Friday, September 11, 2009

quote.

"Very few people know how to work. Inspiration, everybody has
inspiration, that's just hot air."
-Beatrice Wood

I saw this quote on clayart and it reminded me of something I tell my students on the first day:

"In this class all the work you produce will be of a utilitarian nature, we don't do any ceramic sculpture in here. We work every day...If you want to sit around and think, the sculpture class is down the hall."

Ha!

Cheers!

6 comments:

DirtKicker Pottery said...

No insulting intended.

I don't understand how anyone can be an artist and discount the importance of inspiration?
In my opinion art requires inspiration. Unless you're continuously pouring slip into a mold... ceramics does require creativity, which is derived from inspiration.

cindy shake said...

OUCH!

brandon phillips said...

i don't entirely agree with what she was saying, but it did make me giggle for a minute. i think what she's saying is that inspiration only gets you so far(10% inspiration/90%perspiration?)

and i agree, inspiration is necessary...but it means nothing without hard work. i see dozens of art students every day, everyone of them is inspired and is going to be a great artist. i'd say less than 5% actually work, work, work. they'll be the one's that have a fighting chance at making a living with their art. some don't want to work that hard and that is fine...i believe we call them conceptual artists??? i'm just kidding of course....sort of.

DirtKicker Pottery said...

Hey Brandon, I totally get your point. It's a good one.

A starving artist is one that only works when inspired.

Maybe that's what Beatrice Wood was trying to say in that quote.

Paul Jessop said...

I bet knowone has had the balls to just get up at that point and walk out.
Your spot on of course so many students see art or Pottery as a Doss lesson. they are just wasting theirs and every one elses time.

ang design said...

beatrice wood was amazing, working right up into her 90's i think she lived..she made the leap from the cerebral dada movement into potting full time and for a painter made great pots...haha!..