In my opinion there is way too much modern in most traditional southwestern pottery, the key word here is “traditional”. Modern technology in pottery is fine but if that is what you are doing, why make pretensions of being traditional, unless perhaps you are just using tradition to sell your artwork. Southwest pottery is beautiful to look at for sure, but there is another beauty there as well, a poetic beauty. There are two points in which it is poetically beautiful.
- It comes from the vessel being entirely a product of the earth, absolutely everything about the pot is native, from the clay to the tempering to the paint and even the hands that form it, it is entirely “southwestern”. A child of the land it represents, conceived in the union of dry desert earth and life giving water, nurtured by the hands of a native potter and born of fire.
- The artist is involved in all steps of production, from collecting raw materials to the firing and everything in between, therefore the final product is a reflection of the artist is the purest sense. What other art form can make that claim?
I intend to keep my pottery as true to the traditions of the ancients as is possible in this crazy, commercial world. Towards that goal I will establish and implement these rules for my pottery.
- All materials used in the construction of my pottery will be collected in their raw, natural state from southeast Arizona.
- All tools used directly in the construction of my pottery will be of the type that the prehistoric potters would have had available to them. For example, I make my own gourd scrapers, yucca brushes and pukis, but I also use cotton cloth that I don’t make myself, that is acceptable because the ancients had cotton cloth and often traded for it.
- Beyond the tools used directly in forming the pots I will allow myself to use modern tools. For instance, I use a hacksaw to cut scrapers out of a gourd, I use a steel shovel to dig the clay and a pair of scissors to cut yucca leaves into lengths for paintbrushes.
You have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise I will end up carrying my clay home on my back in a burden basket!
Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with firing, and also with different clay sources, I should have some finished pots soon that I can put pictures of up here.
Tags: Clay, Pueblo Pottery, puki
Posted in: Pottery
I can feel your words and wonder why the process is so important to you? I am willing to bet you have much to share with your work and your philosophy. To me the most important element in handmade pottery work is the personality or feeling the completed pottery communicates. The process is not going to make a weak finished piece stronger nor is the process going to make a strong piece weak. You and your creative powers are what determines the ultimate impact of your work. Your opinion about the amount of modern in traditional pottery is right on! The problem is the quality of the finished pieces is sub-standard when compared to the historic masterpieces. The tradition of making good and great work is what is lacking the most. No matter who is creating the goal should be to get personality and meaning into the finished pieces. If the only way to this end is the most traditional approach then so be it. Bad pottery is bad no matter how it is made and likewise good pottery is good no matter the process.
Tom
I appreciate your point very much, I especially liked this line “Bad pottery is bad no matter how it is made and likewise good pottery is good no matter the process”, I agree 100%.
However the point of this post is “traditional” southwest pottery, as I said in the first paragraph “Modern technology in pottery is fine but if that is what you are doing, why make pretensions of being traditional”.
Personally I can appreciate all good pottery, but I am a traditionalist with a passion for history and traditions so to me the traditions matter a great deal.
Andy
Andy, I can’t argue with that. There is great a deal for all to learn from traditionalists. I missed the important part where the pretensions of being traditional with modern processes was the essence. You make an important and spiritual point here. I hope our paths cross.
Biv