rocheleau pipes

I get this twice weekly art newsletter from Robert Genn. Robert is a highly
accomplished artist here in Canada, and is known the world over. Robert
gives back quite a bit to artists and creators, in part with this
newsletter. I thought the theme expressed in this one speaks easily to pipe
artisans and those who treasure and collect their work. It's worth a read.

John
http://www.RocheleauPipes.com

__________________________________________________ ___


Create or consume?

November 18, 2005

Dear John,

I met up with Fred Fowler in his woodland cabin. Fred's a tall,
wispy-bearded guy from Ohio. He's lived in Alaska for ten
years. You won't find Fred on the Internet--he doesn't believe
in TV, phones or electricity. Fred makes jewelry and sells it
in the town stores. Around his cabin there are hundreds of
plaster and rubber casts as well as scattered design sketches
and jewelry ideas. An ancient wood stove boils up some Earl
Grey beneath a festive display of occasionally dripping long
johns.

"Busy hands are nature's way, my man," says Fred. "Ever see
kids madly colouring? Gradually the kids get converted to
religious consumerism. Path of least resistance. Canned
entertainment equals the junk life." Fred looks out his window
and points to the whitecaps on Chilkat Inlet. I go to make a
remark about winter coming but Fred starts up again. "Rather
pay to be entertained than entertain yourself. Rather consume
other people's stuff than create your own--and maybe see
yourself fail."

Fred strains a thick wad of special tea for himself. "It's
Yerba Mate," he says, "gives a buzz." He ****s it up through a
silver straw. "Conforming religious consumers are suspicious of
creators," he goes on. It's like he's reading from the Fred
Fowler Manifesto. "They don't like it that we give our time to
something other than consuming. They'd rather you came down to
the Golden Nugget to watch TV games. No private effort in that
establishment. It's groupie-ism at its worst. Being on your own
as a creator equals satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.
But the creative path is definitely the one less traveled. We
could end up with a world where no one knows how to make
beautiful things. All done by machines. Managed mayhem taking
over, death video and 'V.V.V.'--that's Virtual Visual Violence,
my man. Simulated killing equals more bloody bloodshed. Private
creativity?--getting more impossible daily, my man. Media
pollution is the next frontier."

As it's getting dark I borrow Fred's flashlight. "Follow my
owl," says Fred. His Husky comes along, then, halfway out of
Fred's forest, she abandons me. "Here Bunny," I hear Fred
calling. Odd name for a big dog, I'm thinking. When I finally
turn the ignition key on my borrowed truck, I'm suddenly
surrounded by something like Led Zeppelin. I take a minute to
warm up and then I head for the bright lights.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less
traveled by, And that has made all the difference." (The Road
Not Taken, Robert Frost)

Esoterica: With a population of 2800, Haines, Alaska has more
than its fair share of private creators. Wood, bone and stone
carvers, sculptors, painters, weavers, quilters, jewelers,
leatherworkers and other more esoteric arts. Most of the
galleries and other outlets are closed for the winter. In the
meantime, like many of us, they burn the midnight oil, keep
warm, congratulate themselves on their lifestyle, and wait for
their cruise-ships to come in.

Current clickback: If you would like to see selected,
illustrated responses to the last letter, "Releasing the
eagle," please go to:
http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/bald-eagle.asp

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Thanks for sharing John