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how can we relate? art or craft?

updated thu 27 dec 07

 

Dale Neese on tue 25 dec 07


At this start of a new year.....

The old adage of "is it Art or Craft" still haunts us, the makers of Clay
objects. Some, but not all retail craft markets are becoming nothing more
than a flea market when you're set up next to someone making shinny earrings
out of cast off tin foil or imported pre-made, recycled.... ..stuff. Kell,
anybody can do it. Recently over heard at a recent fair, two men walking
outside their wife's continued ducking into artist's tents......"in 2 years
all of this "stuff" will be in somebody's garage sale."

But can the makers of hair bows from glitter punch thrown outs from the
dumpster "do Clay" as good as we can on ClayArt do it? Kell no..!

Lift yourself, change your attitude, change their attitude, start your own
Clay "Art" market in town, move away from mass production pottery for a
dime's profit. Don't go to fairs where the main attraction is a tractor
pull. Still make things that the average buying public can understand, mugs,
bowls but....... if you sell them cheaper than Wal-Mart....... we are all in
trouble!
You are an Artist now if you take your work on the road. Not a "Starving
Artist" Your very soul goes through your hands into that clay just as a
painter's brush strokes goes to the raw canvas. Do your masterpieces! Both
functional and Sculptural. You have to have both I believe. Don't wait to do
those things that you "need to do and want to do" beyond your bread and
butter keepers, those 3 dimensional, eye, soul grabbers! It's in you. Do
painter's today mix their own oil paints? Do they do earth chemistry? Wait
for days for results? Ehhhhh...Maybe egg tempera and plaster, way, way back
in time. Just as the same time great pottery was being created and still it
out last paintings..... off the ocean floor.......... just as beautiful as
the day it was created........well, of course, unless you drop it......or
bury hundreds of Terra-cotta soldiers in the dirt by your tomb.
Can we as Clay "Artist" take it to the next level?

See this article:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ART_BOOM?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=ENTERTAINMENT

Best Wishes to every "ClayArt.. ist" for a prosperous and healthy 2008!

Dale Tex
"across the alley from the Alamo"
San Antonio, Texas USA
www.daleneese.com

Gay Judson on wed 26 dec 07


Following on Dale's comments I suggest this blog's current post for consideration: http://emvergeoning.com/
Do you practice your art?
Gay Judson, also in San Antonio, TX