Both Donatello’s conception of David’s encounter with the Philistine champion, Goliath, and the version wrought by Michelangelo some seventy years later arose from specific political challenges. In the mid-fifteenth century, Florence faced the Milanese Sforza menace. As the century progressed, the Medici family, long ascendant in the city, confronted a republican insurgency which finally expelled them in 1494. By the time Michelangelo had finished work on his David, the resurgent Medici, themselves, were the chief threat to the city’s inhabitants. However, the particular circumstances in each case have resulted in very divergent figures.
Donatello’s statue reflects a triumphalist view of his patrons’ social position in Italy. He depicts the moment of victory. The severed head of the giant lies beneath the boot of a soft, barely adolescent boy with long, flowing tresses. Donatello's choice emphasizes the power of a family at the height of its fortunes.The statue was intended for display in the courtyard of a Medici palace and would impress both guest and passers-by as a symbol, not only of the family’s political potency, but also of its wealth and refinement. To this end, Donatello depicts the victor as an idealized object of desire whose slight military equipage radically offsets his delicate, alluring nudity. Instead of a hardened soldier’s rugged form, we behold an ethereal figure, symbolically defeating a brutish colossus. This is how the Medici preferred to see themselves – not debased by the rough and tumble of Italian politics, but transcending it. Though victorious, they are almost impervious to its coarseness.

Michelangelo’s composition, on the other hand, was finished in circumstances of looming menace from the Medici exiles. He takes as his subject a moment of defiance before the battle ensues. David's sling is readied over his left shoulder as he gazes intently at his foe. Unlike the relaxed contrapposto posture adopted by Donatello, every muscle is tensed and ready to spring into action in defense of the city. Michelangelo’s warrior is bold, mature and committed. Though beautiful, he is no mere love object. The statue was intended for placement on the Duomo, turned toward Rome, the direction from which the invading army was likely to come. It makes a statement. “We are ready to meet your challenge. We will defend our hard-won republic to the last man.”

I like to think of myself as a creative individual, but I have to admit that quite a few behaviors and activities that I engage in are more ritualistic than would be imagined. With the warming of the weather, I begin opening the windows as much for the sunlight as for the fresh air. During the short spring break from classes this semester I have awoken early to put my house in order if you will. Not normally an early riser, for those of you who know me, early is anytime before noon or possibly 2 pm depending on when I went to bed the night before. On this rare occasion I awoke naturally at 6 am and immediately began stripping the bed and curtains for the master bedroom and bath. Something within me loves to have a hard day of work rewarded by crisp clean cool sheets. As is usual in these intermediary months between winter and spring equinox the amount of static is palpable. Something I revel in each and every time my husband winces as I shock him. Much like the delight I get when I reduce him to a gaggle of giggles while tickling him.. Delight in the mild pain of someone else - yes please! But I digress, the static cling also does a number on my hair, after removing the many layers of my winter hibernation habitat, I look akin to a mad scientist all before 9 am. With the bedding out of the way I take this time to vacuum underneath the bed, by removing the mattress and bedsprings. I happen to notice that the baseboards are starting to slightly separate so in my energetic pep I take courage, knowledge, and the pep talk provided by Robin Williams and "Carpe Diem" caulk in hand. The caulk gun is the easy part, I cart a bucket of sudsy water in order to clean the baseboards in preparation, but if you clean one you have to clean them all, door frames too, but I limit myself to these eight walls for the time being. In this skeletal state I also notice the jimmy rig that my husband has been using since he broke the sideboard of the bed. (Yes and yes, funny story really.) No time like the present, so I get my googles, hacksaw and nailgun, and approximately 45 minutes later Viola. I am the Husband!
The faucet in th bathroom has developed a minor drip in the last week or so, so armed with a massive supply of o-rings, the most probable cause of the leak according to my research. Easy to do yourself according to my research. Three wrenches, an allen wrench and a dismantled stem = equals one massive amount of water pooling above and below the sink. I turn off the water flow to the sink and like any rational person would do at this point I call for assistance and make an appointment for a plumber to arrive Friday at 2pm.
Doorbell ring this is how I answer.

This is who arrives:

Thirty minutes and eighty-nine dollars later, I felt like a happy man, a smorgasborg of services were offered but rather than a complete rebuild at $389.00, a new faucet + installation $500.00, I think I made the right decision. It was the o-ring, some dufus put it back together backwards...
However the previous weeks worth of moisture has loosened the adhesive backing from the laminate of the cabinet. Thanks to my devotion to This Old House, I knew that vinyl laminate flooring will sit flush with prefabricated cabinets so off to Home Depot I went; I also had a running list of items from my honeydew list that I needed as well, granted a shower and hair gel, and another change of laundry loads were required first. At 4:08 traffic to Pineville is within a five minute route, on hour later traffic jams have magically quadrupled the return trip. I am finishing the last cuts of the last tile as Le Husband enters at 8:30 pm. Excited to show my handiwork of the day. Remember the bucket of mop water from the baseboards - me neither! I trip over it sending a cascading waterfall of water down the stairs to greet my better half. Well played Karma, well played.

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.