Waste of resources?

[1gear]

Oh, good grief!

It's practice dear boy (girl?).

In order to get good at something you have to practise the art. Whilst doing this you will produce some crap. Get over it. It's how it works. Just as you wouldn't want to listen to a budding musician practise, you may not regard the products of a budding potter/sculptor with much favour.

However, if you don't appreciate a whole genre of art, then I suggest you're really not in a position to criticize. Just as I wouldn't presume to judge the prowess of a banjo player.

Of course, if there is no form of art/music/literature that you can appreciate then I feel truly sorry for you.

Oh god!! Listen dear boy/girl
Im not critisizing because i cant do it, more the fact that it IS pointless.
YOU tell me what the point in making a pot is, that you will never use, and will just sit somewhere.
You might have a few people get really excited about it, but after a while that will go, and they wont be impressed at all, leaving you with a formed bit of hard, dry clay.
Whats the point in that?
Face it, there is no point in it. Im sorry, but no matter how much you say there is, you havent actually given me a reason why there is a point, or more reasons then i have given with it being pointless. Making it POINTLESS.
Sorry pal.

(im a boy by the way)

[Adrian]

Some might suggest that it makes other ceramic work look better by comparison. Would that give it a point?

[1gear]

Some might suggest that it makes other ceramic work look better by comparison. Would that give it a point?

No.

[John Henry]

And no, this isnt a rant, i was wanting some art buff to come on and tell me the point of it.

To lift the soul? To stimulate our emotions? To remind us that as human beings we are capable of more than just sustaining life - that we can create things of beauty?

That pot above mings a bit, admittedly. But heck, if you practice hard enough and you have enough talent, you become Grayson Perry (dress optional). His stuff is fantastic to look at.

I take you back to those Stone Age drawing on the walls of the caves. They are pointless. Stone Age people had plenty on their plate just trying to stay alive. But somehow they found the time and energy to create art, for no purpose other than the joy of creating something. It's a basic human need.

Some art serves a practical purpose, some doesn't. Both are fine. Take music. It serves no purpose other than itself. It is entirely abstract and ephemeral. It exists for an instant; is heard, and is lost. But would you live your life without music?

[John Henry]

Is it too late to swap onto A level Physics instead, by the way? It might save you a whole lot of frustration, as it's undeniably practical, and apparently you need it for Audaxing anyway.

[1gear]

Would i live my life without music? Yes. I would. I do like music, but i could easily live my life without music.
No, cant swap what im doing, im fine doing it anyway.

Stone age drawings were drawn by vandels in the stone age. Like you get the vandels today who grafetti all over walls etc

If i could find the cable for my phone, id put pictures up of my work in wood. They are useful. One will be used as a shaving bowl maybe, the other to put soap in maybe. Wont just be sat on a window sill, or some stand being shown off and never used. Thats if they could ever be used.

My brother did ceramics for a while in 6th form, he didnt like it when i told him his work is pointles. Which it is.
Its sat up in the loft or in the shed. Its abit crap some of it though.
The pots he made has slight gaps in them, will never be used as pots. He reckons when he moves out they will be displayed. But why?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Human beings are occupational by nature. We need purposeful, meaningful activity. If making pots isn't meaningful for you, go and do something that is.

[MSeries]

Maybe you'd be better off studying the written arts.

[1gear]

Human beings are occupational by nature. We need purposeful, meaningful activity. If making pots isn't meaningful for you, go and do something that is.

If humans are occupational by nature, then why dont these humans make a pot thats got a purpose, instead of pointless pots?

Maybe you'd be better off studying the written arts.

No.
Although im studying English Language, so that could be me studying written arts.
No, its not. I didnt mean that.

[redshift]

Human beings are occupational by nature. We need purposeful, meaningful activity. If making pots isn't meaningful for you, go and do something that is.

If humans are occupational by nature, then why dont these humans make a pot thats got a purpose, instead of pointless pots?

<sarcasm>
Because that's called craft...   
</sarcasm>

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

If humans are occupational by nature, then why dont these humans make a pot thats got a purpose, instead of pointless pots?

Maybe for them, the meaning is in the doing, rather than the end result. It's a bit like audax. Or posting here.

[1gear]

If humans are occupational by nature, then why dont these humans make a pot thats got a purpose, instead of pointless pots?

Maybe for them, the meaning is in the doing, rather than the end result. It's a bit like audax. Or posting here.

