SPOON!

Asian dinner utensils are awesome. I've always said that I want to be a ceramic engineer in Asia because the don't have to worry about metal marking problems (no knives at the table).   The table relies on the chopstick and the spoon, Designer Aïssa Logerot has come up with an evolutionarily design, combining the two. 

 

 

I have to admit, that I do have some reservations about the design. It seems like the spoon might fall off the end of the chopsticks, and that long handles does not suit how porcelain spoons are handled. None-the-less, this is a pretty interesting design. 

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I'm going to take off for the Holiday, but I'll be back next week.

Please, be safe, warm, and don't drink and drive. 
I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday!

Oh Canada!

I Love Canada!
As you may know, I come from Maine. The joke there is that Maine is just un-annexed Canada. We love Hockey, French, and Doughnuts. All things Canadian. Now we have one more thing to love in Canada. That is Pottery Supply House in Oakville, Ontario.

Why do we love PSH? Becuase they are now carrying the full line of Matt and Dave's Clays Products! Porcelain for the People and The Coup! How cool is that?!


What is even cooler? PSH is doing something that I had a lot of requests to do but could not pull off. That is ship across to Canada! You will have to contact them to get the details, but this makes our clay available to all of our friends in the Great White North.


Stop by and get some clay!


Also, I wanted to let everyone know that Tee Shirts are now in and available at out online store!

Store

Pottery Supply House

Ceramics=Civil Unrest

We all know that ceramics are inherently political medium but a protester in Italy has taken this to a new level. This particular protester used a ceramic stature of Milan's Cathedral to express his displeasure with the Prime Minister. 

ROME - An attacker hurled a statuette at Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, striking the leader in the face at the end of a rally on Sunday and leaving the stunned 73-year-old leader with a broken nose and bloodied mouth, authorities said.

Police said the 42-year-old man accused of attacking Berlusconi as he signed autographs in Milan was immediately taken into custody. The Italian leader was rushed to a hospital where he was being held overnight.

The attack occurred at a time when Berlusconi, one of Italy's wealthiest men, is embroiled in a sex scandal, a divorce case with his wife and public protests demanding his resignation. 

Via MSNBC  

I will admit to having a limited knowledge of Italian politics. That said, in my understanding Mr. Berlusconi's policies, practices and morals are somewhat questionable...

So let's think of this less as an attack, and more of a Christmas Gift...In the face.

Sale! For Today and One Day Only!

 Act Quickly, this deal will be gone at Midnight!

Matt and Dave's Clays

The 1 Day Sale at our site is Live! 15% of a combo, Porcelain for the People and Stuck Up Slip for just $35

 

  We are offering a special deal with our High Temperature Porcelain for the People and Stuck Up Slip together for $35- Shipped! This is a 15% savings on both items. This is a pretty great deal and is only going to last for 24 hours. So get yourself some clay to put under your tree. We will get your clay shipped out just in time for Christmas.


Go to our online store and select the item with the picture of Santa George you see at the top, to get the special sale price.


http://www.mattanddavesclays.com/store/


It's only going to last for 24 hours, so get it quick.


Have a happy New Year.


Matt and Dave

http://www.mattanddavesclays.com/store/

 

Light Bright.

 I'm feeling sort of guilty. I bought this item for the member of my family who's stocking I am stuffing this Christmas. Unfortunately for that person, They will not be receiving this particular item. I'm keeping it.

I thought about this long and hard, and It was Mrs. Rose who finally declared that this was the coolest piece of translucent porcelain in the house. Sorry to all the rest of the work, but she is right. A translucent porcelain Burger, Fries, and Cola, you'll be lighting my way to bed on Christmas Eve.

Get a Handle on Things

I'm not one to Poo poo a paper cup, just because I'm a ceramics person. I do believe in function first, and sometimes function comes in the form of a paper cup. 

That said, this handle sleeve is awesome. The site dosen't say what it is made out of, I suspect rubber. But it could be clay.

None-the-less, it is a pretty fun and functional thingy.


