About every twenty years, we seem to collectively decide that a fundamental shift in our culture has occurred and that a new generation has begun to define itself in some basically different way than those who came before. Generation X, of which I am a member, spans those individuals born between 1964 and 1982. A lot of folks thought studio ceramics (and civilization in general) would suffer under our perceived, collective less-than-nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. Similar worries were echoed for Generation Y (Generation "why?"), which is now seeing the end of college on the upper end and the beginning of elementary school on the lower end. This means that, for almost 40 years, after thousands of years of history, studio ceramics has been on the edge of collapse!
That said, as of October 2008, there are 1250 pages on etsy.com for ceramics and/or pottery, and this appears to be growing at a rate of about five per week. There are an average of 50 applicants to the top graduate ceramics programs, each of which have only three or four spots available each year (The University of Washington, in this month's MFA FActor is a prime example). Over 700 colleges and universities offer classes in ceramics. I try to keep up with about thirty clay-related blogs, and that's nowhere near the number out there. And if those reasons aren't enough, notice that this issue of CM is more than double its typical size. Check out the Gallery Guide in print or online, and try to tell me there is not plenty to celebrate about ceramic art. It would seem, from this quick glance, that creativity and artistic pursuits in ceramics are doing just fine, generational deficiencies aside.
| But now here comes the iPod Generation, and the rumblings begin again.
I'm trying to put my finger on what exactly defines them beyond a
proposed tendency to attach themselves to technological gizmos,
supposedly at the expense of real, actual human experience. With every
new generation, the behaviors they form in order to not deal with their
parents, and define themselves in alignment with their friends, get
translated (not necessarily by their parents) into a perceived
incapacity for human interaction or awareness. This, in turn, means
that human creativity, and appreciation for art, will become lost.
Sounds familiar—the way a broken record sounds familiar.
I realize my position on this comes from my being part of the
"problem," even though I'm not a member of the iPod Generation. I love
technological devices. I collect them like tools—in fact, I collect
them as tools. I want them for their usefulness and ability to perform
amazing tasks in amazing ways. Like a really good hammer; drive a nail,
pull a nail, smash a bad pot—let me at it. Carry thousands of songs (not to mention video)
with me at all times, ready to fit any given mood? Sign me up! I own
an iPod. I watch television. I appreciate, make and purchase handmade
ceramic objects. I can also walk and chew gum at the same time, like
probably the majority of the iPod Generation.
Let's trust that a new generation will find its own tools and its own
creativity. Let's trust that they will embrace clay, like we did.
People make iPods; people make art.
Sherman Hall, Editor, Ceramics Monthly
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