Sounds abit rubbish to me.
Do an Audax, depending on which one it is, and it is purposful.
Posting on here, helping people out and educating, purposeful.
Making some weird shapped pot that cant/wont be used, not purposfuly.

Still no good reason why it has got a purpose really, does it?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

What's the purpose of an audax?

The point is, for some people, it's not about the end result. The important thing is just the experience of actually doing it.

[1gear]

What's the purpose of an audax?

The point is, for some people, it's not about the end result. The important thing is just the experience of actually doing it.

Purpose of an Audax, see things, complete the ride and do that large amount of miles.
Ofcourse, its not got a large amoutn of purpose, and ive never done one, but it has some.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

But it doesn't produce anything useful.

[1gear]

But it doesn't produce anything useful.

Your right. It doesnt.

Audaxing, thats pointless aswell.

Thanks Kirst, i hadnt really thought of Audaxing like that.
Although, it does create fitness does it not? Which help on more purposefuly ride, like riding to work, or commuting to somewhere else.

[Panoramix]

Making stuff is rewarding, it boosts your self-esteem. So even if the object has no end use it can be seen as some kind of "therapy" for the maker soul.

When I was a student I built a racing yacht with classmates. It stole us our social life for 12 months, it was pointless (what is the point of a machine designed to carry 6 peoples to a place where they don't need to go) but it was definitely worth doing it.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Your right. It doesnt.

Audaxing, thats pointless aswell.

Thanks Kirst, i hadnt really thought of Audaxing like that.
Although, it does create fitness does it not? Which help on more purposefuly ride, like riding to work, or commuting to somewhere else.

And making pots improves hand-eye coordination, hand and arm strength, concentration, lower leg strength if it's a treadle wheel, dexterity and fine finger movement...

[border-rider]

Audaxing, thats pointless aswell.

It's enjoyable

So's art. 

What's the problem ?

[1gear]

Your right. It doesnt.

Audaxing, thats pointless aswell.

Thanks Kirst, i hadnt really thought of Audaxing like that.
Although, it does create fitness does it not? Which help on more purposefuly ride, like riding to work, or commuting to somewhere else.

And making pots improves hand-eye coordination, hand and arm strength, concentration, lower leg strength if it's a treadle wheel, dexterity and fine finger movement...

Yes, but making pointless pots, are often done by rolling out clay, making slabs and joining those on a shaped base or something.
Not once, has someone used a wheel in my 3D lessons. They are also not foot powered i dont think.
So all that goes out the window. Unless, throwing clay on a table, wacking it with a rolling pin, rolling it out, cutting it and shaping it, does all that. WHICH i very much doubt.

Its enjoyable? To some.
Whats the problem? People make pointless pots and waste clay. Its simple.
How is this clay not wasted? Look at this

Its ugly, serves no purpose.

[Butterfly]

The point of art is to make the people who 'get it' superior to those who don't. Or to make money for the artist. Or to make something prettier. Most of qualifies for a point under the first or second, but not the third. I've worked for 3 artists (2 mums, one dad) and their work almost exclusively fell into the second category. Since it indirectly pays my wages, I'd say the point is to do that and the wasted resources are considerably less than those wasted by some of the other Crap-merchants that I've worked for.

My boss has just bought one of these. Even the baby thinks it's odd.

I think there are worse ways of wasting the earth's resources though.

[andrewc]

It's not the best example of pottery I've seen,  I think it's intended to be decorative rather than functional.  But if we only made stuff that was functional the world would be a very dull place..

[1gear]

It's not the best example of pottery I've seen,  I think it's intended to be decorative rather than functional.  But if we only made stuff that was functional the world would be a very dull place..

No it wouldnt. The things that are functional would be better looking.
Your pie dish would be better looking. Bowls and plates better looking. Everything better.

[tonycollinet]

What's the point of wasting the effort and materials making something functional look good?

Pointless

[andrewc]

This I'd eat from.... it's functional, utilitarian and no too unattractive..

This I'd display... it's beautiful craftsmanship, but the skill of the craftsman and rarity of his work makes it too valuble for daily use.





This I'd display,(if I was rich enough).  A lump of bronze, but _I_ find the way the artist has cast it and treated it beautiful... so do lots of other people..

My parents like art and antiques, as a child and teenager I was dragged around museums, galleries, antique shops etc... I hated it.  I hated art lessons at school.    These days I walk around galleries and museums myself, enjoying it, and giving amused looks to the surly kids with their parents...