Louis Vuitton, Hero Worship, and that old question "Do my pots look like anyone else's?"

My understanding of the fashion world is right up there with my grasp of biochemistry. My clothes may, or may not, match on any given day. I'm not making a indie fashion statement with my mismatches. They seem to occur unbeknownst to me. Most of my nice clothes were gifts from loving girlfriends who took pity on my constant state of pottery-induced unawareness.

Living abroad has brought me into contact with high fashion in a new way. My upper-class expat students often bring their expensive handbags to class with them. Twice since I have been here professional models have come to our studio for photo shoots for magazines. One of my students is a strikingly beautiful model of mixed-Asian decent. She recently showed me an ad campaign with her decked out in some European designers' clothes.(Have I mentioned that I love this job?) I had no idea that real people could participate in this world of luxury. I assumed you must be famous to own something that had a luxury brand logo on it.

Being around all this makes me think about how this language of fashion has evolved. I think it happens like this. Fashions start as an avante garde statement from a designer for a niche market. Word of mouth carries the designs to the edges of the niche market where the mainstream catches on. The designs blow up there fore "selling out". Then if they have actual design merit they outlast the next two or three trends that have followed the same pattern of mainstreaming. They might then become classic and enter the design lexicon. This means they are fair game for copying by other designers.

I have seen this whole cycle happen in pottery. When I was a post bacc at UF in 2004, Matt Long was the technician. He was work shopping all over the US and made the cover of Ceramics Monthly with an article by Glen Brown.(click here for a great video and reference to that article.) Since then I have seen "his" pots being made by other artists including myself. I made versions of his pots the following summer when I was at a residency in Connecticut. I even had a few M. Long cover pots show up in China for a invitation show we are putting on about liquor bottles. The ideas/techniques in Matt's pots are seductive. The fresh porcelain slip and raw soda flashes are a cone 10 potter's wet dream. That style is now a part of the American ceramic lexicon much like Louis Vuitton is part of the worlds fashion lexicon.

I sometimes hear potters complaining about copying within the ceramics world. Some people get really bent out of shape when the subject comes up. I understand the complaints from a economic standpoint. If someone copies your product you will sell less of it. I don't however understand it from a ceramics history standpoint. Most pots that I see have some connection to the past. In fact I think our strength as a medium is our living connection to the past. There seems to be an accepted time frame in which pots from the past are OK to copy without causing a fuss. By flipping through Ceramics Monthly issues I would say styles from the early to mid 1900's are OK to copy, pots from any Chinese dynasty are OK to copy, and somehow all slip cast pots are OK to copy. I'm not sure who draws this chronological threshold but it seems to exist in our collective imagination.

One of the questions that I ask myself regularly is "Do my pots look like anyone else's?" The answer is yes. Its not a conscious decision but they do look a lot like people that I admire. I see the seeds of a Julia Galloway pitcher in my own, as well as Michael Kline's brushwork in my patterns. If I had to come up with an equation for visual influences in my work right now it would be 1 part American Quilting + 1 part Church stained glass window colors (or Katherine Finnerty colors) + 1 part Julia Galloway proportions + 1 part Kristen Kieffer attention to detail + 1 part Turkish Iznik/ Iranian Isfahan line work (or Michael Kline brush work). For philosophical influences it would be 1 part American Mingei (Ruggles and Rankin) + 1 part Matt Long ideas about community + 1 part Linda Arbuckle ideas about design.

Even know I am probably losing all my cool points for saying it - these people are my pottery heroes. I don't think I am degrading their work by referencing their ideas with my pots. I think we all love the same aspects of ceramics and therefore we come to the same conclusions about what to make. I remember asking Will Ruggles once if an artist was one his students. He laughed and said "no... we know each other but we just think the same thoughts about pots." It wasn't competitive for him at all. Their was no conceptual territory to guard. It was an issue of shared preferences. Ruggles is one of the most open individuals and teachers that I have worked with.

I have blogged about this subject before but I bring it up again because I am rethinking it. I'm teaching my students to copy as a means of educating them on the possibilities of clay. I also think about this a lot because there are so many fake products in China. The streets are filled with fake DVDs, ipods and designer clothes. Originality is a very loose term when it comes to making money. One person has a good idea and everyone copies it until their is no demand for it.

