QothW: The "accidental" perfect pot. Should have been this tall/wide, ended up different and was a success.

[Pres]

Chilly posted a question in the Question of the Week pool that was rather simple, but I have had to think really hard about it:  The "accidental" perfect pot.  Should have been this tall/wide, ended up different and was a success.

About 12 years ago, I had been throwing some large 20# pots that were covered jars. One of these I had pulled the walls up, and was doing pretty well with the shaping, when I found an air bubble in the shoulder area caused a fault line. This I scratched out patched a bit, and then finished the shoulder/neck area I do most of my shaping with dry fingers, or ribs especially when the form is tall or wide. This particular jar though did not respond well in the area where the patch was, it had a noticeable scar. after some thought, and looking at the curved line of the scar, I decided to do something drastic. I started cutting leaf shaped lines through the surface beginning with the scar. I left areas attached so that I could reach inside and expand the leaf edges outward. Then some of the leaves I cut the points and lifted them, and others I cut almost completely out and overlapped over the body of the pot. . . controlling this area in a border around the pot. The effect was not functional, as nothing could really be stored well, but it was sculptural. I then finished the lid of the pot with a hand molded branch, old apple and the head of a snake poking out the end of the branch. . . Called the pot "Remnants of the Garden" . . . that Summer it took an honorable mention in our local Arts festival show. Worked out well.

Pictures in early post on my blog site.

 

best,

Pres

[glazenerd]

If the perfect pot is made by accident: then I have a whole collection of them. I am still learning to throw, so every piece is an accident.

Nerd

[Evelyne Schoenmann]

I am not sure if it was "the perfect pot" but I have a few objects that got "accidentally" like they are now. But I am not the best thrower anyway ;-)

[glazenerd]

Evelyne.. Long time no see.. Wb

[LeeU]

Serendipity....my mantra for clay work and most of everything else that happens in my life that I can not, will not, or do  not, totally or even partially control.  I love happy accidents, and I think one may indeed make a silk purse out of a pig's ear, if one just alters one's definitions of silk and pork just a tidge. Post script: I must back-pedal and retract the second part of the previous sentence. I was not thinking it through, and do not actually believe what I wrote. I did not mean to imply that one should just use distorted definitions, self-deception, or the misleading of others in order to generate a perception of silk-from-pig.  What I was trying to express was that one may find unexpected perfections by being willing to not demand a piece be one thing or another.

[Marcia Selsor]

This to me is a funny story.  Two years ago, I submitted this pot to the Yellowstone Art Museum's 48 th Annual  Art Auction. I have participated in 44 of them. At the opening the Exec. Director told me how much she loved the pot. Classical form contrasted with the chaotic surface.

After a year, I received the pot back in Texas. I was surprised. I thought it had been sold. I donated it and they do not share the purchaser's name due to privacy.

I felt bad because I thought it was a very nice pot. It was discouraging. It is about 13" tall. good size pot.

Then I was packing up things, down sizing, shipping out as much as I could to galleries.

Moved to Montana. Last summer, I got a call from the events coordinator asking for the pot. He was very demanding wanting it back.  The purchaser had never received it. I honestly didn't know what I did with it. Was it in galleries? Was it left in texas for fundraisers, gift to friend? I searched through boxes, etc. I didn't have it anymore. The move had been done in two big efforts. Dec. 2016 and in may 2017. Both in big trucks.

I live near the Red Lodge Clay center. In April 2017, I participated in a wood firing in April I made about 60 pieces for my allotted space. I also refired a few obvara pieces " just cause"

I like to see "what if". I finally realized I had picked this pot for a refire.  I thought it was my best piece out of the kiln. The process for making these heavily crackled surfaces involves pushing the walls to extreme.  During the firing the ^10 clay went to ^12. Very thin walls. It clapsed.

Perfect pots are completely subjective. To me, this is one of my favotie pieces after making pots for 50 years. It hangs in my studio above my wheel.

Marcia

 

 

 

[LeeU]

@ Marcia-Given a basic definition of chaos, I do not see so much as a microgram of chaos in the form, either pre or post collapse.  I personally think it is most perfect in its final state...it would make a gorgeous, intriguing, wall piece. 

[Marcia Selsor]

16 hours ago, LeeU said:

@ Marcia-Given a basic definition of chaos, I do not see so much as a microgram of chaos in the form, either pre or post collapse.  I personally think it is most perfect in its final state...it would make a gorgeous, intriguing, wall piece. 

the surface pattern chaos was a reference made by the Museum director. I liked the idea.