Alisa Liskin Clausen on wed 1 mar 06
gets the oil
Dear Clayart
I have written several responses and sent one of them which by the stoke of
luck, did not go through. I had taken some things personally, which I chose
not to later on. If it shows up next week or next year, like my NCECA room,
well, a grain of salt. But what I did salvage and feel appropriate is this:
John and Ron have and continue to have unprecedented support, discussion,
attention, recommendations and compliments on their well written book MC6G,
on Clayart. They have done an enormous job with their glaze research and how
they share it all in their book. They are continuously helpful over the
list. Not without loads of discussion, we have honored their wish not to
publish their recipes. Their reasons for this have been told many, many
times. So much, that most of Clayart knows what we mean if we say the
recipes. Clayart can become Slayart at times when we get tunnel vision and
need apparently, approval and validation. We are a group of 2228 and we are
great. However, a quick glance outside Clayart will show many, many names
of active, clever, sharing, working, devoted ceramists. Clayart is great
and we as a group are not the world, nor do I feel that there is a need to
make world leader decisions on how to govern our world, short of what the
moderator may decide.
Whether we fundamentally agree or not, we have respected and honored MC6G
wishes regarding not putting their recipes on Clayart. I can only compare
this to the Danish newspaper that recently has turned the world upside down
again, because their freedom of press inadvertently insulted a group of
people. Although the newspaper did not think much of making cartoons about
a matter taken very serious by that particular group of people, that group
did. Ideally, whether we are talking about glaze recipes or prophets, I
wish the world to be a place of mutual respect. But that is not the way of
the world, with staunch opinions everywhere. Sometimes these opinions
become one sided truths and become serious threats to our world's peace. At
other times it is more or less what takes place everyday in exerting our
personal passions and beliefs. I find myself at times wresting with freedom
of speech and my principles, potentially overriding common courtesy and
mutual respect. Do I make a point, or practice what I learned in
Kindergarten? This is the time I choose my battles. What will happen for
the better or worse of ceramics and Clayart if we publish the recipes? A
few people feel gratified and a few people will feel a host of not good
feelings, and not much more, in my opinion. What will happen if we continue
to respect a couple of author's wishes? We demonstrate good will.
If we can get past the recipe thing, which is like a squeaky wheel, because
it has demanded so much attention, I feel I do have some principles I would
not like to compromise. The way I work and the way I would like to share.
Intolerance is one of the only things that I do not tolerate. We have our
methods; we have our priorities, soapboxes, rituals, beliefs, interests and
so much more. Dialogue has always been one of the most important part of my
ceramic learning curve. Freedom to talk, ask, write and exchange or for
that matter ignore. I learn a lot from people who are smarter than me. I
learn a lot from smart people who let me take on my own initiatives, all the
while lending a hand. I think I have done a fine job showing that a high
boron frit (3134/Frit 169 or J), can be subbed gram for gram instead of G.B.
or that under glazes fume. I cannot prove in my efforts in my glaze studio
that mol. wt. sub. makes any visible difference in a glaze than gram for
gram sub. When I shared, I did not get feedback from people who started the
discussion. Ow, ow, my ego is hurt, I feel so tiny. But I continue and
slowly, I see how it all pans out. I once pointed out that Clay Times has
published at least two or three of MC6G recipes under different names. I get
up on my soapbox and I just as quickly walk down again with the response.
I think the idea of those who get it and those who don't is a harsh and
unfortunate judgment, John and Ron. Getting it or grasping and using
information is not like that. It is hopefully treated with patience as a
growth sequence over time.
I wish to remain positive and therefore will once again say that MC6G is a
superb resource. John and Ron and I have exchanged emails, have met and for
my part, I felt happy and privileged. But I do not like this campaign from
the authors, etc. about how should send in our test results. To me, it
sounds like if we all conform to only the teachings and methods in this
book, we do not need much more. An essential book for today's updated
ceramist, but does not take the place of many other references still on the
bookshelf.
I could go directly to my glaze program with my glaze recipe from Cape Verde
to see if I can get it to travel safely to Cape May. There are definitely
benefits, getting a result quicker. But with Ian's grid, I can see what I
may have missed along the electronic highway. They are both important tools.
Both important. What is sticking me in the ribs and making my eyebrows go in
the wrong direction, is the idea that we need to be formatted. My ugly
glaze tests tell me just as much as the nice ones. I need to keep on it,
using all the resources I can. I like to cull what I have access to, learn
something and try to send something back.
If through mutual respect, we continue in our methods and if others are
tolerant and listening, it will come together to strengthen our community,
rather than put us in restricting boxes marked The Best Way. I do not want
one book or one method. I like best the living methods - our community on
their toes and cutting edges, telling their experiences, experiments, laying
down fact through extensive research and the flexibility that we all have
something to contribute.
I have had two outstanding examples of this dialogue today, where first John
Britt made my light bulb light by mentioning that Titanium helps form
crystals. Flash, I realized that my Crystal glaze that always worked great,
stop working. One version calls for 1 gr. Copper and 5 Rutile, the other
for 1 gr. Nikkel and 5 Rutile. I read the recipe wrong and only added 1 gr.
Nickel. Now I go back to Hamer and Hamer and listen to John Britt, and say,
Holy Cow, what does Rutile have in it that I need? Then, a great bonus came
when David Hewitt sent me his and Mike Bailey's test results of opacifiers
from his website at
http://www.dhpot.demon.co.uk under Pottery Techniques / Opacifier Test
Series.
As I said to David, I am glad that I did not see these tests before I
started my own. But now I am so glad to study theirs to see where I need to
go.
It is late, I can hear Claus snoring through the wall. My mother will be 80
years old tomorrow. I am excited to get going tomorrow in my studio.
Regards from Alisa in Denmark
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