clennell on wed 23 aug 06
EP wrote:
>
> Tony, if you are not a master potter, then I don't
> know who is. How I feel about you personally is
> irrelevant. How modest you are is irrelevant. That
> you are a "cat person" is irrelevant. That you will
> not call yourself one, while crowing about being in a
> glossy rag with your pots...is disingenuous.
EP: Thanks for dubbing me Master Potter but once again I'm going to turn it
down. It sticks in my craw like calling Joe Blow, DR. Joe Blow does yours.
We have a bunch of self proclaimed Ceramic Masters in Canada that pay a
membership and get to put CM after their name, the same group nominates each
other to receive another little title called Royal Canadian Arts Acaademy-
RCA goes after their name. If you have lots of money to travel to a ceramic
conference in Budapest, Copenhagen, Brisbane or or maybe Oslo then you might
get recognized by our gov't and have a Order of Canada bestowed upon you and
you can put O.C after your name- Dr. Joe Blow CM, RCA, OC.
Here's my wee story that I'll try to keep short so you can see where I'm
coming from.
At this big show Matter of Clay a few weeks ago the gallery owner sent the
news reporter to interview me- I shoot a good line. Believing in the pecking
order I took the interviewer over to meet my 2 teachers of 30 years ago. One
an excellent potter and one a globe trotting ceramist with all of those
letters behind the name.
On introduction the one said I am blah, blah CM,RCA, OC. The other said
hello I'm blah, blah and I prefer to be called a Potter. When the reporter
asked Mr Potter about his work in porcelain he said let me take you and
introduce you to Harlan House. He is our best porcelain man. All the potters
went out for a drink afterwards. We know who we are. We just don't called
ourselves masters. We recognize the mastery of each others work but skip the
Master title.
My old aunt the potter refused to claim a seniors discount at the movies at
age 94. I guess she just didn't see the years go by.
I hope I can turn down the title at 94. I'll claim it in heaven, hell or my
next life.
Cheers,
Tony
Elizabeth Priddy on wed 23 aug 06
OK.
I understand where you are coming from and what you
are saying sounds like a cultural social kinda thing.
I don't know any master potters who go around calling
themselves one either.
But on the other hand, if it is a reporter doing some
free marketing for you to consumer audience who
doesn't understand or get that little custom who is
accustomed to paying more for the services of people
who have the alphabet soup behind their name...
Let em, eh?
How can it hurt coming from a third party?
I bet the dues are awful high to be in a club that
calls each other "Master" Soandso, though.
I hear in NY City, you can get a paid professional to
call you master and also give you a good beating for
asking her to do so...
There's no accounting for how you spend your
disposable income.
I still think you are there. So there.
E
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
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