Culture QotD: Work of Art
What work of art do you find inspirational?
This is a ceramic cylinder I threw during my ceramics course in 2005. All of the everything I could possibly muster went into making this seemingly simple shape. Behind this one cylinder were over twenty failed attempts.
The professor's requirements were simple: make a six inch tall cylinder. Unfortunately, that was difficult for someone that could not keep the wall even and straight. I could get the cylinder to a four inch height with out much difficulty. The last two inches were killer. As it turned out, my issue was technique. For some reason, my right elbow, normally resting solidly on my thigh, would come off after the cylinder was over four inches tall. Since my right hand maintained the uniformity of the outer wall, the cylinder would become unbalanced and tip over.
I am not sure why it took so long to figure this out. Thankfully, I did and was able to master this seemingly easy task. This purple cylinder, currently being used as a bookend for my yet-to-be-read books, reminds me to be patient and work through the problem, rather than succumb to despair and feelings of hopelessness.
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