Thursday, April 1, 2010

Trivial pursuits

Here are some of the test bowls using the glazes at Laura's studio. TADA! I'm happy with these. I just want a simple glaze for a few functional bowls and cups that will compliment my Raku work and this be them. Notice that the few pin holes I got actually look rather at home with these rustic glazes. So I can fire to ^5, have a couple of easy glazes and move on with it YAY!
I feel a bit trivial with this post after reading a certain other blog this week. There was a discussion of some Raku pottery with crater glazes seen in a certain Soho shop and much scoffing of "amateur potters" and basic potter snobbery and so posting a blog about some little condiment bowls that were thrown off the hump and glazes brushed on, fired in a gas kiln to ^5 seems so trite and mundane. Apparently, I ain't runnin' with the big dogs, and quite frankly I'm pretty happy about that. I just don't have the time to sit around and contemplate critical thought when it comes to throwing a ball of clay and then to critique another potters hard work? or refer to their work as stupid, basic? Hmmmm.... I think not. Who am I to judge? I know most of you out there are working way harder at this than I am, and your work is important and has value to you personally and I for one am not in a higher place that I can sit back and judge why your piece is or is not in a gallery and why in the world did someone even consider your work? I have no patience for artist statements that go on and on with MFA speak, no patience for finding metaphor and symbolism in some piece of art, my attention span is about one paragraph, then I am bored, have read it a thousand times and it's all bullshit as far as I can tell. It's a pot for goodness sake, not a cure for cancer. Let's lighten up out there and have some fun!!!
....and that is exactly what I did today. My raku class is back in session, same students and we have added Amber to the class. Remember my awesome student Amber? Well, we are going to hook her on Raku. Never mind that she is in year three of her doctorate at UNC, never mind that Ronnie is in year two of a new little boy, Charlotte is in the middle of sending two kids off to college, and I am in the middle of a million things at once, we are going to Rock on with our bad selves and make some crater glaze raku pots hahahahahaha!!!!!!! and maybe drink a budweiser and listen to a little Waylon Jennings.

Oh yeah, and I got my first rejection email from Chatham Artists Guild saying I did not get into the studio tour. I got accepted to Festifall, Shakori, NC Craft Gallery, the NC Arts Council summer Saturday events, but no Chatham County studio tour. Too bad, I was going to have my raku kiln going during the tour and do a give away sort of like Steven Forbes deSoulde does. Oh well, guess they don't need a raku potter on the tour............C'est la Vie (sigh)

19 comments:

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

I loved this post. And think those pots are fabulous, beautifully balanced and such a pleasing color
. Thank you for not being a snob!!!

Hollis Engley said...

amen, Tracey. Nice stuff. Now I've got to dig around and figure out what blog you're talking about ...

Bert said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bert said...

That's exactly what I was thinking Hollis! If you find it, send me the link.lol

Jen Mecca said...

Those rejection letter at times sting, but the come and go and you just have to be a "duck"!
Congrads on all the other stuff!

Tumblestack said...

Nice pots Tracey .... they have a real honesty about them.
cheers.

Trish said...

Well said...carry on, carrying on..great little bowls.:)
Have a super weekend.
t.

ang design said...

ha haa me too hollis! now i'm going to have to check your blogroll...is it there???
diggin the glazes trace and sounds like you're plenty busy..

Monique said...

Amen!

Don't you just LOVE a blue glaze on a red claybody?
Very, very nice!!

(managed to get your blog on my bloglist finaly....)

Anonymous said...

I follow your blog from France and I love it ! I love your ceramics and the way you talk about them and your job. I try to understand everything, sometimes it's not easy...because my english is poor. I love clay too and my hair isn't always done nicely. Je reviendrai voir les nouvelles créations même si elles sont imparfaites selon certains...Bonne continuation. Sylvie

Anonymous said...

I follow your blog from France and I love it ! I love your ceramics and the way you talk about them and your job. I try to understand everything, sometimes it's not easy...because my english is poor. I love clay too and my hair isn't always done nicely. Je reviendrai voir les nouvelles créations même si elles sont imparfaites selon certains...Bonne continuation. Sylvie

Judy Shreve said...

Tracey - I think I know what blog you are talking about - and I had a similar reaction. Good for you on posting about it!
And you have found the perfect glazes -- those bowls are luscious & will go perfectly with your raku work. You are right the pinholes only add interest! You must be doing a happy dance!

Tracey Broome said...

Hi everyone: It's very comforting to know that many of you feel the same as I do, nice to know I can pick smart friends! and thanks for the comments about the bowls. I like them too. Judy, I had the strangest dream about you last night. I dreamed I was unpacking my stuff for a show and every time I unwrapped something it was one of your pots. I would unwrap and exclaim how nice the pot was and then think this is Judy's not mine. So weird! Nice to hear from some new bloggers out there!!!

Judy Shreve said...

Tracey -- let's do a trade -- I love all of your pots & would love to be unpacking yours instead of mine -- lol -- what a crazy dream!

cookingwithgas said...

I did many years of Potters conference here in Asheboro.
What I found was the speaker set the stage of how well the conference would run.
If they were "standoffish" it would rub off on the crowd.
Participates would all the sudden be careful of who they stood next to or talked to.
If the speaker was open in mind and giving of heart the attitude would change.
I find this so often and always remember what a friend told me.
They,any potter, are making the best pot, they can make.
I also think it is like children.
Different and to be appreciated for who and what they are- not who they could be.
If we all made the "perfect" pot where would the fun be?

Anonymous said...

fun read tracey... i have to say that i agree with your sentiments but feel ambivalent about what one can do. the snobbery is a result of art school, i went 9 years full time and afterwards it took me a long time to realize that it's all about training you to be snobbish whether you act that way overtly or not. this is not my nature and it was very difficult for me to get through certain stretches because i refused to participate in it. that being said the system for galleries, shows, etc. require statements that no matter how much effort is put into them will end up being MFA-speak. i think this is partly to do with the unnatural act of writing to describe something that it is far better to simply look at. either way, there is a ton of bullshit in the process and some of us are perpetrators and victims of it simultaneously. starting to ramble but would also like to say that i've never understood the value of demeaning someone else's work especially considering how subjective the value of said work is.

Tracey Broome said...

Meredith and Jim: Great comments and insight! I love the thought that "they are making the best pot they can make" so true isn't it? We should all have that thought every day about most anything. Jim I know about the snob factor, I was a rock climber for many years and you become such an elitist towards everyone that is just "walking around". Same holds true for many things I guess. You have to be careful....

Kevin Carter said...

I don't think SM was down on all "amateurs,' rather I think he was questioning the quality of those particular pots, and for the price they were probably asking, were found wanting. He seems pretty cool.
Just keep making your work, and trying your best and don't worry what others think. You will be succesful!

Linda Starr said...

My first comment disappeared; I love the bowls and square plates with the textures, beautiful work hope you are having a great weekend.