I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
in art and education. It occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? It is about
discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
If there's no schools to train ceramic students, where are the future
potters? It is expensive to run a ceramics dept and difficult to
recruit ceramic students. The ceramic dept in my school (Glasgow
School of Art) is closed as well as Harrow in London. (http://
www.studiopottery.co.uk/news_item.php?id=214)
Good Crafternoon
May
My version of discipline = grit. You will need it in art or education
or pottery.
> I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
> in art and education. It occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
> at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
> the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? It is about
> discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
> is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
> theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
> there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
> art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
No shortage of ceramics students here in Jingdezhen....14,000 students studying here now at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute...Xi Ciao...another smaller art/design/ceramics college has 6,000 students....and another in Jingdezhen has an enrollment of about 5,000.
ric
"...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."
-Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III
Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher, Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China. Postal code 333001.
> Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:09:43 -0700
> Subject: *ClayCraft* Re: Pottery discipline
> From: maylukceram...@gmail.com
> To: claycraft@googlegroups.com
> If there's no schools to train ceramic students, where are the future
> potters? It is expensive to run a ceramics dept and difficult to
> recruit ceramic students. The ceramic dept in my school (Glasgow
> School of Art) is closed as well as Harrow in London. (http://
> www.studiopottery.co.uk/news_item.php?id=214)
> Good Crafternoon
> May
> My version of discipline = grit. You will need it in art or education
> or pottery.
> On Aug 16, 5:46燼m, pi-ta <petersart2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
> > in art and education. 營t occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
> > at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
> > the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? 營t is about
> > discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
> > is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
> > theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
> > there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
> > art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
What is the demographic profile of these students? What are they
studying major-wise and what are they going to do? Are they going to
be future studio potters?
Like in Japan, there is a ceramic industry to support the students for
future work in Jingdezhen. There're the appreciation for pottery and
big export business. There's also knowledge needed in the fields of
restoration and research because of the rich history of pottery in
China.
In Stoke-on-Trent, you can get a Ph.D in ceramics, but I doubt the
Ph.D's are going to be studio potters. They are scientists! The fact
is Wedgwood is manufacturing in China, we don't know if they can
survive the re-structuring. The Midlands is a waste land (ugly and
economically depressed like Little Britain) if there is no tourists to
go see the potteries.
If it's so good, why the children of the pottery workers (hard labour
type) in Jingdezhen are going to the cities for universities and study
something else?
The bottom line, pottery is donkey work and generate below average
income (checked it in the library) , it makes sense to think hard
about it before one spends thousands of dollars in college tuition on
it.
Regards
May
Brooklyn NY
That's only my take. My parents are non-English speaking immigrants in
the US and they worked very hard to send me to college. You can
understand my position. I am already very spoiled to do what I pleased
and go to art schools. but I always have to keep an eye on profits
(haha! as if) because I have responsibilities.
On Aug 20, 7:54 pm, Ric Swenson <ricswenson0...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> No shortage of ceramics students here in Jingdezhen....14,000 students studying here now at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute...Xi Ciao...another smaller art/design/ceramics college has 6,000 students....and another in Jingdezhen has an enrollment of about 5,000.
> ric
> "...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."
> -Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III
> Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
> Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute,
> TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
> JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
> Postal code 333001.
> > If there's no schools to train ceramic students, where are the future
> > potters? It is expensive to run a ceramics dept and difficult to
> > recruit ceramic students. The ceramic dept in my school (Glasgow
> > School of Art) is closed as well as Harrow in London. (http://
> >www.studiopottery.co.uk/news_item.php?id=214)
> > Good Crafternoon
> > May
> > My version of discipline = grit. You will need it in art or education
> > or pottery.
> > On Aug 16, 5:46燼m, pi-ta <petersart2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
> > > in art and education. 營t occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
> > > at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
> > > the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? 營t is about
> > > discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
> > > is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
> > > theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
> > > there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
> > > art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
'Studio potters' is a term not often used here in China....although the concept is rapidly growing....most study traditional Chinese forming, decoration, design for table or for art....they come here to study art and design....a few come tolearn about language and international trade...many come to become ceramic engineers...on the cutting edges of materials science....glorified geologists....hehe. They come from villages...towns and cities all over China....they have almost NO chance to travel in China let alone the world...They are learning from the internet...about the world outside....
