Lee Love on fri 11 nov 05
On 2005/11/11 6:44:52, Clyde Widdershins (cwiddershins@gmail.com) wrote:
> Lee: What might interest those in the "should I pursue a MFA?" debate is
> that Mark Pharis head of Ceramics at the University of Minnesota did not
> complete his BFA much less an MFA. Warren MacKenzie recognized his
> unbeleivable table as a ceramic artist and I believe got him the job. Mel
> might corrcet me on this but we had him do a workshop at Sheridan and he
> said he didn't complete school.
> Sometimes talent wins. I think he makes incredible work.
Mark was at the UofMn for 4 years: 1967-1971 University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN I thought he had a BFA
He and Linda Sikora taught me how to throw. Curt Hoard is
an excellent teacher too & I spent a lot of time with him. I was
happy to read in Mason's article, that Curt is making more vessels.
It is very tempting to think about going back to study under these
guys. It might be a way to "go back home."
Times, they are a-changing: I think it was either Randy
Johnston or Mark (or both) who said that Warren told all his students at
the time to go set up a pottery after their undergrad work. Randy
followed Mark by a few years and built fireplaces for many years to
supplement his pottery income. By the time he was looking to teach,
I think an MFA was "more required" and he went to Carbonale for his MFA
before he got his teaching position at River Falls.
When MacKenzie began teaching, there were not any MFA
programs in ceramics that could come near matching his 2 years at St.
Ives. We are lucky today to have more MFA programs, but are poorer for
the disappearing apprenticeship opportunities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photos of Mark's work:
http://artdept.umn.edu/art_dept/online_gallery_artist/mark_pharis_text.html
Facilities at the UofMn Warren MacKenzie Ceramic Studio (even their
outdoor kilns are ventilated!):
* 32 - Lockerbie kick wheels
* 11 - Brent cxc electric wheels
* 1 - Model 16 Brent rehabilitation handicapped accessible electric
wheel
* 2 - treadle wheels
* 2 - north star 36" slab roller
* 1 - Bailey 36" slab roller
* 4 - bailey 9" system series extruders w/ dies
Clay & Glaze Mixing
* 2 - VPM 60 pug mills / mixer
* 1 - PM100 Pug Mill / mixer
* 2 - glaze spray Booths
* 2 - Soldner pro clay mixers
Kilns - Electric
* 3 - Unique 14 cubic foot cone 10 front-loading computer kilns
* 3 - Skutt 1227PK 9.9 cubic foot Cone 10 top-loading kilns
* 2 - Lane-O-Matic 12 cubic foot cone 10 front-loading kilns
* 1 - Olympic 2527 11.9 cubic foot cone 8 top loading oval kiln
* 3 - Aim cone 8 test kilns
* 1 - L&L JD 2927 cone 10 top loading computer kiln
Kilns - Gas
* Oxidation & reduction
* 4 - 30 cubic foot down draft kilns
* 2 - 30 cubic foot up-draft kilns
* 1 - 40 cubic foot down draft kiln
* 1 - 60 cubic foot down draft car kiln
* 1 - 130 cubic foot down draft car kiln
* 1 - 10 cubic foot up draft test / raku
*
Kilns - Atmospheric
* 1 - 40 cubic foot down draft soda kiln
* 1 - 60 cubic foot & 30 cubic foot double chamber wood kiln
--
Lee Love
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/ My Photo Logs
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
--Leonardo da Vinci
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