Innovation is a necessary component of civilization, and in our technologically savvy, materialistic culture, few individuals are concerned with the ramifications of their choices whether it involves a meal, a vote, or the local economy. One of the dilemmas faced by artists, especially in a world where items are mass-produced and copies churned out indefinitely, is the inability to keep ahead of the curve. Musicians and authors have to fight for intellectual property rights and consequent royalties. The sharing of ideas within the ceramic community makes it very hard to differentiate what is cutting-edge, what is traditional, and at what point something can become subject to copyright. Shannon Garson makes some intriguing observations in relation to the clever marketing of "handmade" items. Perhaps her greatest oversight, though she feints at entering the arena without crossing the threshold, is her perception of fine art as clearly, discernibly distinct from craft. Even within the artistic sphere there is a hierarchy for sculpture, painting, and ceramics artists. The very elements she cites as valuable for pottery's survival are also their greatest deficiencies in the realm of fine art. There is a distinction that elevates art in a museum setting. Perhaps it is the elitism that separates the plebeian, the quotidian, from the sublime, the universal. But in matters of taste, why would one pay to see something in a gallery that they interact with daily in a domestic setting?
While I appreciate the skill that is required to throw a pot, and realize that a great deal of time must be spent to master technique, these requirements are like the fundamentals of education. If one chooses to enter a field or profession, especially in a world where specialization has created a division between skilled and unskilled labor, and on a smaller scale a division between the white collar and the blue collar worker, and which has achieved vast economies of scale in automated production, an individual should perform the same rigorous thought for his own welfare as he does for his economy. In the commercial realm, a business is as healthy as its bottom line. That bottom line depends upon cultivating an audience interested in owning or consuming its products. Though great care is spent on branding, few purchases are based solely upon the packaging. I consider the personal growth of the artist as much as I consider the packaging of a candy bar. While I am pleased that Ms. Garson has a warm fuzzy feeling when she creates, I am equally nauseated by the faux spiritual connection she believes underlies her creative principle. While art has the ability to transcend the mundane and enter the realm of the transcendental, it is the consumer who must connect to or at least desire to use/own/appreciate the end result. This is where innovation acts as a double-edged sword; as many ideas find their further evolution in an economic sense as they do aesthetically. The world is strewn with carcasses that were not appreciated within the artist's own time. Vincent Van Gogh died in poverty as did Rembrandt.
Modern potters who rely on new glazing techniques, thereby keep the spirit of progress alive in a field that has survived perhaps as long as any human artistic endeavor. The truly avant-garde have moved the vessel into the realm of sculpture rather than the practical. But as soon as the recipe can be copied or the form adapted and popularized, it is not uncommon to see a commercial rendition lining a shelf at Target. While imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, it does little to assuage the solitary starving artist. Perhaps the greatest disservice of the article is that it, like modern politics, portrays strict dichotomies between the commercial and the artistic, when perhaps there are middle ways that are not explored. If the solo artist is relying on an element of luck to see what emerges from the kiln, he is obviously not educated about the raw materials and the flux results. This is where business can be a great resource. The procedures for creating nearly identical results time and time again are imperative for survival. I have a hard time finding fault with a consumer who makes purchases based on reliability, consistency, and economy.