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misc: art and brains, ginger ale, taylor, and pinging hissy fit!

updated thu 18 aug 05

 

Lili Krakowski on wed 17 aug 05


With all due respect the question should be: can brains exist without art?
We may get a grant to study this, after we have learned can brains exist
without mind.

Now ginger ale recipes, Jared , do belong on Clayart. Because Clayart, in
the opinion of many, is NOT a free university, but a friendly get-together
of people with a shared interest. And many thanks for the recipe. I use
ginger a lot for tea in winter, this will be a lovely Summer variation.

Taylor: You are an UC guy in my book, even when you LC. And I am giggling
about them what don't know what that means....Heck, pal, you're 36 point BF
too.

Anyway.

WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE having a hissy fit about the pinging pots? Where is
the OUTRAGE that someone someplace, anyone anyplace "runs" (peals of
laughter!) a place, a studio, a class and the pots ping ping ping! Hello
there!
If this were a hospital and all the patients came out with skin rashes, or
diarrhea would there not be outrage? Well, isn't this the same idea?
People claiming to be professionals and delivering bad work?

There is not secret to non crazing pots. This gets explained and explained.
The glaze has to fit the pot which has to be fired to correct temp. Period.
There is no mystery. If an "instructor" does not know how to buy glaze
that fits the pots there are two possibilities. Indifference, or a
misinforming supplier.

This is one reason why I am so intolerant about all this "art" and
"self-expression" craze corrupting craft. Craft is NOT about
self-expression. Craft is a language, a tool. And it must be mastered, as
any language must, before true self-expression can take place. If that
instructor, and any of the "pupils" excepting our Clayarter (Brava! Brava!),
had a notion about craft, the problem would have been solved a good while
ago. I bet they all are expressing themselves.....

Lili Krakowski

Be of good courage

John Hesselberth on wed 17 aug 05


On Wednesday, August 17, 2005, at 01:52 PM, Lili Krakowski wrote:

> There is no secret to non crazing pots. This gets explained and
> explained.
> The glaze has to fit the pot which has to be fired to correct temp.
> Period.
> There is no mystery. If an "instructor" does not know how to buy
> glaze
> that fits the pots there are two possibilities. Indifference, or a
> misinforming supplier.

Hi Lili,

I will certainly join you in being indignant. I have to add ignorance
to your list above. Any instructor who does not know the cause of
pinging pots and know how to approach fixing it (unless they are doing
it on purpose for the decorative effect) is not competent enough to be
teaching a course in ceramics or be in charge of a group studio. It
saddens me to see how many so-called teachers trying to teach others
don't even understand the very simplest basics themselves.
Unfortunately, there are no standards. Anyone can hang out a shingle
that says "pottery lessons". Would a piano teacher who can't play the
piano get away with this. I don't think so. It is only places like
Clayart and a few schools where the basics are taught these days.
Other professions have certification processes, e.g. professional
engineers, CPAs, nurses, I could go on and on. Heavens, we even have to
prove some level of proficiency to get a driver's license (though,
interestingly, not to bear and raise children--but that is a topic for
another forum).

Every time this subject comes up on Clayart, the world of potters rises
up to smite the person proposing standards (me this time, I guess), but
I submit we will never be accepted by the world at large as
professionals until we do some serious self-policing. There is way too
much garbage being made and sold and there are way too many "teachers"
who shouldn't be. And you don't have to self-police on artistic content
where so much controversy would be involved. Just on craftsmanship
where the basics are pretty clear. And understanding the cause of
pinging pots is a good example.

Regards,

John

claybair on wed 17 aug 05


Interesting point Lili.......
You made me realize that I thought
"pinging" was normal or the result of taking
pieces out of the kiln while a bit to hot to touch.
I had this notion that it was normal from the teaching studio
where I was a member in my baby years as a potter.
Those puppies would ping for hours, days, weeks.
Only through the info on Clayart did I learn the reason
and how to avoid it.
So Lili.....hissy away.... if you are able to get one person to
understand how, when and why it's not a desired effect
you will have raised the awareness and quality of our standards and
work.
Pass me a glass of that ginger ale. Has anyone ever had homemade root beer?
Pennsylvania Dutch home made root beer..... my kids loved it.

Gayle Bair - I haven't heard pinging in my studio in many years! Yippee!
Bainbridge Island, WA
Tucson, AZ
http://claybair.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Lili Krakowski


WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE having a hissy fit about the pinging pots? Where is
the OUTRAGE that someone someplace, anyone anyplace "runs" (peals of
laughter!) a place, a studio, a class and the pots ping ping ping! Hello
there!
If this were a hospital and all the patients came out with skin rashes, or
diarrhea would there not be outrage? Well, isn't this the same idea?
People claiming to be professionals and delivering bad work?

There is not secret to non crazing pots. This gets explained and explained.
The glaze has to fit the pot which has to be fired to correct temp. Period.
There is no mystery. If an "instructor" does not know how to buy glaze
that fits the pots there are two possibilities. Indifference, or a
misinforming supplier.

This is one reason why I am so intolerant about all this "art" and
"self-expression" craze corrupting craft. Craft is NOT about
self-expression. Craft is a language, a tool. And it must be mastered, as
any language must, before true self-expression can take place. If that
instructor, and any of the "pupils" excepting our Clayarter (Brava! Brava!),
had a notion about craft, the problem would have been solved a good while
ago. I bet they all are expressing themselves.....

Lili Krakowski

Be of good courage

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