My standard line to the students is that you should know what glaze you are going to use before you make the pot. I've been guilty of not knowing what the hell we were going to do. This new direction into e-ware had me in a kerfuffle. Now that I am seeing this uptown goes downtown direction in the decoration and colour of the work I can see that the work has to change. I have always made classical historically referenced work. Today I left myself and it felt good to get the hell away. There was life back in the throwing and lots of marks of process. I made jars that look like ladies, cups with Australian upside down handles and little Tommy the Tank Engine teapots. Tomorrow we go slip slidin' away and they will all be dunked in a white slip and then the bright lights of the city will be turned on. I'm having a good time away from myself.
Comments
And isn't that the point of experimentation? Discovering something new? If we start out already knowing where we will end up, just how much of an adventure is that? Shouldn't life, and especially art, be this kind of adventure? How do we expect to find out new things, to grow, if all we've got is what we already know or can predict?
I'm not saying it isn't important to hone certain things and refine our directions, but surely that's not the only thing we should be doing? I remember the post you did from grad school when your profs told you to think about glazing that way and I was kind of confused. What ever happened to the mystery of the unknown? What about the value of serendipity? What about the sheer joys of discovery? It seems you can't get there if you don't give up at least a little control.
I guess everything in its place, but there should be at least some room for not knowing how things will turn out. Or maybe that's just me......
Liking your new direction....
andrew