Meretricious Pots

I always get in trouble on my blog when I quote two of my pottery heros- Micheal Cardew a fabulous maker and philosopher and now thanks to a video sent to me by my buddy Doc - Richard Batterham my favourite all time potter. Just watched this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jox9gMLEQ5E It is said in the video RB never made a meretricious pot(pots attractive to the public but have no value or integrity]. Made because someone will like them and maybe not the maker. I have to admit I have made my fair share of meretricious pots when I was raising a family and had no teaching back up. Teaching allowed me to make almost only what I wanted to make. RB says in the video put a handle on it and the pot decreases in value. Man, Richard how I know what you are saying. Now more than ever with online sales and shipping handles are even more of a liability. I have said for years handles take longer to learn than throwing and now with on line shipping there is even more reason not to learn how to make them. I dragged my sorry ass to the studio to make some pots that would be easy to ship. I looked at them and thought they ain't mine yet. I went to work on some handle combinations and then tortured them with slip and my hacksaw. I have a few thoughts in an essay on "where it all going" in the Ohio Functional Ceramics Online Catalogue https://functionalworkshop.com/?page_id=2059. It is a tribute to folks like the Owens family at Jugtown, to RB and my aunt and uncle at Pinecroft. It is also a shout out to those amazing makers that are out there breaking the rules of tradition and making meretricious pots. Looks like I've covered my ass.

here it's all going!" on the Ohio Functional