When someone I respect in the art world appreciates a piece that I don’t get, I ask them to help me see what they are seeing. I want to know what I am missing. What context do I not have? What do I not understand? It is a great way to broaden my own knowledge and challenge my framework and training. The answer has the potential to make my world bigger, but sometimes after the explanation, I am still left with questions.
The Juror’s Choice award in the 2025 Strictly Functional Pottery National gave me pause. The selected pot is lovely; my hesitation in writing this article is that by questioning juror Mark Hewitt’s choice, I am subjecting the maker to an oblique, unsolicited critique. My apologies. My focus is on the questions raised rather than the work.
If you have read Mark Hewitt’s article Contemporary Californian Kizaemon you might have guessed by now that I was the potter who reached out to Mark, commenting that I found his choice “perplexing.” Mark’s public response feels like an earnest attempt at understanding what resonated so much about his choice. It’s great food for thought.
