mel jacobson on thu 3 nov 11
anything a crafts person or artist decides
to do will always be `their` business.
many of us point out how we do it.
how we think, how we proceed.
it is about the history of the craft. the how and
why.
i did that as a teacher and still do.
it is not right and wrong, it is being
one's self.
i have not spent one minute of a sleepless
night worrying what someone else may
or may not do in their work.
but, as a senior, well educated and experienced potter/teacher
i may have critical things to say...that is
being a critic. i earned that right.
again, it does not mean right or wrong.
it only means that it is my opinion.
if i hate a movie i will tell friends that
it is rotten. why would i lie... to be pc?
if i see a bad group of pots in cm, i tell
friends that i saw some crappy things in cm.
would i lie? be pc? hell no.
if someone comes to me for a critique i tell the
truth, according to me. the fairest and best
way i know how. if they ask, tell the truth.
then they have something to work with.
if they just want praise, ask them to go to their family.
making glaze, like firing your own kiln, and
designing your own forms makes for a total
crafts person. anything you pass to others
to make your work complete just takes away
from the whole process.
it is not about cost, it is about process.
when i collaborate, it is done with the knowledge
and excitement to solve a problem. all parties
get equal credit, or blame if the thing goes in the toilet.
if i use another person's glaze recipe i name it after them.
full credit. that too is another form of collaboration.
if you steal others recipes, and call them your own, makes
you a cheat.
it would never be cheating to ask ron roy to design a glaze
for you...have him tweak your glaze...ask john hesselberth for
information on cone 6 glazes....that would be called `smart`.
if you like one of john britt's glazes..fine and dandy...just remember
where you got it. give credit.
so- it is work, so- it is hard to do, so- you have
to stay up late...so what?
it is the process that is important.
it would be like i told my swimmers for 17 years.
`if you do anything to cheapen your victory, if you cheat
in any way...you have lost the race`.
i admire folks that take on the struggle to make the entire
process their own, their own voice.
how `you` want to do anything is your business.
you own it. then you must defend it.
just a fact.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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