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woodfirin

updated fri 1 oct 04

 

shane mickey on thu 30 sep 04


hey all
i have been lurkin on the wood issue and felt it time to put in my thoughts, all the reasons stated by each person have their merits in their situation. i totally agree that universities should be doing more for their students in terms of preping them for the "real World" To have a thirty foot anagama at a university and not address to the students that this may be unrealistic for a one man show pottery is a crime, so is neglecting the issue of marketing, sales, etc. many gaps to fill in the art/university system. All said, i have built what some consider a large anagama, holds roughly 600-800 pots depending on size. i still will be able to fire four times a year, to me woodfiring is more about the community aspect and less about some manly, smoky, bullS@#% I prefer to make my firings a social event, crazy? stupid? maybe to some, but we get the job done and get it done rather well. its a very loosely run kiln, i do have great help, experienced help! I attract very respected potters a
nd their pots. i get just as pumped about the participants work coming out as i do mine, thats where the true joy is, all the kilns in my area are able to be fired by one person, none of them are, why,
its no fun, i am not talking about drunkin fun, just good companionship, talking, etc. its not fair to label woodfiring or pigeon hole certain kiln types. its ignorant, much like my use of the english language. i do not go into anagama firing for the trend, its what i was taught early on and throughout all my education its what i kept coming back too! we do what we love, yes some are riding waves of the trendy ocean, well i feel sorry for them, i guess their large anagamas can be bomb shelters when they are finsihed with them!
shane mickey




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