Monday, November 1, 2004

What's in a name? If a pot's glaze is appealing, does it matter what glaze was used?   For a potter, or a historian, of course it does! If I have two red mugs and one had a nice iron oxide glaze that some random potter had come up with, and the other had "Shaner's Red" on it, the two pots carry different meanings. Dave Shaner was a major contributor to ceramics.  He also gave away a host of glaze recipes including Shaner's red, which is still widely used.  (It is also the color of his mail box and the title of an interview he did with Gerry Williams for Studio Potter.)  In the interview he  says that he believes exposure to a glaze compound was a factor in his fatal illness.  He and his wife are being remembered by a new building at Archie Bray where he was the director for 7 years. Shaner's Red G200-52.7% Talc-4% EPK-25% Bone ash-4% Whiting-23.3% RIO-5% -Tom Gray Even when mixed by another potter, even substituting materials and quantities, knowing a pot has "Shaner's Red" carries with it the understanding David Shaner's life and work. 6:35:24 AM