Addicted to Pot

Pot addicts – that’s how we call our fellow pottery students at the Pettyjohn-Mendoza Pottery School in Greenbelt Makati. And that’s not far from the truth. There are times when we skip meals, play hookie, cut classes – generally, escape from what we are supposed to do just so we can do pottery. In fact it’s not unusual to see a guy wearing a barong who’s spinning a potter’s wheel during afternoon classes.

But what’s in a pot? Or to be more precise, what’s in a lump of moist clay that makes us students indulge in our pot sessions again and again and again?

It’s a passion and an attraction...and it’s a bit hard to explain. Our experiences may be varied but for most of us, these are the things that bind us to clay...first is the feel of clay, soft, pallable, moist. I distinctly remember our teacher Jon Pettyjohn saying that the feel of clay is so close to the feel of human skin, and that it is likely not far off that man was in fact, created from clay. Adie Mendoza, also one of our teachers, was more sensual when he described the feel of clay. He said that throwing clay can be an erotic experience.

Second can be the act of creating something from clay. The experience is almost divine. We shape all sorts of things from clay: vases, pots, teapots, cups, sculptural pieces, incense holders, even clock faces, chimes, framed art pieces...the number can be infinite. But it’s the fact that these things were created by our own hands bring us a sort of natural high.

Third is the anticipation right before our glazed work is pulled out from the kiln. Ooohs and aaahs are frequent especially when the glaze turns out better than expected.

Lastly, it is admiring our handiwork. How a pot stands proud and strong. How it projects. But unlike painting, pottery involves not just sight...pottery begs to be touched. You want to know how it feels, the perfection, the imperfections, how well it rests on the observer’s hands. Its balance and weight especially with tea wares and house wares.

These are the things that draw us, bind us, bond us to pottery. And we would like to share the experience.

A collection of our works is now on exhibit at Glorietta 4, third floor, Art Space until June 11. Take a look at how we breathed life into clay.