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Qotw: Do You Know Movies, Books, Poems Featuring Potters?


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I got the idea for this week’s QOTW from the one of last week. Neil’s funny way to get the hand builders to throw, oldlady’s request to post more links (quote: pres, please name another movie in which pottery is even mentioned. You might not like it but it gave lots of would-be potters the impetus to start), and John, telling us about the film "Ugetsu Monogatari".

 

 I think a lot of us are interested to know where in literature, movies, videos, poems, one can find potters as protagonists. So please tell us everything you know about potters featuring books, movies et cetera.

 

I’ll go first:

 

When I was at the IAC conference in Dublin last year, one of the lecturers showed us a video featuring our contemporary colleague Keith Brymer Jones with a bad heartache. It may be that some of you won’t find this hilarious or not even funny. But since a famous potter showed it to us, I thought I may show it to you as well.

 

 

 

 

Now it’s your turn!

 

Evelyne

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Well there was a similar question posted a few years back: http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/1794-pots-in-movies/  where ceramics appear as significant pieces in the decor/set.

Spoiler Alert: In Romancing the Stone...a ceramic bunny was the hiding place for the treasured jewel...not the best of ceramics, but it was there!

 

-Paul

 

Late edit: Upon re-reading the question...no potters were mentioned or injured in the making of Romancing the Stone.

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In the television sitcom Grace Under Fire, which ran in the 90's, Grace had a neighbor named Wade who had a potting shed, and scenes would often be shot in there.

 

Wikipedia describes Episode 8 of Season 2:

John's single and pregnant daughter Julia shows up and John refuses to speak to her. She asks for Grace's help to bridge the gap between them. Grace and Nadine sees Quentin in the mall and he refuses to recognize her so that he appears cool in front of his friends. When he does that at Russell's again, she embarrasses him on purpose. Wade asks for Russell's help to sell his pottery. Nadine buys all when Russell finds it difficult to sell it.

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Books

 

A Cup of Light is about an insurance investigator of ceramics  in China.

 

Utz is about porcelain collecting in Czeckoslavakia.

 

Cold is about a potter in Upper Michigan

 

Aracnum: the story of developing European porcelain

 

The Galactic Pot Healer , story of a guy who repairs broken pots with a special ray gun throughout the galaxy and even mentions Ceramics Monthly

 

There was another about a murder by lead poisoning in Sea Grove but can't remember the name.

 

Marcia

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I once read a little murder mystery where the victim was incinerated in a pottery kiln. Don't remember the name or author but the plot revolved around some Rookwood pottery.   Can you imagine burning up a body in a ceramic kiln?   boy would that reek. The victim was supposedly burnt over night but can't believe no one would notice until they opened the kiln.  rakuku

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Do clay sculptures count?

 

If so: Camille Claudel

She digs clay from the bank of the river and puts it in an old suitcase to carry it back to her studio. I still look at river banks when I go by in hopes of one day seeing clay so that I too can steal my own clay and maybe even carry it home in my suitcase.

 

T

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I loved that movie about Camille Claudel  I watched it at least 3 times dragging friends over to watch it with me.  I would get so involved with it I would forget about the subtiltle and end up a blubbering mess at the end of the movie.  I had forgotten the part about the river clay, I do remember the wonderful foot she carved out of marble.    Denice

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:rolleyes: The cat who saw red,   1986 start of "The cat who  series".  lilian jackson braun.  guess how the red was made.

 

had another one but at 4:00 am.  it will come back to me somehow.

 

it did.  lindsey davis wrote a series about a detective in ancient rome.  marcus didius falco runs into traveling potters in one book and pottery is mentioned favorably in several others. 

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Just remembered a really good one

"The Cave" by Jose Saramago about a potter in Portugal . His daughter helps with the manufacturing and  comes up with some new designs to expand their business. All while facing the challenge of increasingly modern times.

 

Marcia

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I loved that movie about Camille Claudel  I watched it at least 3 times dragging friends over to watch it with me.  I would get so involved with it I would forget about the subtiltle and end up a blubbering mess at the end of the movie.  I had forgotten the part about the river clay, I do remember the wonderful foot she carved out of marble.    Denice

I agree! I love this movie so much I bought the dvd and have watched it too many times to count. And yes I cry every time and I pause the movie during scenes of the studios and to better examine the sculptures and stuff. I don't even care about the subtitles and when have had someone else watch it am actually surprised when they complain about the subtitles. I think first, subtitles? It's subtitled? Oh I forgot my bad. Lol

 

It's not got pottery in it but another great art movie is "Sirens" I love watching the painter at work and the whole feel of the movie is magical. This one is set in Australia. A wonderful trompe l'oeil movie is "Where The Heart Is" with Uma Thurman, I painted large mural size Paintings for awhile and ran a photography studio and this movie really inspired me. Sorry! Kinda Of got off subject, but DO watch Camille Claudel.

 

I am going to look up the other movies and books mentioned.

 

Terry

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Sorry I wasn't online much lately. My Internet connection in Italy was a nuisance... Back in Switzerland now and having a functioning Internet here...

 

I just wanted to mention the Saramago book: "The Cave", but I saw that Marcia beat me to it. A wonderful book! I've read it twice.

 

I've found this old thread instead: http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/439-ceramics-in-fiction/

with more interesting (and some ghastly!) mentions. I wonder whether the forum member Ghilayne ever finished her short story?

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Evelyne

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just remembered a "murder she wrote" episode where Jessica (who had run out of bodies in the tiny town of cabot cove) attended a special dinner given by an asian woman who made the special dishes holding the special meal.   guess how the guest died?

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synj00: that is cool! Can you go inside and work on a piece, for instance? Does your son likes clay and pottery?

 

 

To complete this QOTW: here are two videos featuring one of my heroes: Robin Hopper. The first video is his closing speech at the NCECA of the year 2011 (wait for it, the fun starts at 2.20 minutes....), the second is his contribution to Steven Branfman's "clay stories" at the NCECA 2015:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robin, by the way, is the ceramist who recently gave us all the information about the mocha diffusion (remember the topic?).

 

Evelyne

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Guest JBaymore

Robin is one of the GREAT ones.  And that was a fantastic presentation to see in person.  This kind of stuff is just ONE reason to go to the annual NCECA conferences.

 

best,

 

................john

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