Most of the WORKERS here do ONE thing...throw...or trim...or decorate....or fire kilns....they have real jobs.....Some...the most talented...become designers...creative thinkers....they travel abroad and soak up Western theory....
With so many people here...1.4 Billion....people are mostly happy to have work...and eat... and have a family...
Some will be fortunate enough to become famous through their decorations ..... throwers do not have the status to become famous...and decorators / painters... will teach or produce works that sell for high prices...they are the few that will someday own a car and a house of their own.
My oral English students want to become succesful in doing business...or becoming English teachers, or tour guides. My ceramics grads want to find work in a company that needs their design skills...and a few dream of being a studio potter...with their own workshop.
Most of my English students are young women....who at age 20 have never been on a date....they are too busy studying to triffle with love....it is a different world in some ways...
always interesting...far from my Iowa roots and Anchorage up-bringing....
Ric
"...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."
-Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III
Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher, Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China. Postal code 333001.
> Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:00:05 -0700
> Subject: *ClayCraft* Re: Pottery discipline
> From: maylukceram...@gmail.com
> To: claycraft@googlegroups.com
> Ric,
> What is the demographic profile of these students? What are they
> studying major-wise and what are they going to do? Are they going to
> be future studio potters?
> Like in Japan, there is a ceramic industry to support the students for
> future work in Jingdezhen. There're the appreciation for pottery and
> big export business. There's also knowledge needed in the fields of
> restoration and research because of the rich history of pottery in
> China.
> In Stoke-on-Trent, you can get a Ph.D in ceramics, but I doubt the
> Ph.D's are going to be studio potters. They are scientists! The fact
> is Wedgwood is manufacturing in China, we don't know if they can
> survive the re-structuring. The Midlands is a waste land (ugly and
> economically depressed like Little Britain) if there is no tourists to
> go see the potteries.
> If it's so good, why the children of the pottery workers (hard labour
> type) in Jingdezhen are going to the cities for universities and study
> something else?
> The bottom line, pottery is donkey work and generate below average
> income (checked it in the library) , it makes sense to think hard
> about it before one spends thousands of dollars in college tuition on
> it.
> Regards
> May
> Brooklyn NY
> That's only my take. My parents are non-English speaking immigrants in
> the US and they worked very hard to send me to college. You can
> understand my position. I am already very spoiled to do what I pleased
> and go to art schools. but I always have to keep an eye on profits
> (haha! as if) because I have responsibilities.
> On Aug 20, 7:54 pm, Ric Swenson <ricswenson0...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > No shortage of ceramics students here in Jingdezhen....14,000 students studying here now at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute...Xi Ciao...another smaller art/design/ceramics college has 6,000 students....and another in Jingdezhen has an enrollment of about 5,000.
> > ric
> > "...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."
> > -Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III
> > Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
> > Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute,
> > TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
> > JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
> > Postal code 333001.
> > > If there's no schools to train ceramic students, where are the future
> > > potters? It is expensive to run a ceramics dept and difficult to
> > > recruit ceramic students. The ceramic dept in my school (Glasgow
> > > School of Art) is closed as well as Harrow in London. (http://
> > >www.studiopottery.co.uk/news_item.php?id=214)
> > > Good Crafternoon
> > > May
> > > My version of discipline = grit. You will need it in art or education
> > > or pottery.
> > > On Aug 16, 5:46燼m, pi-ta <petersart2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
> > > > in art and education. 營t occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
> > > > at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
> > > > the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? 營t is about
> > > > discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
> > > > is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
> > > > theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
> > > > there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
> > > > art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
May, at Tacoma Community College our classes are overflowing! Ceramics is
the largest division in the Art Department. We normally run three sections
and have quite a bit of open studio time for students to work outside of
class. When we have enough recycled clay there is no charge to use it.
