JLNE on tue 30 apr 96
Several people have been astonished, surprised and perplexed at the interest
in this thread of 'Being an Artist'. Why get hung up on labels, does it really
matter, Am I or am I not...?
Labels are very important. Labels are a result of language and language is the
tool we all use to objectify the real world around us. It gives form to the
chaos of experience. It is part of being human. We tend to fit everything into
specific frameworks and typologies, categories and classifications. Language,
and labels, help us in understanding and organizing the minutae of data
gathered from every second of our life experience. Language, and labels, are
very powerful tools. What is the difference between 'black' and
'African-American'? The two are labels, but they hold different nuances of
meaning. There is rock-n-roll and then there is alternative. Both are music
but the labels with which we associate these different types of music are
important. How about Democrat and Republican? The labels we use embody a vast
foundation and background of meaning, values, philosophy, character types and
traits, cultural beliefs, and mores.
So we arrive back at the questions of 'What is an artist?' and 'Am I an
artist?', 'What is a potter?' and 'Am I a potter?' At the very basic level,
nobody can dictate how you choose to answer these questions for yourselves. It
is for each of you to determine based on the semantics of understanding and
how you define and interpret 'artist' and 'potter'.
There is also a distinction between what you do and what you are and only the
individual can say for sure. Your job profession can be that of systems
analyst, or scientist, or short-order grill cook. This is what you do. It does
not mean that this is what you are. If you do not support yourself via income
from your work with clay, but, you still do the work with clay simply because
you are compelled to, then I would say you are a potter. You may also love
what you do in your job profession, so you may also be a systems analyst, or a
scientist. This matter of Being is not restricted to a class of one nor is it
mutually exclusive.
Do not short change yourself. Regardless of what you do, or what competency
level you have achieved, if you work with clay because it is impossible for
you NOT to work with it, then you are a potter. And, since, as a potter, you
create pieces (again, regardless of the functionality) and what you create
comes from what you actively do in the process of forming, then you are an
artist. An artist creates from within using external mediums of various nature
albeit words, clay, paints, stone, etc. The artist transforms their experience
of the world around them through interpretation via their chosen medium. A
pot, a plate, a cup, an abstract form, a stylized teapot (the list goes on)
are all works of art. They bear the imprint of individualized interpretation
of experience.
So, what are you? I think a potter, and I think an artist. What do you think?
J.N.
p4337@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca on wed 1 may 96
Hi Clayarters...labeled again...
I call myself...potter/craftsperson/artist/vessel maker/mother/wife/friend/
lover/sister/teacher/dog owner/homemaker/cleaning woman/cook/driver/art
lover/kiln builder/firing tech./experimenter/woman/very lucky/happy/daughter/
etc. etc. etc....but mostly I call myself Peggy
Have a good one As Always in Clay Peggy
PEGGY HEER/Heer Pottery email: p4337@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
9702 76 AVENUE phone: 433-0290
EDMONTON, AB CANADA T6E 1K3 http://www.ffa.ucalgary.ca/artists/pheer/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Gralnik on wed 1 may 96
Peggy,
How do you fit all that on your business card?
Richard
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi Clayarters...labeled again...
> I call myself...potter/craftsperson/artist/vessel maker/mother/wife/friend/
> lover/sister/teacher/dog owner/homemaker/cleaning woman/cook/driver/art
> lover/kiln builder/firing tech./experimenter/woman/very lucky/happy/daughter/
> etc. etc. etc....but mostly I call myself Peggy
> Have a good one As Always in Clay Peggy
>
> PEGGY HEER/Heer Pottery email: p4337@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
> 9702 76 AVENUE phone: 433-0290
> EDMONTON, AB CANADA T6E 1K3 http://www.ffa.ucalgary.ca/artists/pheer/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
katie rose on sat 4 may 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Several people have been astonished, surprised and perplexed at the interest
>in this thread of 'Being an Artist'. Why get hung up on labels, does it really
>matter, Am I or am I not...?
>
>Labels are very important. Labels are a result of language and language is the
>tool we all use to objectify the real world around us. It gives form to the
>chaos of experience. It is part of being human. We tend to fit everything into
>specific frameworks and typologies, categories and classifications.
Language,
>and labels, help us in understanding and organizing the minutae of data
>gathered from every second of our life experience.
yes, language and labels do all the above. however, labels not only define,
they can CONFINE, because they also limit and exclude. to be too identified
with a particular label can be limiting as well as liberating. why be so
preoccupied with the title/label? most important is that one does what
they love, not the title they put on it (which is usually, but not always,
for the sake of others.)
on the other hand (and there are always more than two sides to every issue),
when i made up my first business card i called myself "CLAY ARTIST" and that
felt very satisfying. i do both functional and sculptural pieces, but don't
do either fulltime or in a driven manner as some would deem necessary for
that title. clay is definitely important me to me, but its place in my life
has its own rhythms and cycles. that is fine with me. being an artist is my
nature, and that manifests all the time, in whatever i do. the point at
which i personally accepted that i am an artist rather than just being
"artistic" (which somehow seemed safer), was an empowering one.
acknowledging your truth to yourself and then putting it out into the world
is, for me, what much of life is about. and it happens on many levels.
There is rock-n-roll and then there is alternative, or there is new age and
then there is classical. All are music...(i made some modifications here)
right. but musicians whose music does not fit neatly into either category
suffer (exposure-wise and financially) because of the general public's need
for a nice little identifying box to put them in. so we then invent some
sort of cross-over category that might allow them to have an identifying
label! is this really a good thing? maybe necessary for the masses, but
why do people need to put this categorization on themselves so heavily? then
they have all this angst or flack about leaking outside the boundaries of
labels.
>So, what are you? I think a potter, and I think an artist. What do you think?
that's what i think...just my 2 cents worth.
katie rose
***********************
katie rose
raven@sedona.net
"Love is the reflection of God's unity in the world of duality. It
constitutes the entire significance of creation." (Meher Baba)
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