mel jacobson on tue 14 mar 06
had a couple of wonderful, long discussions with some
older potters at nceca. working potters that actually
make and sell pots. interesting concept. the sort of
potters that bring about 99.5 percent to the party.
we did come to some amazing conclusions:
1. the same year that hamada and leach made their
treck across america/ mid 50's, the plastic bag was
introduced. did the plastic bag or hamada\leach have
the biggest impact on american pottery?
we think the plastic bag did.
it began the movement of clay from a company/store
like westwood, standard, minnesota clay, amaco, to the consumer.
potters could work at home, get clay delivered and
build or buy a wheel and kiln. without that plastic bag,
leach and hamada would have spoken to deaf ears.
2. the availability of ready made clays in plastic bags
revolutionized the home/hobby/school pottery business.
there would be no laguna clay company today without plastic bags.
3. the plastic storage bin/bucket allowed potters to make and
store chemicals and glaze materials, along with clay. would you
like to store your ready made glazes in a steel bucket or wooden
barrel?
the insulated fire brick or soft brick hit the market about
then too..jim mackinnell was messin with a new kiln design. flat roof.
4. things we take for granted in 2006 were very difficult
problems in 1950 and before.
how did one store clay?...in a basement with wet sacks over
the clay. on a concrete floor or closet sprayed each day with
water. hand wedging took an hour. and at that, it was not
always well mixed clay.
hamada and leach had a big impact on certain potters and areas.
many in california and new york did not attach to the `mingai` movement.
they had their own standards. the plastic bag just moved that
system along..big time.
the pug mill did not make the scene until about 1960, and it was very
crude at best.
the electric wheel was about the same time. and, it was a very poor
wheel. adjustable pulleys and rope. (mine was a skutt d-1)
just think of sitting on your new pacifica wheel, ten bags of b-mix
at your fingers, all deaired, a new skutt auto kiln waiting and your
nice new peter pugger in the corner. 5 plasic pails with tight covers
full of compounded glaze..figured out on your new i-mac.
i would think out loud...` DAMN IT, YOU HAD BETTER MAKE GOOD POTS.`
mel
"Luck is prepaid."
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://my.pclink.com/~melpots3
skiasonaranthropos@FSMAIL.NET on wed 15 mar 06
Hello Mel,
A rather nice take on what is so readily accepted now : plastic bags and
barrels
Other sealed containers were being used by potters before the plastic age,
glass and of course ceramic!. And pugs date back to much ealier than 1960s
to at least the 1880s
Kind regards,
Antony
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