If anyone reads this and has any thoughts on appropriation/copying send them my way. Id like to know what other potters think about this.

(The pictures above are of the four story tall Louis Vuitton facade that rests at Nanjing Xi Lu. I was biking through that area one day when I was stopped dead in my tracks by this mammoth replica of a suitcase. I love the large LV pattern and the fake postcards plastered on the side. For a little Louis Vuitton history head on over to Wikipedia by clicking here.)

Terra Cotta Roof Tiles

In the land of porcelain it has still been easy to get my terra cotta fix. A quick look out most high rise windows shows that Shanghai is full of terra cotta roof tiles. The mold that covers their surfaces forms asymmetrical patterns that are beautiful. These pictures are taken looking out at the roof line from the third story of the studio. I live in the French Concession, which is know for its European feel. The streets are lined with napoleon trees and cafes. One of the great luxuries of the neighborhood is its slow redevelopment. Old three story homes still stand here. Sky scrapers are moving in, but they don't dominate the street scapes. For a city of 20,000,000 it is surprising how much distance separates the major skyscrapers. The density of the streets tends to stop five stories up.

From the little research I have done (a.k.a 10 minutes of web surfing that can hardly be called research) it seems that the earliest Chinese roof tiles were made around 3,000 BC. For an old technology its surprising that clay roof tiles naturally meet current green efficiency standards. According to Dr. William Miller of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, “The clay roof tile showed up to 70% heat reduction entering the house as compared to roofs with asphalt shingles. Thermal mass, along with solar reflectance and recyclable properties, make clay roof tile an environmentally-friendly product. After a long and useful life, clay roof tiles are harmless to the environment and can be recycled for new applications.” Sounds like another score for ceramic technology.

For a snippet from a white paper called Cool Clay Tile Roof: Steeped in Tradition - Engineered for the Future by Lyla Lawry Click here.

Have Gun Will Travel- Casting Shadows Tall as Giants

In the never ending quest for good studio music I thought I would put a plug in for Bradenton, FL natives Have Gun Will Travel. Their 2008 debut Casting Shadows Tall as Giants is pure Americana genius.  I have had this album on constant repeat for a few weeks. I highly suggest it for any folk music lovers.

For more information on HGWT's albums and tour schedule Click Here. I haven't seen them in person yet but I've heard they put on a great live show.

"...Casting Shadows is steeped in the country twinges of lap steel, harmonica, banjo, strings, and acoustic guitars. The record's true strength is its artful tributes to classic westerns, tying the album stylistically and thematically to the wild-west in all its gun-blazing glory... Burke's rich songwriting weaves classic western themes of life and death, honor, and morality throughout the record's narrative songs." National Public Radio

Expo Update- Morroco- pots, plaster, and spices

The virtual expo tour starts with my favorite pavilion- Morocco. For the geographically challenged reader (like myself) I included a map of Northern Africa. Morocco is located at the north west tip and forms one boundary of the straits of Gibraltar. It is a cultural bridge between Europe and African, much in the same way Turkey bridges Europe to the middle east. For a brief history of Morocco's varied political past click here.

After walking around sweaty for many hours the Moroccan pavilion is an expo oasis. As I walked past the chandelier hanging in the entry way, I noticed that almost all surfaces in the pavilion were covered with pattern. Stamped plaster, ceramic tile, and carved wood adorn every ceiling, floor, and doorway. The pavilion is built around a courtyard that rises through the four story structure. This allows you to see the central fountain as you walk to the ascending levels.

The first floor is composed of small exhibits of metal smithing, weaving, and other craft forms. Most pavilions choose to highlight new technology that is virtual based (videos, multimedia interactive exhibits, etc). Morocco choose to highlight the excellent craftsmanship of its traditional artisans. I am really impressed by this decision. It provides a sharp contrast to the Vegas style most other pavilions. I am sad to report that there was no line at the Moroccan pavilion. I hope this means it was an off night and not an indication that the masses don't appreciate old world craftsmanship.