Site 


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Christmas goes down the drain

My alternative title was "I'm pretty sure you can't flush that, no matter how powerful your new toilet is"

Or, "The Grinch had to work extra hard, when the Whos went Condo."



At least the tree will stay watered.


I have to say that I am shocked at how little Holiday Ceramics I have come across this year. If anyone has stumbled across some fun stuff. Please send it to me, I love hoilday stuff.



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This is bad...

I know that bad people will do bad things, but this kind of thing is going to make it harder for pottery classes in schools in the future.

12 Year old Girl assaulted with Pottery Tool
 Matt McKinney 



Asheboro, NC -- Sheriff's deputies are investigating the assault of a 12-year-old middle school girl on a bus Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators say 18-year-old Jeremy Johnson, a student at Southwestern Randolph High School, had taken a pottery tool from the school without the teacher's knowledge.
Witnesses say that during an argument the suspect threw the tool at the 12-year-old striking her in the lip. The victim's father, Darrell Sanders, spoke only to WFMY News 2 about the incident.
"She had the pottery tool sticking through her upper lip through the bone down through the roof of her mouth," he said.
Randolph County Schools Spokesperson Dremia Meier said the school bus driver did not respond properly.
"We have specific policies in place. Any bus driver should call 911 immediately in any emergency. In this case that did not happen," she said.
Sanders said, "When she let my daughter off the school bus with a knife in her face, not knowing if anybody was home, that was the ultimate straw there."
The driver has been placed on administrative leave pending the school district's internal investigation.
Footage from a school bus camera is being used in the Randolph County Sheriff's Office's investigation.

Sanders and his wife took their daughter to Randolph Hospital where she had to receive stitches in the damaged area.  She was keep overnight for observation and is recovering at home.
Johnson is charged with assault with a deadly weapon and is being held at the Randolph County Jail under $100,000 bond. 
Randolph County school officials say he has been suspended.


If you are a school teacher, keep an eye on your tools... sheesh.

I have to admit that I am shocked that this kid was only suspended and not out right expelled.  The video story almost completely focuses on the bus driver, who admittedly did not follow protocol, and not on how this little thug need to be put on an ice flow.  Sheeseh, the girl was 12 and this punk is 18. Tell me that he does not have a future in and out of prison.

The China Syndrome

These pieces by Chilean/British Artist Livia Marin were shown at The House of Propellers in London earlier this fall, under the name "Broken Things" 

From the Gallery Site:
“Broken Things” highlights the meticulous work of Livia Marin, a process–oriented approach, which appropriates mass-produced and mass-consumed objects, turning them into precious and uniquely, handcrafted art objects. For this exhibition, Marin finely sculpts everyday objects – cups, bowls jars and plates – modeled with ruptures, splits and crevices. The fractures represent fatality and loss, but in repairing and keeping the object she stresses the relationship of care and continuation. Surreality and repetition are important procedures in the artist's work, creating a mechanization of the intimate relationship we have with objects of everyday use. 

What also fills these pieces with a unique essence is a printed ‘Willow Pattern’. This Willow Pattern, copied from fine hand-painted Chinese pottery was manufactured in the UK using transfer prints signaling a transformation to industrial mass–production. Marin plays with the dignity and uniqueness of the original –but also with its dissemination into universal consciousness via industrialization. In the artists own words “I see my work as situated within a more formal Minimalist agenda. Equally, however, I would want to extend that agenda to include the more ‘impure’ aspects of things that have been handled and used bearing a trace of a social history.”

 I don't think that quite does the work justice. Maybe it is just me, but I was having a discussion with a friend this weekend about work that is smarter than the person making it. I don't know this person so I am painting with a broad brush, but that statement does nothing for me.

It is a loaded discussion that I don't want to go into right now. Maybe I need to do another post on the weakness of Artist's statements. But you all know that you have encountered it. It is so infuriating, but that is life.



House of Propellers

A Cut Above

Hi All,


Sorry, I've been exceptionally busy this week. So I haven't any time to put into posts. I'll try to do better next week.


In the mean time enjoy this Guillotine Christmas ornament.


