Notes on a Potter`s Life

By 1ulie Lluch

Julie Lluch is a sculptor known in the Philippines Ior her expressive portrayals oI women
made in clay. She graduated in Bachelor oI Philosophy at University oI Santo Tomas. Her
husband inIluenced her interest in art. Her style Iinds perIect expression in Philippine indigenous
clay as, Ior her, the most 'sensuous and pleasurable Ieminine medium. The themes oI her
sculptures usually are oI history or auto-biographical, Ieminist, and spiritual which includes
Christian paradox oI death and rebirth, and Iaith and vulnerability. Julie is an advocate oI
Ieminism. She Iormed a Ieminist group, KALAYAAN (Katipunan ng Kababaihan para sa
Kalayaan) together with women writers, activists and intellectuals in 1983. She co-Iounded
KASIBULAN with Iour other woman artists in 1990. This organization was originally Ior visual
artists but today claims largest membership oI Filipino women artists including writers, theater
workers and Iilmmakers. Her works set a high standard in the Iield oI Philippine sculpture and
enhances women`s position in the society. Because oI these, she has been recognized and
awarded.
The Notes on a Potter`s LiIe, I think, is an auto-biography oI Ms. Julie Lluch. In the text,
she describes the potter`s liIe by giving her personal view oI the essence oI clay on earth. She
idealizes the potter`s liIe in claiming the closeness oI potters to nature. She also made a
comparison or analogy oI the role oI a potter and his clay to God and his Iirst man, Adam. She
also raises a question why a potter goes on making pots over and over again. And she describes
that his apprenticeship is long and his subject inexhaustible. She says that a potter waits Ior the
right season and exact spot to create his masterpiece. The simpler the pot, the better it is. A true
potter, according to her, sets aside ego and personality to achieve a good spot. She loves to be a
potter in the wrong environment to produce a diIIerent kind oI pottery. Occasionally, she Iinds
herselI arguing and deIending lowly clay against the nobler media. And she can always say that
all the earth is covered with clay, and that by using clay, she can work directly with his hands
and body without intermediary tools to the clay. In the text, she says that she used to work on
portraiture and busts but eventually got inIluenced by the idea oI grouped Iigures and movement
oI her husband`s works in painting. AIter a while, she saw herselI working Irom the Ieminine
viewpoint. Then her works become more abstract and concentrated on simple Iorms. She says in
the text that what she`s doing now is going back to pottery. And she thinks an artist is like God.
He stops to rest but only when happily satisfies he can say of his work. it is good.
The Notes on a Potter`s LiIe by Ms. Julie Lluch is very easy to understand. The
terminologies are easy. I enjoy reading the selection because like her, I am also a Ian oI art. I
love the way she introduced the pottery liIe. I tend to realize her point when she said 'how God
Iashioned man out oI clay. It`s like an analogy oI potter and his clay, and God and his man. It is
God who gave us liIe. And in pottery, it is the potter or the artist who shapes and gives dynamics
to his work. It may not be 'alive but the hardship and passion oI the artist is seen beyond the
physical appearance oI the pot/sculpture. I think that is magical. When she was describing their
lives as a potter, I can`t stop imagining pictures and motion. The descriptions were good enough
that made me think that their passion is still critical. It is actually a risk to say 'I would be a
potter in the wrong environment and would produce a diIIerent kind oI pottery because it`s like
trying to outstand other potters yet making one selI`s skill attached to pottery.

The image attached above is Ms. Julie Lluch with her works. It is really evident that she
is a Ieminist and spiritual. Almost all her works are women. I like her themes because maybe,
somehow, I am a Ieminist too. Through her, women in our society are being liIted. Her works do
not just satisIy her as the artist but also to the society. I also like her spiritual theme. The
sculptures behind her show women praying, and looking upon the sky. These display movement.
Physically, they express what they are doing. And spiritually, they are illustration oI upliIting
Iaith to God.
There is also a part wherein she was deIending the advantage oI clays in sculpture. I
agree with her, I love the Iact that when using clay, the artist does not need any intermediary tool
to make his work works. Also, clay is very Ilexible. A lot oI things can be done to it.
I learned a lot Irom this selection. And I think our society can learn Irom her works and
essays too. It`s just so saddening that right now, clay is somewhat just popular in terms oI
pottery. And potters are just limited to making pots. Maybe sculpture workshops Ior young
people in our society must be strengthen to introduce them to diIIerent types oI media used in
sculpting. And because Philippines is really rich in clays, it is time Ior us to maximize the use oI
clays in our economy and arts.