We have two workstudy students who recycle clay in our deairing pugmill and
a studio Technician. Our clay club has two sales a year and has endowed a
scholarship for students who wish to pursue a degree in ceramics. We teach
hand building and wheel throwing, but leave sculpture to the sculpture
class. We have three gas kilns, a raku kiln and three electric kilns in our
covered kiln yard. We could use more studio space and could then add a
fourth section of ceramics. We train students to make pots and if they go
on far enough in our program we have them do some series production. Both
teachers are/have been studio potters and continue to make and exhibit work.
The ceramics classes run anywhere from 154% to 127% of the cap in the class.
We offer a six quarter program which takes two years to complete plus there
is a class for independent study where students can investigate a special
problem. Our students learn to fire our kiln, and through the clay club
participate in soda and wood fire. Our clay club hosts two to three
workshops each year (Hank Murrow was a presenter for our students).
We also take students abroad to an international ceramics conference and do
exchanges with universities overseas during a two week period in the summer.
Next year we have Tokyo National University of Fine Art coming with 15
students and one or two teachers for the intensive two week program where
our students will work alongside the students from Tokyo.
Having talked to folks in the UK it seems that someone wants to destroy the
ceramics programs there. (I know some of the folks from Harrow) it seems
only University College for the Creative Arts in Farnham is in good shape,
due in no small part to the efforts of Magdalene Odundo (who was made OBE in
the last couple of years).
So to answer your question institutions like TCC are hard at work training
the next generation of potters.
Rick Mahaffey
Tacoma, WA
On 8/20/09 4:09 PM, "May Luk Ceramics" <maylukceram...@gmail.com> wrote:
> If there's no schools to train ceramic students, where are the future
> potters? It is expensive to run a ceramics dept and difficult to
> recruit ceramic students. The ceramic dept in my school (Glasgow
> School of Art) is closed as well as Harrow in London. (http://
> www.studiopottery.co.uk/news_item.php?id=214)
> Good Crafternoon
> May
> My version of discipline = grit. You will need it in art or education
> or pottery.
> On Aug 16, 5:46 am, pi-ta <petersart2...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
>> in art and education. It occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
>> at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
>> the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? It is about
>> discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
>> is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
>> theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
>> there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
>> art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
Northern Clay Center is hopping. The class I am group teaching was full before I could announce it.
Folks who study there are there for the love of clay and not for credit or a job. The begginer wheel work always struck me as being better than the beginning wheel work at the UofMN.
-- Lee Love in Minneapolis http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
Lee, perhaps it is the environment at NCC that causes the beginners to make
better work there.
Many students at TCC start for the credit, but many in our area had clay
class in High school and they want to continue. The ones who go on to our
full program and then a 4 year school are in it for the love of clay and
creating.
Rick
On 8/20/09 9:37 PM, "Lee" <toge...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Northern Clay Center is hopping. The class I am group teaching was
> full before I could announce it.
> Folks who study there are there for the love of clay
> and not for credit or a job. The begginer wheel work always struck
> me as being better than the beginning wheel work at the UofMN.
> --
> Lee Love in Minneapolis
> http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ > "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
> faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant
> and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
> Lee, perhaps it is the environment at NCC that causes the beginners to make > better work there.
No doubt.
At the U, I ran into some BFAs looking for a easy 3D clays. They rarely liked getting dirty or cleaning up. The most enthusiastic folks were taking extension classes. They were only there for the clay. After the beginning classes and "weeding out", the pots became much better.
-- Lee Love in Minneapolis http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
This is a complex phenomenon. I would say that most institutions of
higher education in ceramics has shifted to the purely visual aspects
of clay-as-art, as opposed to either craft or industrial design of
functional things. This has two root causes (1) in our society we have
lost touch with how things are put together and how things are made.
We cant build and make even market driven items like cars and TV's
competitively. We aren't in the competition in most things on the
market. Banking was supposed to serve as the white knight as the
decline in industrial and manufacturing increased. Oops! (2) The arts
aren't funded like they used to be in higher education in general.
