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how the unknown craftsman became unknown! was signing pots

updated wed 18 jul 12

 

Lili Krakowski on tue 17 jul 12


There was this craftsman who signed his pots. He marked them clearly, =3D
legibly.
He had a fairly common name--John Doe-- so he made sure his signature =3D
was a bit "special".

And this was great. =3D20

People ignorant of pottery would see his work
at friends' houses and learn how to identify it, so that at shops
with the usual badly informed clerks, they still could find the =3D
"correct" pots.

Because, particularly in times when potters are "influenced" by specific =
=3D
styles
or designs, identification is not easy. ( A few years back the market =3D
was glutted by=3D20
pots with lids skewered on by antlers, twigs, slivers of bamboo....
Original once. D=3DE9ja vu, p.d.q.)

And doesn't Rhodes tell the story of a master potter --was it =3D
Hamada?--who would not
let an apprentice "graduate". Then, one day, the Master abruptly told =3D
the apprentice to gather his stuff and get out! The horrified =3D
apprentice asked how he had offended to be dismissed so brusquely. And =
=3D
Master said: "This morning I came in and mistook one of your pots for =3D
mine."

Anyway. John Doe signed his pots, and sold them well. Until Snooty =3D
Fairy
told him it was "classy", "chic", "cool" not to sign one's pots. Why, =3D
said SF, your work is so distinctive
anyone with half a brain will recognize it anywhere, any time.

So John stopped signing. This worked a while, but after a year or so
a friend bought one of John's pots at a garage sale! And another
reported finding one of John's pots in a dumpster when a little old =3D
woman's house
was cleaned out after her death...

But John was proud. Anyone of any merit will recognize my pots! SF is =3D
right! No signatures!

The cognoscenti still collected his pots. But that was it. No more word =
=3D
of mouth,
no more mention of his name among the vast majority of folk who are not =3D
fontanelle deep in clay.
Then the as-ever-fickle cognoscenti moved on to "madder music and =3D
stronger wine". And that
was that.

Does anyone else remember a true high point of the JFK Inauguration =3D
events, when a dear little interviewer asked Rose Kennedy "whose" gown =3D
she was wearing? And Mrs K replied: "This? It's a Mainbocher". And the =
=3D
little girl said ""Main who?".=3D20

By all means don't sign your work. It will create more sales for the =3D
rest of us.








Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage

Ben Morrison on tue 17 jul 12


I see MacKenzie style pots on Ebay all the time being sold as MacKenzie's w=
=3D
ork. I wonder if they are really MacKenzie's every single time as I know th=
=3D
ere is a body of unsigned works out there. And who would know if they are n=
=3D
ot stamped. Anyone with out ethics could make a decent living selling "MacK=
=3D
enzie pots" instead of making their own identity. For me, my pots aren't wo=
=3D
rth much, I don't have a big following and no one knows who I am. Even stil=
=3D
l I'm letting myself and my customers down if I don't uniquely identify and=
=3D
express ownership of my own work. For they may wish to give me piles of mo=
=3D
ney, and may instead give it to someone else for work they think is mine. I=
=3D
t's especially true for any of you who are actually some what note worthy. =
=3D
But I suspect I'm preaching to the choir, as most of you who are not worthy=
=3D
already know. At any rate I rebuke the notion that potters should not sign=
=3D
pots, for whatever reason anyone might have.=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AI've also heard=
the i=3D
dea that it's not about the money. Ok, I'll agree, it's not about the money=
=3D
, but even still, can anyone operate indefinitely with out infusions of cas=
=3D
h? So really, even if it is all about the work, or the art, it's still abou=
=3D
t the money, because the art cannot exist with out it. Even the poor painte=
=3D
rs of the renaissance era had to hock their talents to the local wealth, be=
=3D
cause everybody's got to eat, whether they have principles or not.=3D0A=3D0=
A=3D0A=3D
-Ben=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A________________________________=3D0A From: Lili Kr=
akowski lkrakowski@CITLINK.NET>=3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG =3D0ASent: Tuesday=
, Ju=3D
ly 17, 2012 5:35 AM=3D0ASubject: How the Unknown Craftsman became Unknown!=
W=3D
as signing pots=3D0A =3D0AThere=3DA0 was this craftsman who signed his pots=
.=3DA0 H=3D
e marked them clearly, legibly.=3D0AHe had a fairly common name--John Doe--=
s=3D
o he made sure his signature was a bit "special".=3D0A=3D0AAnd this was gre=
at.=3D
=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0APeople ignorant of=3DA0 pottery would see=3DA0 his work=3D0=
Aat friends'=3D
houses and=3DA0 learn how to identify it, so that at shops=3D0Awith the us=
ual=3D
=3DA0 badly informed clerks, they still could find the "correct" pots.=3D0A=
=3D0AB=3D
ecause, particularly in times when potters are "influenced" by specific sty=
=3D
les=3D0Aor designs, identification is not easy. ( A few years back the mark=
et=3D
was glutted by =3D0Apots with lids skewered on by antlers, twigs, slivers =
of=3D
bamboo....=3D0AOriginal once.=3DA0 D=3DE9ja vu, p.d.q.)=3D0A=3D0AAnd doesn=
't Rhodes =3D
tell the story of a master potter --was it Hamada?--who would not=3D0Alet a=
n =3D
apprentice "graduate".=3DA0 Then, one day, the Master abruptly told the app=
re=3D
ntice to gather his stuff and get out!=3DA0 The horrified apprentice asked =
ho=3D
w he had offended to be=3DA0 dismissed so brusquely.=3DA0 And Master said: =
"Thi=3D
s morning I came in and mistook one of your pots for mine."=3D0A=3D0AAnyway=
. Jo=3D
hn Doe signed his pots, and sold them well.=3DA0 Until=3DA0 Snooty Fairy=3D=
0Atold=3D
him it was "classy", "chic", "cool"=3DA0 not to sign one's pots. Why, said=
S=3D
F, your work is so distinctive=3D0Aanyone with half a brain will recognize =
it=3D
anywhere, any time.=3D0A=3D0ASo John stopped signing.=3DA0 This worked=3DA=
0 a whi=3D
le, but after a year or so=3D0Aa friend=3DA0 bought one=3DA0 of John's pots=
at a =3D
garage sale!=3DA0 And another=3D0Areported finding one of John's pots in a =
dump=3D
ster when a little old woman's house=3D0Awas cleaned out after her death...=
=3D
=3D0A=3D0ABut John was proud.=3DA0 Anyone of any merit will recognize my po=
ts!=3DA0=3D
SF is right!=3DA0 No signatures!=3D0A=3D0AThe cognoscenti still collected =
his po=3D
ts. But that was it.=3DA0 No more word of mouth,=3D0Ano more mention of his=
nam=3D
e among the vast majority of folk who are not fontanelle deep in clay.=3D0A=
Th=3D
en the as-ever-fickle cognoscenti moved on to "madder music and stronger wi=
=3D
ne".=3DA0 And that=3D0Awas that.=3D0A=3D0ADoes anyone else remember a true =
high poi=3D
nt of the JFK Inauguration events, when a dear little interviewer asked Ros=
=3D
e Kennedy "whose" gown she was wearing?=3DA0 And Mrs K replied: "This? It's=
a=3D
Mainbocher".=3DA0 And the=3DA0 little girl said ""Main who?". =3D0A=3D0ABy=
all mea=3D
ns don't sign your work.=3DA0 It will create more sales for the rest of us.=
=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0ALili Krakowski=3D0ABe of good =
courage

Des & Jan Howard on wed 18 jul 12


Then John's peers & colleagues thought, "Hmmm... this
is a good idea, I'll include other details so that
having recognised the potter's name there will also be
the date of making, my address, my email, my website,
my GPS co-ordinates & my inside leg measurements."
Snort!
I use small & very small typemetal stamps with workshop
name only.
Des

On 17/07/2012 10:35 PM, Lili Krakowski wrote:
> There was this craftsman who signed his pots. He marked them clearly, l=
egibly.
> He had a fairly common name--John Doe-- so he made sure his signature was=
a bit "special".
>
> And this was great.
>
> People ignorant of pottery would see his work
> at friends' houses and learn how to identify it, so that at shops
> with the usual badly informed clerks, they still could find the "correct=
" pots.


--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624