After listening to Elizabeth Gilbert's talk on creative genius at the TED talks this year I am contemplating the dangers of being an artist and in participating in creative life. There is a certain pressure on artists, especially post-successevent of some sort. The role of criticism to stifle artistic expression seems dangerous, but that is not where the danger lies. It is the willingness to expose oneself to the muse, only the muse is a daemon or genius or genie who may or may not have the artist's interests at heart.
3/7/09: It strikes me that creativity poses danger because to do something new is to be unfettered by the rules that keep us safe. The first time I ice skated in an indoor rink, I went really fast as I learned the cross over step and then promptly smashed into a wall that appeared to come at me with blinding speed. As I spent more time at the rink, I learned to take speeds and alternate them for more control. I could not have entertained my skating genie without learning about speed, but I got bruised along the way. The thing thing occurred with skiing and several other sports.
Taking off the filter for safety opens doors to the new, but training to be able to recover seems to be the only way, lacking an overseer or mentor, to allow for new learning that also invites a lack of safety. This seems closely related to trying the same trick multiple times while expecting differing results - the common description of madness.
I will add to this over time.
***
Some excellent talks hosted on TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design Forum).
"Ole to you for continuing to show up." - Elizabeth Gilbert
"A near death experience is good for creativity." -Amy Tan
"Some stories haunt me until I write them." -Isabelle Allende
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
On Form
Borrowing from musical form and analysis terminology I have started to produce a couple of base forms for several reasons. I'm getting a sense of how much clay to grab for a given size and working on a consistent, flared vase shape with the thought that I'll see how much curve I can get without having the top droop. It turns out those early English Normans were right about a heavy bottom when you need an arch (pre-flying buttresses).
So my form for the last two weeks started out the same. Spend a lot of time centering, it really saves drama later. This is true for singing and dancing as well, I suppose any performing art. And wheel work with clay has a definite performative element that I never thought of until now.
From that form I produced two vessels that were 'machined', meaning I chose to use tools other than my hands to finish the outside surface, and I compressed the bottom of the pot multiple times for strength as well. I trimmed the bottom in a separate leather hard state.
The first form was entirely generated on the wheel and is merely a flaring cylinder. To the second piece I added an organic element prior to the leather hard trim session. I removed the vessel from the wheel and let it dry with a fan for about 30 minutes. Then I took a thumb and two fingers and formed the top of the vase into curls. I am still working on that piece and will not trim the bottom until next week. With luck I will also be able to apply a little imprinting using metal dyes for a ring around the bottom and perhaps an emblem of some sort. I might add a little something inside that only I would be aware of, as well. With the imprints, the glaze pools slightly inside and gives a two-tone finish that is alluring and somewhat tactile. With both pieces using a sponge to smooth the surfaces after the piece has dried will give the glaze a smoother finish.
So my form for the last two weeks started out the same. Spend a lot of time centering, it really saves drama later. This is true for singing and dancing as well, I suppose any performing art. And wheel work with clay has a definite performative element that I never thought of until now.
From that form I produced two vessels that were 'machined', meaning I chose to use tools other than my hands to finish the outside surface, and I compressed the bottom of the pot multiple times for strength as well. I trimmed the bottom in a separate leather hard state.
The first form was entirely generated on the wheel and is merely a flaring cylinder. To the second piece I added an organic element prior to the leather hard trim session. I removed the vessel from the wheel and let it dry with a fan for about 30 minutes. Then I took a thumb and two fingers and formed the top of the vase into curls. I am still working on that piece and will not trim the bottom until next week. With luck I will also be able to apply a little imprinting using metal dyes for a ring around the bottom and perhaps an emblem of some sort. I might add a little something inside that only I would be aware of, as well. With the imprints, the glaze pools slightly inside and gives a two-tone finish that is alluring and somewhat tactile. With both pieces using a sponge to smooth the surfaces after the piece has dried will give the glaze a smoother finish.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Thoughts on process
To get myself out of a rut I started working in clay last year. I found to my delight that I remembered bits about the medium from long ago, but there's lots of unknown space to confront. The studio where I work is full of great energy and caring artists. We're a poor lot with city provided facilities, so there is a big need to share and be nice to each other which is just what I was seeking.
I had no idea that there were so many types of clay, so many firing temperatures, differences with glazes and other decorative techniques to explore. The first week in the studio I was exposed to pinch, slab and coil hand building techniques. As a person with wheel experience it was grand to get a sense of how the chemical makeup of clay works with dryer building approaches.
After a couple of months I settled into the wheel practice as many of my studio mates seem to prefer hand building and there is generally a wheel available. In early sessions I whipped out a lot of product without much thought to process. I concentrated on trying throw a piece that I had conceived of beforehand, but not much else was in the process. Over time I realized that spending the week before looking at other work would make the wheel time more productive and thoughtful.
Turning to thoughts on process itself I find that there is designing and conceiving of the work; this includes materials which consist of clay type, any slip finishes or clay decorations, firing temperature, type of and colors of glaze and any other decorative process that might need to occur at any time. Start to finish a piece is created, trimmed or finished when leather hard, dries to hardness, fired to bisqueware, finished with glaze and fired a second time. It is possible to add more glaze and fire again. There are also some special processes for print transfers, use of wax to keep colors and unglazed sections discrete, raku and more.
I had no idea that there were so many types of clay, so many firing temperatures, differences with glazes and other decorative techniques to explore. The first week in the studio I was exposed to pinch, slab and coil hand building techniques. As a person with wheel experience it was grand to get a sense of how the chemical makeup of clay works with dryer building approaches.
After a couple of months I settled into the wheel practice as many of my studio mates seem to prefer hand building and there is generally a wheel available. In early sessions I whipped out a lot of product without much thought to process. I concentrated on trying throw a piece that I had conceived of beforehand, but not much else was in the process. Over time I realized that spending the week before looking at other work would make the wheel time more productive and thoughtful.
Turning to thoughts on process itself I find that there is designing and conceiving of the work; this includes materials which consist of clay type, any slip finishes or clay decorations, firing temperature, type of and colors of glaze and any other decorative process that might need to occur at any time. Start to finish a piece is created, trimmed or finished when leather hard, dries to hardness, fired to bisqueware, finished with glaze and fired a second time. It is possible to add more glaze and fire again. There are also some special processes for print transfers, use of wax to keep colors and unglazed sections discrete, raku and more.
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