This is partly because the industrial base which once used these
institutions as research and development engines don't have the
momentum, but also because financial institutions which is where the
emphasis has shifted see their role very differently, they don't
require lab research. Thus, money for higher education has been less
likely to fund the arts (or even I dare say, "Arts and Letters"), and
more likely to accumulate in banks. Most endowment funds are at record
levels today, while programs continue to get cut.
Anyway, the shift in pottery education has moved towards 2-year
community colleges, community-supported art centers, pottery co-ops,
and privately owned pot shops which offer studio space, classroom
instruction, open studio, communal firings, rental kiln space,
supplies and materials for sale. They make use of the clay community
for instruction, DVD's, workshops, demos, internet, books, etc. I
don't think there is any less of it going on - I think there is
probably more of it.
The fact that higher education has dropped the ball means they have
lost out on a lucrative "cash cow". Some schools continue to use the
pottery studio for elective courses, yet offer no major in craft. I
think Bill Schran recently posted to ClayArt describing the ins and
outs of the FTE formula. Art departments everywhere are hurting. The
1960's and the 1990's brought record enrollments in the arts, but it
is on the down-hill again.
The issue at stake is what can one do to help support, especially, the
visual arts, crafts, and design? Probably the best answer is some form
of community building. The cross-roads district in Kansas City and
Williamsburg in Brooklyn are two excellent examples. Forums like
ClayCraft and ClayCraft are too. I recently started a new forum called
the 2% group for Louisville's 1960's hip community who have moved on
to creative and community building careers. You get a sense of that in
some of my Facebook postings.
Richard Bresnahan (potter) recently discussed (in Chronicle of Higher
Education Review - I posted the details on my blog site) how higher ed
had better start getting involved in community building rather than
the old, student, graduate, alum pattern. He visualizes how one
becomes a life-time stake holder in the institution and it's services.
They may be forced to do this to survive, if they get the message.
p e a c e
h a n s e n
americanpotter.blogspot.com
On Aug 20, 7:09 pm, May Luk Ceramics <maylukceram...@gmail.com> wrote:
> If there's no schools to train ceramic students, where are the future
> potters? It is expensive to run a ceramics dept and difficult to
> recruit ceramic students. The ceramic dept in my school (Glasgow
> School of Art) is closed as well as Harrow in London. (http://www.studiopottery.co.uk/news_item.php?id=214)
> Good Crafternoon
> May
> My version of discipline = grit. You will need it in art or education
> or pottery.
> On Aug 16, 5:46 am, pi-ta <petersart2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I often see comments about the demise of pottery, as a discipline and
> > in art and education. It occurs to me I haven't been dialoging this
> > at all, and only continuing along by myself as a maker. Really though
> > the practice of pottery is not about me, is it? It is about
> > discipline and learning. Discipline, meaning to follow, and learning,
> > is misunderstood to be about words, books, data, ideas, opinion, and
> > theory. With clay I follow the material, the forces, and learning,
> > there is an integration of the maker and the material. Actually it is
> > art and education that is in demise, not pottery.
On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 12:37 AM, Lee <toge...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Northern Clay Center is hopping. The class I am group teaching was > full before I could announce it.
> Folks who study there are there for the love of clay > and not for credit or a job. The begginer wheel work always struck > me as being better than the beginning wheel work at the UofMN.
I was just talking about this to an acquaintance. It seemed to me that the students who are taking clay at the art center where I teach have fewer hang ups and pressures than students at the universities I have been around. I think the pressure of not only the grade but also having preconceived ideas and expectations tenses the students up. Their pots tend to be, at least in my opinion, more... self conscious.
On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 4:31 PM, Eric Alan Hansen<kansaspot...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Richard Bresnahan (potter) recently discussed (in Chronicle of Higher > Education Review - I posted the details on my blog site) how higher ed > had better start getting involved in community building rather than > the old, student, graduate, alum pattern. He visualizes how one > becomes a life-time stake holder in the institution and it's services. > They may be forced to do this to survive, if they get the message.
Maybe local clay centers and community colleges are better at community building than Universities or Colleges.
