Lili Krakowski on sat 31 dec 05
I think it was Gertrude Stein who said " Imitation is the highest form =
of flattery" =20
In one of his books, Rhodes writes of a Japanese Master who would not =
give an apprentice the permission to leave. Time went by, maybe years, =
and the student kept asking, and Master kept saying no. Then one =
morning when the student came in Master said: "You must leave, right =
now, this very minute...." "But why, Master, what have I done?" the =
student asked. "This morning I came in and mistook one of your pots for =
mine."
The story can be interpreted many ways. I know that I never imitated =
Frans Wildenhain's work consciously, but it took years before my own =
voice was strong enough to overcome "influence." I probably could make =
a fake Wildenhain to this day. Unless I faked his signature, it would =
never be of value...Not as a FW, not as an LK. So that is one thing...
The other is plain outright copying, which really is plagiarism in a =
different medium. Of course that the woman is right there under you =
nose does not make it simpler--but she could have seen your pots in a =
gallery or magazine and copied from there.
I know that a lot of the pots I see definitely are "copies" of others, =
yet exhibited, shown etc under the names of different potters. I =
recently said that one more fat clunky pot with a handle with feathers =
or twigs through it, and I will stick skewers straight through my ears! =
The point is that ideas catch hold, people feel they must "run" with =
them, and off they go down some slippery slope...I recently saw pix of a =
bunch of these pots, by different potters and I could not tell who had =
made what... =20
But. YOU are the POTTER whose name is knows. People who buy YOUR pots =
want YOUR pots, and not some knockoff. If this woman is selling her =
pots because she is famous, or chic, or "in" then she will sell to that =
crowd. If she is a "celebrity" then some people will buy her =
stuff...and collectors of true pottery will buy yours. =20
If the movie/rock star Twiddly Hipswivel were to design a line of =
clothes for a chain store, she would get a lot more publicity, and, for =
a time, sales, than some hardworking solid designer working for a small =
exclusive store. That is a comment on the times, not the quality of the =
work. (Anyone else still chortling over the interview with Rose Kennedy =
at the Kennedy Inaugural, when some young reporter asked who had made =
her gown. "Mainbocher," Mrs Kennedy answered. "Maine who?" asked the =
reporter. ) I do not know what you can do, except see if you can =
copyright or trademark your pots....Yo, lawyers on the list, can she do =
that?
You can talk to the woman, and say, look here.....But she knows =
perfectly well that she is doing wrong. I do not think telling her to =
develop her own voice, not mimic yours would penetrate her brain....It =
is a sad comment, but someone could buy one of your pots and send it to =
China for copying, and flood the market...I seem to recall this was a =
thread and a problem some years ago......So I wish you all the best of =
luck.....Because I fear that is what is needed.=20
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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