The second floor was filled with rooms dedicated to individual craft forms. The metal smithing room had the feeling of a 16th century palace with its large area rugs and bronze tea wares. They had a gilded saddle in the middle of the room, which is a great reference to their equine history. The weaving area was divided into two parts- one for each style of loom. One room for the vertical looms that are used to make brightly colored flat rugs. One room for the horizontal looms that are used to make thicker pile rugs. (Click here for a post by AtheneEnglish.com about Morrocan rugs) I thought it was great that they included the looms in the exhibit. Many people have no idea how objects are made. Non-makers are totally disconnected from the means of production even if they are enamored with the object. The looms are a great chance so show a product and the machine that is responsible for making it. The pottery room was arranged nicely but was a let down. The pots were cheap imitations that didn't fit in with the quality or aged character of the other crafts. I'm not sure anyone but a potter would notice this because the patterns and colors on the pots are beautiful.

The most surprising moment was entering the spice room. Baskets of rosemary, thyme, and other aromatic herbs line the floor of this 10 by 10 ft room. The smell was powerful. Experiencing it made me realize that smell is the most underestimated teaching tool with natural history exhibits. As soon as I smelled the spices I could imagine an outdoor market in Morocco. The first and second floors were so great that I can't remember what was on the third. The four floor was off limits to regular visitors but I assume it holds a vip lounge. Most pavilions double as a way to entertain dignitaries and businessmen

I took many pictures that I will upload to my Flickr account at some point. Ill post the link when they are up.

Expo Update - Pavilion Architecture

From the top the images are of the Chinese, Phillipine, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Icelandic, and Thai pavilions. A good pavilion design must accomplish two things. It must attract you as you mingle with the other 500,000 people who visit the Expo each day. It must also keep you entertained once you are inside its walls. In an eight hour day visitors might see 4 to 8 pavilions so each visit must count.

Pavilions, like the British, have recieved criticism for enticing visitors to wait in line for five hours only to let them down once they are inside. Johnathan Glancey of the UK's Guardian writes "While its design is certainly exciting, the pavilion is not meant to display anything other than itself. Designed by the much-feted Thomas Heatherwick, this spiky cube is a kind of giant, stylized dandelion at the point where the seeds are about to fly off. Each of Heatherwick's 60,000 perspex prickles contains a seed from Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank in Wakehurst, West Sussex. The plan is apparently for the prickles and their seeds to be donated to schools across China when the £35 billion expo closes its gates at the end of the year. Although the prickles channel tiny shafts of daylight inside the British pavilion, there is nothing else here to see." Read Glaceys critique here.

















Even though Heatherwick's design might not win the award for the best all around pavilion it will top many lists for most the interesting facade. As I walked around the British pavilion I felt like I had to keep my eye on it, or it might bounce away while I wasn't looking. It creates the illusion that it is alive. It is also the most conceptually sound piece of architecture that I have seen in person. The reference to agricultural and growth is very appropriate for the majority Chinese population that will see the building first hand. China is at a unique time in its developmental history. The blend of Capitalist investment and Communist welfare has allowed the standard of living for urban Chinese to sky rocket in the last five years. The pace of Chinese urbanization is as mesmerizing as Dandelion seeds when they scatter in the wind. Buildings here seem to materialize in weeks, instead of months or years. My street has already changed in the short three months I've been here. That's a whole new post. Getting back to the architecture...

My favorite pavilion so far is the Moroccan Pavilion. Its combination of architecture and craft related exhibits kept me wanting more. I couldn't stop taking pictures. I will devote a post to it soon.


For The Coolist's 10 Architectural Wonders of Expo 2010 Click Here

World Expo- The trip over

Shanghai is the host city for the World Expo this year. Held every four years, the World Expo showcases the top technology, culture, and art from the participating nations. The tradition dates back to 1851 when England/Ireland co-hosted the Great Exhibition.(Click here for more History) This was the first post-industrial revolution gathering of the worlds economic powers. The 2010 Expo has 190 nations and 50 international groups participating. This years theme Better City Better Life focuses on urban growth and renewal.