-- Lee Love in Minneapolis http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 4:31 PM, Eric Alan Hansen<kansaspot...@gmail.com> wrote: > Richard Bresnahan (potter) recently discussed (in Chronicle of Higher > Education Review - I posted the details on my blog site)
Eric, can you give us the link. I can't find it at your blog.
-- Lee Love in Minneapolis http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
-- Lee Love in Minneapolis http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
I posted on Feb. 6. The edition is Feb. 13. I really don't knoe if I
still have the copy and even if i do getting a PDF on a large format
book will be a challenge, I may just have to xerox and snail mail.
h a n s e n
On Aug 21, 7:01 pm, Lee <toge...@gmail.com> wrote:
> --
> Lee Love in Minneapolishttp://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ > "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
> faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant
> and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
Richard is fortunate, having the Brothers supporting him. That would tend to create an automatic community.
I've been doing the Farmers Market to make contact with my neighbors. I hope to do other things directly from my studio.
-- Lee Love in Minneapolis http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/ "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." -- Albert Einstein
Education suffers because the image of education is success. This is
true for students, teachers and the institutions. You probably have
wondered how you work, what you do, and what is actually at the root
of your skill and talent. Did you ever seriously see it as a
materialistic, quantitative, occupational activity? Why is the
materialistic, quantitative, approach to education in existence? It's
as if all the people involved in Education are not thinking and there
is some strange animal operating in a system, and everyone wants it to
survive at any cost.
On Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 7:26 PM, pi-ta <petersart2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Education suffers because the image of education is success. This is
> true for students, teachers and the institutions. You probably have
> wondered how you work, what you do, and what is actually at the root
> of your skill and talent. Did you ever seriously see it as a
> materialistic, quantitative, occupational activity? Why is the
> materialistic, quantitative, approach to education in existence? It's
> as if all the people involved in Education are not thinking and there
> is some strange animal operating in a system, and everyone wants it to
> survive at any cost.
> Education suffers because the image of education is success. This is > true for students, teachers and the institutions.
Dear pi-ta;
I would like to relate a story concerning my first pottery teacher's beginning(first day) lecture at the U of Oregon. Bob James said about the kilns, "There is a priority system in place for the use of the kilns(numbering six gas and five electrics); one who has never fired a kiln has first priority, then liberal arts majors, then arts majors, then ceramics majors, then ceramics grad students, then ceramics GTFs, and last...... faculty."
Naturally, I took him up on the offer six weeks into my first ceramics class, when he said the ware was piling up on the glaze carts. So I loaded up the eight cuft Alpine with class ware and some Voulkos pots left after his workshop a couple of weeks before. I was staring at the Alpine at 10pm that night wondering when the cones would 'come into view', when local potter David Stannard came 'round the studio and asked how the kiln was doing.
I said, "The cones have not come into view yet, but it looks pretty hot." David looked into the spy and said it did indeed look pretty hot, and perhaps I should make a drawing on the blackboard of how the kiln looked before I started firing............ and he left. I did the drawing and soon figured that the cones had gone already and shut it off. I came around to the studio @ noon the next day and someone said, "Bob is looking for you." So I went to his office and he said, "Looks like you got the Alpine pretty hot."
I related the visit with David and showed him the drawing on the blackboard; and Bob pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it and said, "If you could get started now, I think you might have it repaired and firing again by dinnertime." Well, I replaced the five SiC shelves which were broken and full of melted pots, replaced the radiants, and salvaged the Voulkos pots(70% Lincoln 60 and 30% sand) which remained unmelted and actually held up the shelves(Voulkos later said those were among the best he ever had from a workshop!). We later surmised that the fire had gone to around C18. If I had not been a potter before that moment with Bob, I certainly was afterwards. The permission to make decisions and fail(or succeed) was the main thing with Bob(and David), and I have now built over 120 kilns and never overfired again.
