tourist crap.
No, really! I may be enjoying myself and doing a good job, but isn't it a cliche to go to Mexico or Italy and buy a little jug with grapes on it? They collect dust on the mantel for years and then they go for a dollar at a garage sale.... I made this fine pitcher yesterday and what do I see at a friend's house? A little jug with grapes on it from a trip to Italy, no joke!
SO, what is the difference? And do I care? I make, as you know, what I feel like, and this is what I felt like doing and it turned out very well, if I may say. Also, the tourist crap might be made with nasty ingredients like lead...in a factory! Then they slap "Made in Mexico" on the bottom and get it out in front of the cruise ships....
I have other ideas about how to make grapes on things, plus I am probably doing a show at a winery in September, and tourists NEED this kind of crap from Ithaca, don't they? ;)
(new pitchers by Gary Rith)
It’s a continual dilemma in art. If you make what you like someone else should like it too. Better that they buy hand crafted pitchers with grapes on them that you made then something else that isn’t even made by a local artisan.
ReplyDeleteThe grapes are a great tie in with the local wine industry.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of the grapes. yours and the ones in my bottle. :)
ReplyDeletegrapes are good! recently I turned a cylinder into a wind carafe by drawing grapes on it... I think your majolica jug is nicer :) good luck at the winery.
ReplyDeleteDidn't I buy a bowl from you with sculpted grapes on it? I think i gave it to my mother in law a couple of years ago for Christmas. I have a berry bowl with sculpted blueberries. Love them both. I think they're only kitschy if they're done poorly. Yours look great.
ReplyDeleteThe new work is lovely, Gary.. enjoying the posts of your summer adventures.. Cheers. Trish
ReplyDelete