I got a message on my last post from my friend Vicki Gil. Here is what she asked~
"I really like the words and images on these new plates. I also thought the images of the engobe from your earlier post were very nice. I've thought about putting thoughts on some of my work, but it seems like you have to decide if you want to be ironic, journalistic, inspiritional or nonsensical. I haven't really decided which category I would fall into. What do you think or what inspires you to link your images to words?"
I thought that since I had a long response to this and many thoughts on the matter that have been in my head all weekend, I should give this its own post.
Here is the final result of those plates below.
Yesterday before I glazed them I was thinking to myself why do I have flowers mixed with a saying by Grandma Moses? The two don't connect. I drew an images that I normal put on my work and then added a text that had no relation. I did cut myself some slack by knowing I was just playing around with these plates but know it is time to think more about what I am doing. What I am saying visually? I do love the quotes but something about just putting a quote on a vessel doesn't feel personal enough to me. My thoughts,song verses I love and quotes that run through my head have more of a personal feel. Kind of like the finger marks in the bottom of a mug.
My next step, I guess is some sort of imagery that does have relevance to my thoughts. At this moment in my life, my job as a mother, wife and female artist are all things that pull me in all sorts of directions and I do have a lot to say about those things. Here is where I'm not sure how much of my inner thoughts I want for the whole world to read. My blog is one thing but my true thoughts, I keep for my own ears and eyes. Stay tune for more of this.
4 comments:
I understand, as I have said, about revealing those most inner thoughts about our lives. that is what I like about the process I am exploring right now...revealing yet masking...seems like a good balance. no one can quite read it, I don't think...which relieves me. yet I am still putting it out there. still exploring...always!
I did try to read your plates the other day and could'nt so you are safe!
I'm still mulling it over in my head...we'll see where it takes me. Jen
Very thought provoking post. Thankfully it will never be an issue for me because my hand-writing is totally indecipherable. But if I did have a neater hand, and "written words" were a part of my work as a potter, I'm pretty sure I would want to use my own. Copyright infringement aside (and that's always a consideration in what I do) I just think it's more honest that way.
I admit that can be intimidating. But we can share as much as we wish with our words. We can mask them with glazes. We can use a clever turn of phrase as songwriters often do. We can tell it all or we can tantalize with clues.
It's our choice? Looking forward to more discussion and thoughts on this.
Elaine, I've tried and I can't read your work either. I thought my eyes were going bad! Glad to know it's not just me.
Jen, I used to think I didn't like writing on pottery until I ran across Jeff Martin at CPF last time. His writing on his pots was pretty interesting and unique and seemed to really fit with the images. I think quotes are fine but like Becky, I think I would would be more drawn to a piece that contains the artists own words. It gives more of a connection to the artist I think.
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