| Natural |
| Freepot
is for the enjoyment and
understanding of handmade pottery. Sharing the spirit of human development,
ingenuity, artistry, and craft, with everyone.
A hobby-potter project.
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| Freepot Theme: Natural |
| What's natural?
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Can't see the forest for the shops.
It isn't so clear what we mean by the word natural.
In the dictionary it means; arising from nature; not artificial; unaltered by man.
Think about the many things in the house, and the shops, which are called natural? Do they all meet the definition?
Pottery clay is found in nature, as are raw materials, such as sand (silica). Then they are refined, concentrated, and processed into various chemicals and products. Handle with care.
Even in nature, materials can be dangerous to man. However in their manufactured state they are potentially more dangerous. With normal precautions, most of the potters materials are reasonably safe to handle. A notable exception is Borax. Yet prolonged contact with such a seemingly safe material such as silica, can be a problem. Silica dust gets into the lungs and causes silicosis, a chronic lung disease.
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Hand in hand.
I tend to think of the word natural in the sense of healthy, and harmless.
Yet any one would know this is a rather naive idea. In reality life can be hazardous, and we should be intelligently wary of our ignorance.
My use of the word natural, with regard to pottery, is to express the relationship between the maker and the making. At its core, the relationship is a simple application of human skill. Immersion of the maker.
When the potters actions are in concert with the properties of the clay, there is an overall outcome related to these inputs. There is a perfection of process, which is without excess. In its close relationship with the materials, and with an immersion of the maker in the activity, the process is natural. Accepting the potters role in manufacture, there can be a natural production of pottery, which is free of artificialness. This is not artful. It is simply natural. Given the right circumstances, and aware of the hazards, anyone can do this. Of course the process is not perfect, and there are many mistakes to be made. It is by trial and error that results are achieved.
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FREE
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Vase made at Tajimi. Akashino kabin. h15cm x d10cm (5.9in x 4in)
From the artists personal collection
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Hidden talents.
There is no need to see skills as special abilities, requiring formal training. If only there were more opportunities for ordinary people to use their innate talents, and to work and develop in harmony with the technology, the industry, and the art and craft. More important than any culture of artistic ability, is a sensitivity gained from working intimately with the raw materials in a working environment. Yet to achieve this there would be a smaller sized operation, and a different kind of industry than today. |
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of handmade pottery.
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