Beats the pants off that pickle, I'll tell you what.
(if you got that joke your name is Dan or Corey)


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Link

Why yes, I guess you could look at it that way.

I'm not the greatest speller, but at least I have spell check to rely on. Unfortunately for the ceramicists and the tattoo artist, you really need to triple check, because that shit is permanent.


Luckily this one was done on purpose by James Victore who refers to himself as a dinner plate pirate.


It also makes me glad that I was not a girl, because my "girl name" was Virginia...


Link


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There are Gnomes and UnNoams

I can't say if this is clay, but I could not resist posting this Garden Noam Chomsky.


A Gnomes History of the United States?


Thanks to Swen for the title of the post.


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Nipple Slip

Apparently it is anatomy week here at Slipcast. It is odd how these things pop up in series.


This elegant cup and saucer, named the Anna cup has a surprise inside. Some may argure that it is not as great as the prize at the bottom of the Cereal Box, but I think some may like it better.


Link 


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The Coup update-Now available in our Online Store!

Hello everyone,

The response to The Coup has been outstanding. Thanks to everyone for trying our clay. I'm sure you are going to love it! Can you go wrong with a clay who's worst review ever was "I really liked it!"? We have never received a review less than 5 stars out of 5  from those who have tried our clay.
Anyway, I wanted to let you know that  the full range of The Coup products are now available at our safe, secure, and easy online store. So go ahead and get your sweetie a box of the white stuff for Christmas.

For when metaphor, is just too much to deal with.

Sometimes, some artists need to be direct and literal...


The notion of woman a vessel is one used through out history, Stéphanie Rollin and Plug Studio just decided to cut out all that laborious conceptualizing and got straight for the anatomy lesson.


Dr. Katz, Guess what you are getting for Christmas!


Link 


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The Coup, Mid-Temperature is ready!

Hi Everyone


I told you that I would let you know when The Coup, our Mid-Temperature version of Porcelain for the People is ready.


Today is the day!


We have The Coup made and ready to ship, right now.


What is even better? We not only have our plastic body, great for throwing and hand-building. We also have Coup versions of our Cast Away Slip and Stuck Up-the amazing building and attaching slip. All three designed to work great together.


The Coup has all of the performance qualities of Porcelain for the People, with a firing temperature of Cone 5-8.


I hope we have piqued your interest.


The Coup is available at our store at www.mattanddavesclays.com. 

Prices for The Coup are the same as Porcelain for the People.


Clay-$30/box
Casting Slip-$45/2 Gallons
Stuck Up-$12/Bottle
All prices include shipping!


So if you are interested please send us an email, with your order. We will respond with a link, where you can make a secure payment.


The Revolution Is Here!

Gnome Your Rights

I was shocked and appalled to learn that the authorities in the West Midlands, UK are attempting to turn their village in to an Anti-Ceramic Police State... Shocking, Truly Shocking. Here's the story. 
-

Gnomes cause health and safety row

(UKPA) 

A local authority has apologised to a West Midlands woman who was wrongly told to remove two ornamental gnomes from outside her home on health and safety grounds.
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council said a letter sent to Linda Langford, which also instructed her to withdraw a pottery tortoise from a communal area outside her flat in Tipton, had been based on a misunderstanding of its fire safety rules.
The note from Sandwell Homes to Mrs Langford, 57, ordered her to take down a welcome plaque as well as the gnomes - one of which is hitting an anvil, the other reading a book.

-
As you all know, we are concerned will all aspects of ceramics here at Slipcast. We need to reclaim our civil rights to display our clays freely...even the ugly ones. 

Remember, first they came for the Garden Gnomes and I said nothing, Then they came for the Pottery turtles and I said nothing. Then the came for the Hedgehog Houses and there was no one left to speak for them...

Left Over Art

 

As those of us in the states recuperate from one delectable holiday and prepare for another we stumble across Left Over art. Dinner fodder is both a blessing and a shameful reminder of how good we all have it. 

When I was a teenager we used to do this at the restaurants we hung out at. I don't think the wait staff appreciated all that we as customers had to offer...

Link


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