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Technical And Spiritual


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My first opinion of Daniel Rhodes was that he was a technical guy; however, as I read more about him, I started to see the deep, spiritual connection he seemed to have with his work, "As we form the clay, it mirrors our consciousness" -Daniel Rhodes. Pottery, to him, seemed to be the balance of imperfections, both a technical and spiritual act. The pot shouldn't be too perfect, yet it should still be functional. Is spirituality a part of making pottery for every person? Would you say spirituality is necessary to create pottery?

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There’s the rich web of relationship between the two ..

 

What is art?

An appreciation of what is ..

art is not to be questioned - (according to me)

Just enjoyed.

 

The spiritual strength of knowledge makes you innovative,creative…your skills blossom.

Its the quest of the soul being answered by quest to create.

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It is is not difficult for a clay artist to envision that a lump clay can turn into something much more than just a conglomeration of fine mineral particles. However, it is the spiritual clay artist that responds (listens) to what the clay is technically capable of and allows the clay's personality to become a partner in the act of creating/becoming. IMHO

 

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." - Michelangelo

 

-Paul

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Everything is spiritual. So yes. Conjuring a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual connection/reaction well through clay is another matter. The term spirituality for me are the principals that direct me as person. Most often people associate this term with something as being positive. However there is a negative for every positive. The term is neutral to me.

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When I learned to throw , it was mostly on a kick wheel. The motorized Randall wheels were in the main studio and there were 8 in the new studio for majors. I think the entire body movement involved while working on a kick wheel provides a type of yoga feeling and connectivity with the clay. It was very quiet in our studio and I really felt more spiritually connected with the clay. Even today, I like working in a peaceful studio when I am throwing. 

Marcia

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(Would you say spirituality is necessary to create pottery?)

I'm not a spiritual person at all and I have made a ton of pottery so my answer is No you do not have to be that at all.

​You do need a sense of form and a sense of humor and some common sense helps as well.

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I am pretty spiritual, religion and all. However I don't bring any of that into the studio. When I go out there its pure joy to create and the rest is all form, practice, and hard work. I think the most important part is patience, if you don't have patience ceramics isn't for you imo. I can't imagine being an impatient person trying to do ceramics.

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I sit down at the wheel, I have ideas in my head, the wheel goes round, and I go elsewhere. When I wake up there is a pot there on the wheel. Do I keep it or throw it, most times the decision is already made. Then comes the next steps in firing the kiln, and me knowing and feeling when the pot is bisqued right, when the glaze is on just right, and when the glaze fire is done and how it all has to cool properly. Spiritual, I don't know, but I know that I got rid of my own self expectations and learned that no longer how I feel, it all depends on something else.

 

 

best,

Pres

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(Would you say spirituality is necessary to create pottery?)

I'm not a spiritual person at all and I have made a ton of pottery so my answer is No you do not have to be that at all.

​You do need a sense of form and a sense of humor and some common sense helps as well.

Mark,

Sometimes I wonder how well you know yourself. I see you as a very dedicated potter but you also do underwater photography, isn't that true. I can't imagine not having some elating spiritual mind set when you are swimming around with all those beautiful fish. I know you bring some of that imagery back to your work.

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Well, All I know is that the " I ness" has to vanish, the too hot, arm sore, don't like throwing plates, this clay hurts MY hands, the conversation of breakfast and how I came out of that all of this has to drop away if I am to pot in any effective manner, and the pots will tell me how successfuil at this I was.

Over time, this switching off of the "I" occurs faster and more effectively,  just the act of going into my pottery space does it , my body and others,  like being hours late for a meal..., may suffer because of this, but whether this  is spiritual or not who knows.  If taken out of the pottery shed and applied when listening, watching or what ever, it can make a less egocentric person ,

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Well I asked my wife of 20 some years if I am a spiritual person-she said its buried very deep.I think maybe in the earths mantel section or core.

As far a a state of mind I have had this on my clay hauling boat pulling truck (not show van) for over a decade and its shows my state of mind which since 1997 has been fishing for albacore tuna every season.

Its still my current state of mind.

 

 

post-8914-0-85160900-1464403754_thumb.jpg

post-8914-0-85160900-1464403754_thumb.jpg

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i have a hard time with the term spirituality. everyone seems to have their own definition of it and somehow it turns into a definition i am not familiar with.

 

i think anyone making something that fulfills a need from within creates a response from the viewer. no matter who that person is. even if the need is to feed the family and therefore you create. no matter what they create. 

 

i look at the mere 60 or so years of intense buncheong production pottery (whole period lasted about 200 years). potters creating works at a really fast pace. i would imagine to feed family.  beautiful pieces. 

 

for me its like an intense meditation. i dont feel hungry or thirsty while i throw or hand-build. i dont feel frustration when things dont work out. it just means i have to keep trying. i like a silent studio but alas wont happen at school. but there are days when i have my balls of clay and keep throwing and dont even realize when a different class came in or when someone put on music. 

 

however when it comes to glazing and i have the choices in front of me (which i have further reduced to what i am allowing myself to glaze with) forget spiritual. unless i know what i want it is a v. frustrating period of discovering what i want. very self critical. 

