mel jacobson on mon 26 mar 07
remember folks, bernard leach came from england, years ago.
his life was upper class. from one of the most class conscious
societies in the world, and language is not taken lightly...and most
americans had no idea what a brit was saying.. it would have been
easier to understand someone speaking in hungarian.
and, if anyone knows anything about britain, the late
thirties...one of the most common things that upper crust
folks did was....`the unknown put down`.
if you did not know you were getting the ax, all the better.
it was snobbery X 10.
it would be very unfair to compare the life and times of
bernard leach with modern times.
it was a different world.
the same would be said about mr. hamada.
a ph.d. in chemistry. a noted potter, and he
became a living legend in japan.
is he suppose to fawn over potters from
america? no, sorry...a famous sensai from
japan does not fawn over anyone. in fact
he was a very kind, noble man. but, what he
saw in other folks pots was not what any one
of us would see.
just a fact.
it is not even apples and oranges...it is apples and squash.
far apart.
one of the joys of my life was spending a day with each of them,
in their homes...alone. and, it was a very positive experience.
both, giants, and real gentlemen.
i was also smiling over posts from folks that say.
`i studied with elmer jenkinbottom`, therefore i am
famous too. sorry.
you could study with hamada for ten years and if you
are a silly dork potter, you will always be a silly dork potter.
each of us stands on our ability. period.
it is like the old line...what do you call the med student that
graduates last in his class?
doctor.
but, i am not going to ask for his opinion.
mel
just for fun, the next time you consult with your doctor,
ask what their class rank was. i do, and get the real answer.
pc says never check...just trust.
not me.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Pamela Regentin on mon 26 mar 07
mel jacobson wrote:
one of the joys of my life was spending a day with each of them,
in their homes...alone. and, it was a very positive experience.
both, giants, and real gentlemen.
wow.
Mel keeps climbing that ladder higher into the clouds.
No wonder you're the "mayor"
(I mean that as a compliment!)
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Lee Love on tue 27 mar 07
On 3/27/07, mel jacobson wrote:
> the same would be said about mr. hamada.
> a ph.d. in chemistry. a noted potter, and he
> became a living legend in japan.
Hamada studied at Tokyo Technical College ( a Vocational School) with
Itaya Hazan for 3 years. It was later turned into a Univeristy in
1929.
On 3/27/07, Duff bogen wrote:
> BL seems to have had a self image of a special >messenger from east to west conflated with his Ba Hai >faith and was put off when people thought different.
> Duff
Hi Duff, you are new here so you should introduce yourself.
They are not so iconoclastic here in Japan and so Leach is viewed as
"a special messenger."
His work here in Japan with Yanagi did much to preserve craftwork
and helped develop an appreication for these things. Many of these
crafts would probably have disappear with the Japanese head long run
into modernity, if it weren't for their work.
Both Leach and Hamada had wealthy patrons. I don't begrudge
them that. But understanding this helps put our economic situation in
perspective.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." -
Henry David Thoreau
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
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