Sunday, May 15, 2011

ce n'est pas un nichoir

Last night I was reading an article by Jack Troy in Ceramics Art and Perception. He asks the question to an art critic "when you look at a pot can you tell if it is just a pot or a work of art?" and then this passage that I really liked:

"If you, like me, have ever tried reading complicated philosophical disquisitions about ceramics and felt you were walking on your knees for a hundred miles in a desert of parched words, you might agree that the world's illiterate potters had it right: their wordless statements in clay mock attempts at intellectual accountability about ceramics. The intellect is an inadequate translator of the power sometimes radiating from articulate clay objects that beckon to us in their own visual tactile language." Jack Troy

Happy Sunday, I'm having a little rest day

10 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

Not being intellectual enough to know French, what's that mean?
And I bet you already know that Jack Troy will be in NC in a few weeks, don't ya? This is a great quote. Thanks

Tracey Broome said...

I only know this because my daughter is in her fifth year of French! It means this is not a birdhouse, sort of a take off on the pipe painting by Magritte. I'm basically just being a smart ass :)
I did see on Bulldog Pottery's blog that Jack Troy would be there, but I won't be able to go sad to say...

Anonymous said...

couldn't have said it better myself. if you could say it, you wouldn't make it or paint it or sing it. poetry is not illusive for no reason, if words were adequate to express ethereal expressions of existence, there would be no need. also interestingly, there is no real need for us to write or talk about it anyway... at least not all that often.

Tracey Broome said...

Jim, really great thoughts, well said!!!!

Dennis Allen said...

My take away from this post and your recent one is that I should be very serious about my work but not take it too seriously. If I can pass on a little joy or add to the comfort of a cup of tea, I'm satisfied.Few pots (certainly not mine)will bring world peace or change the orbit of the planet.

cookingwithgas said...

hey tracey- i really don't have any thing to say but i always come here to read and see what others are thinking.
Makes good mental thoughts for my day..

Tracey Broome said...

Dennis, EXACTLY!! Very wise words, it's not rocket science is it!?
and Meredith I love putting a thought out there and then hearing from others, I learn so much and sometimes have a change of mind because of something someone else says. Opposing views are definitely welcome.

Dennis Allen said...

Yes Tracey, I do check back in on discussions, Thank you..

Leslie said...

Great quote -- and love your (not) birdhouses.

cindy shake said...

Love the post and all of the comments. I immediately thought of all the bull sh*t artists statements I've read over the years!