 

i can throw and hand-build for hours, mainly coz i always have a myriad of projects in the back of my mind i want to try. but after two hours of glazes i am mentally and emotionally exhausted. 

 

ultimately i only like a few of my pieces. i also paint and draw. but its actual throwing and handbuilding that i like the best because of the place i go to when i am actually doing. 

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Intern18,

In response to your previous post "Daniel Rhodes," I contrasted Rhodes' Science with M.C. Richards' Spirituality and I presume that's what prompted this thread. Of course, they're not mutually exclusive.

 

What do I mean by "spiritual"? I conceive of something that feeds my spirit.

What do I mean by "spirit"? My personal feeling of goodness and rightness, a sense of enrichment and well-being.

 

In consequence, then, the technical, or even albacore fishing, can induce my spiritual sense.

Rae

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After careful consideration I'm going to go out on a limb and say that when I'm under the ocean  or in the surf or on the ocean boating/fishing I'm in a better place mentally than anywhere on land. Clay does not come close to this space or even my studio of 43 years. I have even called the sea my church of  the mind.

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Intern18,

In response to your previous post "Daniel Rhodes," I contrasted Rhodes' Science with M.C. Richards' Spirituality and I presume that's what prompted this thread. Of course, they're not mutually exclusive.

 

What do I mean by "spiritual"? I conceive of something that feeds my spirit.

What do I mean by "spirit"? My personal feeling of goodness and rightness, a sense of enrichment and well-being.

 

In consequence, then, the technical, or even albacore fishing, can induce my spiritual sense.

Rae

Rae, 

Good eye, your post did have a little to do with this topic. I've been reading and reading and I keep running across Daniel Rhodes' writings about a deeper connection to what he creates. Your post prompted me to finally ask what others would call this 'deeper connection'? I guess I was searching for the correct word to describe what was going on when someone creates something. I suppose that's the problem with writers, we're always thinking. We could learn a thing or two from those who simply create. 

Intern18

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Hmmm! I guess I take offense at "those who simply create" when talking about thinking. I simply create, but my sense of rightness in what I create comes from a lot of thinking. Thinking about how a pot feels in the hand, how it meets my criteria for function, form, texture, surface and other intrinsic things that really can't be written about, but can be felt. It is how I determine if I am on the right track or need to change direction. . . again. I could throw 50 mugs, and trim and put handles on all of them, and throw them all out because they are "not right". Thankfully, I don't have to do that anymore, but none the less 3-5 of the 50 still don't make it to the bisquefire. No, we don't just make, we think and feel about what we create. At the same time, maybe words are not enough for the entire experience. There are some things that are best left unsaid and to be understood must be experienced.

 

 

best,

Pres

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Hmmm! I guess I take offense at "those who simply create" when talking about thinking. I simply create, but my sense of rightness in what I create comes from a lot of thinking. Thinking about how a pot feels in the hand, how it meets my criteria for function, form, texture, surface and other intrinsic things that really can't be written about, but can be felt. It is how I determine if I am on the right track or need to change direction. . . again. I could throw 50 mugs, and trim and put handles on all of them, and throw them all out because they are "not right". Thankfully, I don't have to do that anymore, but none the less 3-5 of the 50 still don't make it to the bisquefire. No, we don't just make, we think and feel about what we create. At the same time, maybe words are not enough for the entire experience. There are some things that are best left unsaid and to be understood must be experienced.

 

 

best,

Pres

Pres, 

I meant no offense, I actually meant it as a compliment. Creating does take much thought and technical devotion. I meant that I think there is a place you enter into when you're creating that isn't of the brain anymore but of the heart. I think that when I write, that I sometimes enter into this sort of state of divine inspiration, and instead of thinking about what I write, I simply write. I meant simply as a more "organic" state of soul. With all of that being said, I acknowledge that you have much more knowledge about these things than I do, and I'm happy to learn from your experiences.

 

Best,

Intern18

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Stream of Consciousness and Right Brain thinking were concepts from the 70's and 80's. Personally I believe the last is especially true for me when dealing with the loss of time when working in the shop! At the same time I still feel the phrase "simply create" really doesn't cut it. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think this is a question each potter/artist answers for themselves. I certainly feel a spiritual connection often when I am working with clay. It is the most spiritual form of art-making (for me), which is probably why I have always thought about working with clay when I have not had access to a studio, the clay always 'calls me back'. I certainly wouldn't impose the necessity of spirituality in the making process on anyone else. Also, I can't say that it makes me any better of a potter, it just makes the process 'flow' more for me. 

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  • 2 months later...

She was glazing a piece one day when she was in a very bad mood (which is very unlike her). I told her put it down and walk away; to not put that into her work. She insisted and kept on going and the piece came out DARK, a lot darker than it should have been or has ever come out in the past.

 

"I told you so...." :rolleyes:

 

I know some folks think that's BS, that you can't put feeling into a piece.... but ya know.....that's EXACTLY how sounds recordings are made, or at least used to be...

 

...think about it.... ;)

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