Makers Once Known - Dave The Potter
Experiencing The Hear Me Now Exhibit and the Slave Potters of Old Edgefield
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I am LOADS excited to share our creative highlight about a man named Dave whose pottery was the foundation of a revolution.
Dave, who came later to be known as David Drake, was an enslaved Potter from Old Edgefield District, South Carolina known for its rich resource in clay. The High Museum Hear Me Now exhibit features works by Dave and slaves in kind who were a part of the 'Industrial Slavery Revolution', a 'niche form' of slavery that sold pottery to neighboring plantations as another means of revenue.
It was by far one of the most immersive and frankly emotional exhibits about black life I've ever witnessed.
It was shocking to learn that pottery played a significant role in the lives of enslaved people, and I was shocked that I was never taught about this before. To think of the care, work, and expertise that went into crafting these exquisite pieces under extreme duress left me in awe.
Honestly, it almost felt as if the exhibit was living. I could see these artists bent over working, kneading, pouring, glazing, needlessly creating something powerful, stone, and strong.
Legit, I could tell everyone was enthralled by what we were seeing.
As I viewed these pieces I wondered, did any of these pieces bring the enslaved artists a sense of joy or peace? Did they feel liberated when they sat to mold or was making pottery another bitter chore for them to endure?
While I may pine away at the answer, I do know these artists found a way to commit an act of defiance by sealing themselves into a work that could outlive them, tell their stories, and leave their mark behind.
David Drake, the embodiment, was the embodiment of this.
​Dave The Potter vases and bowls were one of the few surviving pieces in which you could trace his history and lineage by his name and quotes he signed into his pottery - a criminal punishable act.
His craftsmanship inspired generations and told the history of those who toiled with him for us to appreciate their pieces today.
The Hear Me Now exhibit is a tour de force to witness. I'm inspired to learn more about this part of our history and the lives of these incredible artists who took up space in an unforgiving time.
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