wales.=
He has personal experience of fighting a copyright issue about his famous=
Indian Runner Ducks. But bare in mind that was about a commercial overseas=
copycat importing to the UK and not a local one!
I am very surprised and a little disappointed that the copycat was given a=
space to show work at a venue arranged for and by North Wales potters and=
their juried/invited (albeit paying) guests. I would be interested to hear=
what the organisers of the event have to say. I would also ask what the=
local potters association have to say about this issue. They really should=
have and implement a code of practice IMO.
However, BBH is one of a very small number of North Wales Potters who=
objected to the introduction of a artist-gallery contract when Eckhard and=
I were trying to follow guidelines proposed in the influential Artist=
Newsletter magazine and made specifically to PROTECT THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF=
ARTISTS! How ironic is that?
However annoying it is for her right now, I do not think BBH has too much=
to worry about in the long term. Not only will the copycat probably become=
extremely bored quickly, but there is hardly a very large market for this=
genre, so the copycat will also find it an uneconomic enterprise and have=
to move on. Hopefully sooner than later, so that a confrontation can be=
avoided. The whole unsavory incident will hopefully lead to a positive=
outcome. After all, BBH and her husband Terry are teachers and lecturers=
at the local college as well as leading lights in North Wales Potters. She=
is in the ideal position to impart ethics to their/her students. Yes, it=
is very sad that this should be necessary, but we unfortunately live in a=
rip-off, copy-cat age where young people have little or no guidance or=
knowledge of what is and what is not acceptable. And as someone else=
asked, when does "derivative" decease to become "copy"?
Sincerely
Janet Kaiser
THE CHAPEL OF ART - or - CAPEL CELFYDDYD
8 Marine Crescent : Criccieth : GB-Wales LL52 0EA
Plan visiting The International Potters Path?
Contact: Janet Kaiser
Tel: ++44 (01766) 523122
http://www.the-coa.org.uk
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