First off, Thank you Laura for such a fabulous and informative post on the *green* question regarding ceramics! It is obvious that there hasn't been much discussion about it and I think perhaps there has a bit of a presumption that because ceramics are made from clay that they are inherently earth friendly. In this world (especially here in the U.S.) often the focus on selling something is on marketability and trend (which is all about being green these days). All those things are well and good and can make us a buck but when it comes to something as serious as the environment it is so important to be honest with ourselves and others about what we make. So thanks again Laura, your honesty and thorough investigation into the greenness of ceramics has been an eye opener for us all. Though ceramics themselves are not a green product I do agree that buying handmade and locally is ultimately the best way to go. It is virtually impossible to make anything without causing some sort of impact but there are ways to lessen that impact and to be aware. Many of you wrote about ways you are doing that in your own studios and passed on some ideas of what everyone can do to be more conscious about their studio practices and the impact they might have on the environment. Thank you all for your comments and if anyone else out there has any tips they would like to share, please do let us know.
Now on a more personal note; I have been a little out of the loop as of late. Distractions by loved ones, kitchen painting, sight seeing and lots of laying in the park and ice cream eating has put me a little behind but happy and well rested. So many exciting things are coming up in the next few months. I will be back again soon to fill you all in on the details. For now happy Monday to you all!
above bowl; quince on green 10.5"x10.5"x5"
2 comments:
In addition to buying handmade and locally, there is the issue of permanent vs. disposable. I have been considering if I would rather have a single beautiful bowl like your quince bowl or the cost equivalent in, let's say, trendy Target purchases. The cheap stuff is fun, but your pieces are to keep forever.
Thanks to you and a huge thanks to Laura for a great note.
As a ceramic artist, the "green" of ceramics has had me thinking for awhile, too - while I support and advocate a greener lifestyle, ceramics is far from that.
One person I admire is Mary Dye, a Chicago area potter: she fires a wood kiln, and gets her wood as scrap from cabinetmakers and construction dumpsters. As an architect, I'm concerned with minimizing construction waste, so am also, naturally, thrilled.
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