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Tom Edwards | Episode 813
Tom Edwards has been a full time studio potter since graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Art History in 1978. Tom works out of his home in Evergreen, CO. His pottery is wheel thrown, high fire, functional porcelain mugs, plates and bowls decorated with cartoons and ceramic decals. The predominant theme in Tom’s work is his sense of humor. “I love the fact that a coffee mug can be a traveling soap box or vehicle for my point of view about something that is going on in the world. My best designs are the ones that tell a weird story about our time in history.”
In 2018 Tom received worldwide media coverage over his copyright dispute with Elon Musk and Tesla Motors (see Potters Cast episode 459). The electric car company had placed Tom’s farting unicorn cartoon in the touch screens of their cars without obtaining his permission. Upon receiving a reasonable settlement from Tesla Motors, Tom became a voice for artists who have had their artwork stolen by larger companies. On Thursday, March 17 Tom will be talking about this adventure plus “Copyright 101 for Ceramic Decal Printers” at NCECA 2022 in Sacramento, CA. Rosetta Technologies has generously agreed to give away a CerPrint Black (or Blue) ceramic decal printing system ($695 value) to one lucky attendee at Tom’s lecture. Must be present to win.
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A few questions about decals? Are these considered water slide decals?
Yeah, that what they are, you just put them in warm water and they slide off of the paper onto the pot.
Why not other colors? Why only black and white?
It’s good you asked that, actually there is a colored decal printer out there that costs a lot more money. I think when I was looking at them they were around ten thousand dollars and the paper was more expensive. I would recommend everyone to look at Mariko Paterson’s because she uses the colored decal printer to an amazing level. She’s incredible. (We are giving a decal printer away at NCECA in either the blue or the black.)
Once the decal is on there why is pressing it on so critical?
Yeah, that’s a good question, what’s the physics of that? Well I think what it is is when is goes into the kiln it’s got to be really adhered on and that’s a really good question because there is a company here and they sell the color decal printing system and if anyone is interested it is Enduring Images. We went there and did and field trip, it was the same year we had the unicorn thing. And it was really interesting because they were putting the images on using the roller thing, why is that? I just know that it’s important to get the decal to be fused onto the glaze surface before you put it in the kiln. It doesn’t take that much time, and also if there is a little wrinkle it takes the wrinkle out.
Does the art have to be original? Do I have to create the art?
There are images on the web that are fine to use. So there’s open source, things over 50 years old. I’ve got George Ohr that great image of that potter from Biloxi. I put him on my pots. If you do a google image search you can find ones that are copywrite free. The trick is to do a google search that says copywrite free and that will show you a whole host of things that you can use. another way around this is through Photoshop. It turns out if you alter the image enough and use it under the guise of satire, not unlike putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa. Weird Al actually went to the Supreme court and they ruled on satire. That satire is covered, it’s sort of weird way to break copywrite law. If you do a cover version of a Michael Jackson song you have to pay but apparently if you do satire you don’t.
How do potters get away with using pictures like Jeff Bridges, the Dude, or Dolly Parton?
One way to do that is actually just do an image yourself. If you are talented and can draw a caricature of them, that’s great. Do that. That’s one way to do it. It’s a really good question because honestly I think there is stuff that technically is broken by copywrite because a lot of movies stars, their image is protected. So it actually turns out that you can’t even do, like Beyoncé is an example of someone, even if you started hand painting Beyoncé t-shirts they could sue you for that because her image is protected.
Would you have let Tesla use your art if they would have just asked the first time?
Of course! If they would have just asked. I think I would have said, Can you give me some money. I mean, yeah, I will sign a contract but you have to write me a check. That’s just standard. What got me about that whole thing was a regular car company they have a legal department, they have an art department, and this they just had a contest and one of their software engineers copied my mug and sent it off to the contest and he won and they put it on the car. So I think I would have said, Yeah, I’d like to get paid for it. And I wouldn’t have been greedy about it, I would have been flattered and it would have been fine.
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wallypots-com.3dcartstores.com
Instagram: @tomedwardspottery