I was so lucky in my beginnings to have teachers like Bob James, David Stannard, Hamada, and the others I have mentioned here before...... all of whom valued my learning over a piece of equipment or the appearance of my work. I sometimes wonder if anyone has ever been so lucky. David Stannard died this year @ 83 on August 30th....... a valued friend and teacher since 1958. He once said to me, "Hank, you're all starts and no beginnings". In the years since his remark, I have pondered those words, and in doing so, found a superb beginning.
>> Education suffers because the image of education is success. This is
>> true for students, teachers and the institutions.
> Dear pi-ta;
> I would like to relate a story concerning my first pottery teacher's
> beginning(first day) lecture at the U of Oregon. Bob James said about
> the kilns, "There is a priority system in place for the use of the
> kilns(numbering six gas and five electrics); one who has never fired
> a kiln has first priority, then liberal arts majors, then arts
> majors, then ceramics majors, then ceramics grad students, then
> ceramics GTFs, and last...... faculty."
> Naturally, I took him up on the offer six weeks into my first
> ceramics class, when he said the ware was piling up on the glaze
> carts. So I loaded up the eight cuft Alpine with class ware and some
> Voulkos pots left after his workshop a couple of weeks before. I was
> staring at the Alpine at 10pm that night wondering when the cones
> would 'come into view', when local potter David Stannard came 'round
> the studio and asked how the kiln was doing.
> I said, "The cones have not come into view yet, but it looks pretty
> hot." David looked into the spy and said it did indeed look pretty
> hot, and perhaps I should make a drawing on the blackboard of how the
> kiln looked before I started firing............ and he left. I did
> the drawing and soon figured that the cones had gone already and shut
> it off. I came around to the studio @ noon the next day and someone
> said, "Bob is looking for you." So I went to his office and he said,
> "Looks like you got the Alpine pretty hot."
> I related the visit with David and showed him the drawing on the
> blackboard; and Bob pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it and
> said, "If you could get started now, I think you might have it
> repaired and firing again by dinnertime." Well, I replaced the five
> SiC shelves which were broken and full of melted pots, replaced the
> radiants, and salvaged the Voulkos pots(70% Lincoln 60 and 30% sand)
> which remained unmelted and actually held up the shelves(Voulkos
> later said those were among the best he ever had from a workshop!).
> We later surmised that the fire had gone to around C18. If I had not
> been a potter before that moment with Bob, I certainly was
> afterwards. The permission to make decisions and fail(or succeed) was
> the main thing with Bob(and David), and I have now built over 120
> kilns and never overfired again.
> I was so lucky in my beginnings to have teachers like Bob James,
> David Stannard, Hamada, and the others I have mentioned here
> before...... all of whom valued my learning over a piece of equipment
> or the appearance of my work. I sometimes wonder if anyone has ever
> been so lucky. David Stannard died this year @ 83 on August
> 30th....... a valued friend and teacher since 1958. He once said to
> me, "Hank, you're all starts and no beginnings". In the years since
> his remark, I have pondered those words, and in doing so, found a
> superb beginning.
I am glad that you survived your first experience with firing a kiln. It must be nice to have unlimited budget like Uof O must have had then.
In today's climate I would never turn a student loose on a kiln without any training and supervision. The dangers are just too great (to the student and the program, these days). I like to have more advanced students mentor the less experienced students that way they both learn!
We stress taikng care of equipment and thinking ( and getting a little training) before you use something. That way our equipment stays in good shape for the next user. This method begins to instill consideration for others IMHO.
----- Original Message ----- From: "mary grace" <marygr...@pacbell.net> To: claycraft@googlegroups.com Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 8:26:53 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: *ClayCraft* Re: Pottery discipline
dear hank- thank you for that story. i appreciate it. mg On Oct 18, 2009, at 11:30 PM, Hank Murrow wrote:
> On Oct 18, 2009, at 7:26 PM, pi-ta wrote:
>> Education suffers because the image of education is success. This is >> true for students, teachers and the institutions.
> Dear pi-ta;
> I would like to relate a story concerning my first pottery teacher's > beginning(first day) lecture at the U of Oregon. Bob James said about > the kilns, "There is a priority system in place for the use of the > kilns(numbering six gas and five electrics); one who has never fired > a kiln has first priority, then liberal arts majors, then arts > majors, then ceramics majors, then ceramics grad students, then > ceramics GTFs, and last...... faculty."
