Malcolm Davis passed away on Sunday, December 11. There is much sadness and fond recollection of him at the moment, as he was truly a funny, giving person.
In skimming the remembrances I was struck by SImon Levin’s sentiment to Malcolm: “You owned shino, you made it yours for your time.” I love the idea that none of us owns anything, like shino. We’re stewards of the things we take up, we hold them for a while, and then they continue or not.
This is rather different from the NYTimes article about Damien Hirst and his dot paintings today. People will own the paintings, maybe even steward them along, but there is little continuity outside the persona of the artist. Except the dot, of course. Is Hirst stewarding the dot through this point (ha, ha) in history? That seems like a stretch. Maybe he’s stewarding the role of ‘famous artist/courtier’ for this era. Maybe the notion of genius (famous) individual just isn’t about stewardship. Maybe stewardship is something we just create.
Getting back to Malcolm: my Malcolm story takes place when I ran into him my first year at the Baltimore craft show in 1998 (I think). We had met at Greenwich House Pottery (yay, Made in Clay this weekend) in maybe 1994 when he was a visiting artist one winter. We had a lovely conversation and then I saw him again at NCECA in Minneapolis a little later on. Cut to Baltimore, and he’s throwing a fit that I do not list him as one of my teachers on my fledgling resume.
Not that I had ever been his student. I assumed he was mistaken and I was too shy to correct him about it. Only later it occurred to me that he understood the experience of talking to me, being generous and frank with me, and sharing his knowledge and history as teaching. Which of course it was, but so not in the structured way I had understood education, even in craft. Teaching and being were not separated or formalized in his world view (it seems to me), and pottery as a field granted Malcolm the space to be a teacher in this way that many professions do not.
He expanded my understanding of learning, and of pots. Thank you!!
December 13, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Just a few days ago I was looking at ‘A Chosen Path’, the biography of Karen Karnes, and I think the book has in it a picture of the Old Church Art School Show, and you were in the picture, along with Malcolm Davis, Karnes, Simon Levin, Ayumie Horie, Mikhail Zakin, and a few others. I remember thinking ‘Wow, lots of talent in that picture!’
December 17, 2011 at 7:01 pm
I’m not a potter myself, but my mother is one of his students, and we all loved him dearly. Malcolm was a part of my childhood; I will always remember going to workshops with my mother and giggling wildly at his antics. When he would see my brother and I, he would always sniff and say, “I hate children.” He was a beautiful, unbelievably talented artist, teacher, and human being. I am terribly saddened to hear of his passing.
January 21, 2012 at 7:01 pm
hey, Sequoia….you have been one of my teachers….that quickie workshop at Lee Center…then I came to see you at the Smithsonian…and cherish the skinny teapot and unami which I bought. I must correct you though, Malcolm actually died on Monday, Dec 12th. One of the early “postings” got it wrong and Judy told me that she was upset about that when I took her some soup and fresh bread, later that week. It was a Monday morning and I got the first email at about 11 pm that evening.
I got to spend two full weeklong workshops w Malcolm, once at Shakerag and then later on at La Meridiana in Tuscany (Certaldo) Italy. I feel that I knew him well….and I just quake when I realize that my first pottery class was at the very same Community Center as he took his first class. Mine was 9 years ago…his about 34! Now, I am teaching there…just kids, but my oh my, they are so much more receptive than adults.
Wonder how old your little guy is now? Are you still in the East? COming to DC this year? I’ll try to keep up w your blog…you are on my main bookmark bar!
Stay warm! Sue Baum