Each participant builds a temporary pavilion that showcases their own country while addressing the theme of the Expo. A museum studies Phd dissertation could be written on the variety of displays, styles, and methods that are used to convey the information at the Expo. Some take a conservative approach with simple displays, while others take the Disney approach with special effects, movies, and digital presentations. Many pavilions regularly have two to four hour lines just to get in the door. For more info on this years Expo Click Here.

I will continue to post about my trips to the Expo over the next few months.  The pictures above are from my second trip. My friends and I took a ferry across the Huangpo river to get into the Expo. We timed it just right to see the sun set as we crossed.

Flora at the Schaller Gallery

The Schaller Gallery is presenting Flora for the month of August. Images from top to bottom- Brenda Quinn, Daniel Ricardo Teran, Naomi Cleary, Stacy Snyder, and Ursula Hargans. (Click here for the full show)

Themed shows like this are great to show the breadth of work that is being produced by studio ceramicists . In every theme show there are a few artists that approached the concept in a unique way. Check out Daniel Ricardo Teran's Plate. Great composition with a fresh sgraffito drawing. Usually a mountaineer pulling a man's eye open with a grappling hook wouldn't fit into the Flora theme but it seems refreshing to me. I really enjoy the scale change and the vibrant color of Ursula Hargans' plate. I feel like those leaves are going to jump off the plate and brush against me.

The show was curated by Kyla Strid and features Linda Arbuckle, Kyle Carpenter, Victoria Christen, Naomi Cleary, Adam Field, Ursula Hargens, Molly Hatch, Richard Hensley, Cathi Jefferson, Forrest Lesch Middleton, Brenda Quinn, Phil Rogers, Stacy Snyder, Kyla Strid, Daniel Ricardo Teran, Ann Tubbs.

Garth Johnson's Extreme Craft & Magic Jing Bling

I just discovered that I never posted these images of the electroplated wonderfulness from Jingdezhen. The image above is one of Garth Johnson's teapots. Although this process is a family secret of one of Jingdezhen's local studios, Garth explained that the process is most likely electroplating of some type. You can take any object that is nonporous and have it covered with a completely even coat of gold or silver. When I saw the shiny pots peaking out from below the cloth I wanted to hold them like Golem holding the ring. Its Jingdezhen's version of bling.

If your not familiar with Garth's work you can check it out here. In Jingdezhen he was using western images to tell Chinese allegories. I enjoyed spending time with he and his wife Claire while they were working in the studio and visiting China. He also writes a fantastic blog called Extreme Craft. Check it out here. Its a must read for any craft fan. He has the best slogan for any website " A compendium of art masquerading as craft, craft masquerading as art & craft extending its middle finger."

Cheng, Gao, and Carter featured in Metro Shanghai: Global Times

The local press have been very friendly in the last few months. Here is an article from the Global Times: Metro Shanghai about my coworkers Gao Yifeng, Caroline Cheng, and myself. Click here to read the full text online.

It was great fun to explain the concepts behind my work to a Chinese reporter. It was a reminder that many art concepts are crafted to have meaning within their own culture. Concepts tend to be a slow accumulation of meaning that is culturally agreed upon over long periods of time. If you switch cultures much is lost in translation between the language barriers and the overall knowledge base of the observers. This can cause generalizations to take the place of subtlety. Ideas are minimized to their bare bones. I don't think this is a bad thing because it can be a great teaching tool. The quotes the reporter chose helped me to see what parts of my work she could relate too most. This is a good barometer for how many of my ideas are making it out of my head, through the pots, and too the viewer.

One of the best moments in the interview came when I was explaining that my pottery is a reaction to the hyper work ethic of American culture. (If you work 60 hrs a week it is good to have a physical reminder, i.e. handmade pottery that references unifying cultural symbols and communal gatherings, that you can still slow down to have a meal with your family.) She listened patiently but gave me this "so what" look. This might be because in Chinese culture the family unit remains closer than in the west. People still work 60 hours a week but when they get off they make it a priority to spend time with family. I was talking to a friend this weekend who explained that many people in her generation see their parents at least once a week, if not more, for a meal. She went on to say that she thought people in the west are independent from their families, where as individuals in the east are interdependent within their family. I think these differences and similarities are a rich area to mine for new ideas about functional pottery. I'll have to think more about how pottery serves people's needs within different cultures.