> Naturally, I took him up on the offer six weeks into my first > ceramics class, when he said the ware was piling up on the glaze > carts. So I loaded up the eight cuft Alpine with class ware and some > Voulkos pots left after his workshop a couple of weeks before. I was > staring at the Alpine at 10pm that night wondering when the cones > would 'come into view', when local potter David Stannard came 'round > the studio and asked how the kiln was doing.
> I said, "The cones have not come into view yet, but it looks pretty > hot." David looked into the spy and said it did indeed look pretty > hot, and perhaps I should make a drawing on the blackboard of how the > kiln looked before I started firing............ and he left. I did > the drawing and soon figured that the cones had gone already and shut > it off. I came around to the studio @ noon the next day and someone > said, "Bob is looking for you." So I went to his office and he said, > "Looks like you got the Alpine pretty hot."
> I related the visit with David and showed him the drawing on the > blackboard; and Bob pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it and > said, "If you could get started now, I think you might have it > repaired and firing again by dinnertime." Well, I replaced the five > SiC shelves which were broken and full of melted pots, replaced the > radiants, and salvaged the Voulkos pots(70% Lincoln 60 and 30% sand) > which remained unmelted and actually held up the shelves(Voulkos > later said those were among the best he ever had from a workshop!). > We later surmised that the fire had gone to around C18. If I had not > been a potter before that moment with Bob, I certainly was > afterwards. The permission to make decisions and fail(or succeed) was > the main thing with Bob(and David), and I have now built over 120 > kilns and never overfired again.
> I was so lucky in my beginnings to have teachers like Bob James, > David Stannard, Hamada, and the others I have mentioned here > before...... all of whom valued my learning over a piece of equipment > or the appearance of my work. I sometimes wonder if anyone has ever > been so lucky. David Stannard died this year @ 83 on August > 30th....... a valued friend and teacher since 1958. He once said to > me, "Hank, you're all starts and no beginnings". In the years since > his remark, I have pondered those words, and in doing so, found a > superb beginning.
> dear hank- > thank you for that story. i appreciate it.
Dear Mary Grace;
Sorry it was so long, but real learning does take awhile. When recalling that day, I am always astonished at how my life path was altered...... and I had no idea at the time!
In teaching at many institutions around and out of the country, I have never found a supportive and clear-eyed pedagogy to equal what I experienced at Oregon..... though I have tried to emulate the concern for the student and their learning wherever I find myself.
On Oct 19, 2009, at 9:13 AM, rickmahaf...@comcast.net wrote:
> Hank, > I am glad that you survived your first experience with firing a > kiln. It must be nice to have unlimited budget like Uof O must > have had then.
Actually, $$ were very tight at that time, and I did receive instruction, but perhaps the supervision could have been improved.
> In today's climate I would never turn a student loose on a kiln > without any training and supervision. The dangers are just too > great (to the student and the program, these days). I like to have > more advanced students mentor the less experienced students that > way they both learn!
OK. I appreciate that it is more difficult in community colleges than it was in the universities. Wee had a lot of autonomy in the 50s.
> We stress taikng care of equipment and thinking ( and getting a > little training) before you use something. That way our equipment > stays in good shape for the next user. This method begins to > instill consideration for others IMHO.
I appreciate that point of view, and revere the way it worked out for me and the subsequent program at the U of Oregon. I went on to earn a BS degree there and then the MFA. those 120 kilns I built after that experience were pretty much a direct result of how the incident was handled by Bob and David.
BTW, when I became a Graduate Teaching Fellow, Bill Welch and I were responsible for teaching and scheduling the use of the kilns, which by then numbered around 18...... all but one designed and built in- house. Bill and I divided up the kilns and did an intro session followed by careful clandestine supervision. The idea was that each student firing the kiln had to feel they were in charge, and that we were available if needed.
The first prioity going to the one who never fired before held up until Bob and David retired. Now, it is just like anywhere else...... more's the Pity.
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