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cardew post

updated sun 25 mar 07

 

Eric Hansen on fri 23 mar 07


Mel: profoundly and well spoken. While I was in
Louisville my parents brought out all kinds of
knick-knacks - some how this was supposed to relate to
clay, and I was so baffled by it I didn't know how to
react.

My Dad became a commercial artist (now they are called
"graphic designers") after attending California
College of Arts and Crafts for 3 degrees all on the Gi
Bill

The '50's and the '90's were huge resurgencies of
interest in the arts. Hopefully our ship will come in
and clay will take center stage again. There is plenty
of reason it ought to: it's autochthonous, its
terrior. Oh my god - was that ARTSPEAK? - no really -
it comes from the earth, from a locale - and with
diminishing resources everybody is going to be
learning a lot more about that. And history - the
whole nation/continent is reconnecting to historical
references as a means of signifying values - this it
throughout society. In otherwords cultural heritage
and the preservation thereof is way overdue - long
live clay
H A M B O N E
e r i c h.

--- mel jacobson wrote:

> it was a metaphor based on traveling
> folks like leach, hamada, cardew. we sort of
> all know the time frame. and, the subtle criticisms
> came
> often.
>
> of course they had great influence.
> and, we respect their opinions.
>
> but, there were pots being made all over america
> in the fifties....lots of them.
> seagrove included, and many programs in ohio, new
> york
> and california.
>
> i was just making fun a bit.
> potters are still know for making slides that appear
> stronger than the pots. and with digital
> images...phew,
> they really change.
>
> just judge a show from images.
> one might think that your selections were switched
> when the show was set up.
>
> those `giants` had great influence in america.
> we do not deny that.
> but, i agree.
> the g.i. bill opened many doors, for many folks,
> and many new programs....art included.
>
> i was in the first classes that warren mackenzie
> taught
> at the university of minnesota. one old muffle kiln
> and a used
> alpine. 12 leach kick wheels. we made all of our
> own clay.
> about 20 students. it was like my life was turned
> upside down.
> i became an art major a year later. i never looked
> back.
> and, what is most important, i learned to be an
> artist/potter/craftsman.
> i did not have natural talent or a background...my
> father was a factory
> worker, orphaned at 14. we did not know about
> `art`.
> we had `knick-knacks`.
> mel
>
> from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
> website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>
> Clayart page link:
> http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>
>
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mel jacobson on fri 23 mar 07


it was a metaphor based on traveling
folks like leach, hamada, cardew. we sort of
all know the time frame. and, the subtle criticisms came
often.

of course they had great influence.
and, we respect their opinions.

but, there were pots being made all over america
in the fifties....lots of them.
seagrove included, and many programs in ohio, new york
and california.

i was just making fun a bit.
potters are still know for making slides that appear
stronger than the pots. and with digital images...phew,
they really change.

just judge a show from images.
one might think that your selections were switched
when the show was set up.

those `giants` had great influence in america.
we do not deny that.
but, i agree.
the g.i. bill opened many doors, for many folks,
and many new programs....art included.

i was in the first classes that warren mackenzie taught
at the university of minnesota. one old muffle kiln and a used
alpine. 12 leach kick wheels. we made all of our own clay.
about 20 students. it was like my life was turned upside down.
i became an art major a year later. i never looked back.
and, what is most important, i learned to be an artist/potter/craftsman.
i did not have natural talent or a background...my father was a factory
worker, orphaned at 14. we did not know about `art`.
we had `knick-knacks`.
mel

from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/

Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html

Marcia Selsor on fri 23 mar 07


Thanks Mel.
I think my mind is foggy still. I am enjoying being back in the
sultry tropics after cold Louisville.
I am having a Mexican standoff with my electrical contractor and the
utility company.
BTW my father was a factory worker too.
I remember Cardew at the Wichta NCECA. He had a spiritual glow to him
and I got to shake his hand...
tremble..talk about AWE!
Best wishes
Marcia
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com

On Mar 23, 2007, at 8:17 AM, mel jacobson wrote:

> it was a metaphor based on traveling
> folks like leach, hamada, cardew. we sort of
> all know the time frame. and, the subtle criticisms came
> often.
>
> of course they had great influence.
> and, we respect their opinions.
>
> but, there were pots being made all over america
> in the fifties....lots of them.
> seagrove included, and many programs in ohio, new york
> and california.
>
> i was just making fun a bit.
> potters are still know for making slides that appear
> stronger than the pots. and with digital images...phew,
> they really change.
>
> just judge a show from images.
> one might think that your selections were switched
> when the show was set up.
>
> those `giants` had great influence in america.
> we do not deny that.
> but, i agree.
> the g.i. bill opened many doors, for many folks,
> and many new programs....art included.
>
> i was in the first classes that warren mackenzie taught
> at the university of minnesota. one old muffle kiln and a used
> alpine. 12 leach kick wheels. we made all of our own clay.
> about 20 students. it was like my life was turned upside down.
> i became an art major a year later. i never looked back.
> and, what is most important, i learned to be an artist/potter/
> craftsman.
> i did not have natural talent or a background...my father was a
> factory
> worker, orphaned at 14. we did not know about `art`.
> we had `knick-knacks`.
> mel
>
> from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
> website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>
> Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
>

Lee Love on sat 24 mar 07


On 3/24/07, Eric Hansen wrote:

> references as a means of signifying values - this it
> throughout society. In otherwords cultural heritage
> and the preservation thereof is way overdue - long
> live clay

Another aspect, why craft and art are even more important, is the fact
that the vast majority of folks who have always made a living with
there hands making or growing things, are finding themselves replaced
by machines and computers.

It is the same thing William and Morris, Yanagi and Leach, and
Okakura Tenshin were trying to address. If a culture values
creativity, rather than putting these folks in the streets, they could
be making art and/or craft.

Let's face it, not everybody is suited to college or
sitting behind a desk. It is simply a value choice that guides what
society will do with its excess capacity and wealth.

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
http://potters.blogspot.com/

"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." -
Henry David Thoreau

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi