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that is openly welcoming of such collaboration between the artist and the viewer . The best potters are mindful of this and thoughtfully approach their decision-making with this collaboration in mind .
Utility can be both practical and aesthetic .
Throughout much of the 20th century , the self-described fine arts world consciously kept its distance from the events and process of life . To take part in a life event was to risk becoming craft ( that most lowly and despised class of objects ). Art wanted to talk about life ( often politics and other social issues ), but not to actually take part in it . Throughout this time , utility ( the ability of objects to play an active role in life ) was seen as simply a limitation : an impediment to creativity . Ceramic artists who chose to make non-functional objects were lauded as transcending function . The implication was that utility was like a bad habit that one had to learn to overcome before one could make real art .
What this viewpoint failed to note is that utility provides a potentially powerful vehicle for both expression and communication . That ’ s why the Japanese tea ceremony isn ’ t simply a slow and inefficient way to get a hot drink . The general term “ utility ” encompasses an astoundingly wide range of actions and activities , so to even lump all of these into one category seems like a stretch . It ’ s good to remember that even activities as mundane as the making and serving of tea can be the basis for a beautiful and sophisticated art form .
Pottery is at home everywhere , but especially at home .
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Because of this connection to life , pottery is inherently domestic . Yes , pottery has always found its way into museums , palaces , board rooms , and gardens , often in the form of heroically-sized versions of ordinary pots ( there will probably always be a market for giant vases as long as there are grand hotel lobbies ). Still , most pottery has both a scale and a utilitarian reference that places it comfortably in a domestic setting . This is true of pottery intended for contemporary homes as much as the historic pottery that was intended for the homes of emperors and kings . As such , pottery is usually intended to communicate with the viewer in a closer , more intimate setting than most other contemporary art .
Scale is relative , with pottery and everything else .
Artwork is generally viewed at different distances , and complex artwork may require the viewer to view it at a variety of distances in order to completely understand and appreciate the object . Generally speaking , artwork can be viewed at five distances : intimate ( arm ’ s length ), personal ( within a few feet ), social ( within about 12 feet ), public interior ( large rooms ) and public exterior ( outdoors ). Largescale artwork was all the rage in the second half of the 20th century and much of contemporary artwork is still intended ( by the artist ) to be viewed in larger spaces and at a greater distance . By contrast , we are comfortable bringing pottery into our personal and intimate spaces . One distance isn ’ t better than another ; each offers opportunities for an artist . It ’ s good to be mindful of this and consider how we can turn scale to our advantage . Otherwise potters can fall into the trap of thinking that bigger is
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better , and that their work needs to be large , imposing , and impressive in order to have impact . Scale is relative , of course : a jumbo shrimp can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and a massive diamond is still almost invisible . A large pot is usually only large in the context of other pots and the domestic setting : a big pot may be smaller than a tiny human . When thinking about scale , it ’ s useful to consider what ideas or qualities you want to communicate and how you can best accomplish that .
With pottery , then is also now .
Human beings evolved into their modern form while making pots , and pots evolved along with us . Pottery has always played a role in human existence because the storage , preparation , and serving of food and drink are so central to life — not just for human survival , but for the full enjoyment of life , especially the social life of people . It ’ s not surprising , then , that pottery has been an artistic focus for most cultures and has always enjoyed the creative attentions of countless people . Combine this with the essentially permanent nature of ceramic materials and you can see why potters have such a rich and fascinating history to draw from . Pottery connects us to the basic humanity of other people , past and present . Not surprisingly , potters today are comfortable drawing from and learning from the past , both as a source of visual inspiration as well as for the insights into basic human nature that we can draw by viewing the practices of other cultures .
Potters love process and materiality .
I probably don ’ t have to mention that most potters develop a lifelong
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Perspectives I As Far As I Know
CLAYTIMES · COM n WINTER / SPRING 2015
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