mel jacobson on fri 4 aug 06
i have told this story many times, but it is again timely.
you can be in a group of students, friends...potters.
and you can tell them about your shows, brag time,
show in tokyo, new york, los angeles....my time in japan.
tell stories.
they mostly yawn.
then i tell them:
`you have been seeing my pots for 30 years.
every day for some of you.`
they look up...`what in the hell are you talking about?`
`well, i do many of the pots that are on general mills
cereal and food boxes.
you know, like total, hamburger helper, you know...food.`
`WHAT, YOUR POTS ARE ON CEREAL BOXES...HOLY COW,
GOTTA CALL SOMEONE AND TELL THEM...MAN, WHEATIES
TOO? MAN, IS THAT EVER GREAT, IMPORTANT...WOW.
and i just smile and laugh. it is very straight forward
commercial art. and one of my best buddies is/was a
box designer for gm. he loved to use my pots...realistic
and they get something that the general population cannot
find at target....think of it...every house in america has the
same junk in the kitchen...target, walmart, kmart, sears.
how do you use that stuff for a box cover? everyone
has a pyrex bowl...red, green, yellow or red.
they order the bowl or whatever...send a spec sheet.
to the millimeter..because it has to be in a photo shoot.
easy to do.
they paid me about 500 bucks for the pot.
then they give it back to me after the shoot.
in most cases, it does not pay...they want special
colors, perfect sizes...so.
i have to make about 15 just to get it perfect.
and it is very fussy, not hard, just fussy.
and, most of the photo shoots never make a box.
it is all future ideas...like a new white wheaties box.
i did a porcelain bowl, with a split rim...used acrylic
paint and did a wheaties orange rim.
so...they loved it.
but, never changed the box.
it is still orange. you know corporate america...always
shuffling around with ideas, then they just go away.
i did do some nice casseroles for hamburger helper that made
the box. and i did a great set up for total cereal(five pots on a
table.) that was
used for over a year...millions of boxes. but, who would ever know?
just commercial work...do it and get paid.
move on.
mel
but people are more impressed with this story
then if i had ten shows in china.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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