mel jacobson on fri 21 apr 06
jin/da/gin more commonly called the `porcelain city` is wonderful. it
is a clay person's dream come true. every shop and store, every
factory is about clay. and a great deal of white with blue pattern.
the street lights are made of porcelain. it is a small city, not real
cosmopolitan, just 4.5 million people. a tiny town.
po has hundreds of close friends in this city. we were wined and dined.
in fact, how can one person eat that much food in three days? i felt
like a stuffed water buffalo most of the time.
the mayor sent a mercedes with a driver for us to use, all of the
time there...folks had us for lunch and dinner...we talked about
clay education, clay production, clay tools, and ate, and they drank
a great deal of wine. a great deal. the museum is like the louvre of
ceramics. huge, brand new, and very active. they have all the old
pots from the region. the director wined and dined us...but, because
we are of `pure heart` our tiny band of americans did not consume much
wine. po sips, linda has a glass or two, and i cannot drink. period.
so. they made up for us. ( i will tell stories at nceca, very funny.)
linda and i left pots for the museum and got wonderful red certificates
of `display`. linda does very precise floral and decorative work..the
chinese folks loved it. she was a great representative of many american
women that do `their own aesthetic`...and don't apologize...she is a
fine potter. i dropped off small `iron saga` tea bowls wherever we went.
both linda and me, let po pick the people to get gifts. (where they would
do the most good.)
we were able to visit several `national living treasures` of ceramics and
were invited in, had tea, toured the studios and got wonderful treasures
to take home...books, pictures, treasures. everyone gave us boxes of
commemorative tea. ( i re/gifted all of mine to friends in japan...they
were stunned by the quality.) we helped po fill his chinese pottery library in
his new apartment in shanghai. since the books are all written in chinese,
it was only natural to leave them with po to share with other chinese potters.
every place we went we talked about `clayart` and the need for more
international communication via the internet. po is writing a short booklet
with all the instructions/philosophy for clayart written in chinese. we
feel that the
instructors of many technical schools and universities are really ready
to launch out to the world of ceramics. they have been held back for decades
and want to be a part of international ceramics. at no time did we talk
about politics....we talked about international friendship with art and clay.
that is what is needed most now...friendship. that is what po does.
he is the `bridge` to the new world. every place we went there was a
computer with `google` on the screen, all in chinese...just waiting
to find us. and like other places on this earth, chinese potters are hard
working,
gentle/non aggressive people that love clay, and want to share what they
have with others.
while meeting with some school officials, `rick` from clayart came into
the room. it was fun to see him...and he loves being there...another
po placement and another american potter working with the chinese
to become international folks.
any of you out there in clayart land that is interested in china, want
to go there and teach english....have the time and inclination, want
a truly great adventure.....read `chinese clayart` that po sends out.
he always has `opportunities`. the door of opportunity opens every
so often...if you do not run through, it never opens again for you the
same way. `i wish i woulda, coulda, shoulda, but i will just sit here
in buttwhack, nebraska and bitch about the my plight`. there are
going to be wonderful opportunities for many in china. big time.
instead of thinking the chinese are going to take over the world, think
that china is one big cauldron of opportunity for you. and it is.
just like when i went to japan to learn, to dubai to teach..folks thought
i was sorta crazy. but, i have been paid back a million times. maybe
two million times. think of the day that joe koons asked `me` to collaborate
with him. `hmm, i don't think so, i have to watch day time soaps and
it would get in my way`. no, no....it was `hell yes, when should we
get started? how many pots? 600 enough? let's solve this thing, once
and for all.` and we did. and my best pay day was looking at the face
of the `director of the national museum in shanghai` as he held that
blue crystal/temmoku bowl in his hand and said....`there are only three of
these
in the world, and now i have one`. big pay day.
mel
"Luck is prepaid."
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://my.pclink.com/~melpots3
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