Iains makes a valid point. Ceramics have certainly been changing directions for many years. Yes, there are still 'potters' working today, but there seem to be many more people who now call themselves 'ceramic artists'. This usually means that what they produce is extremely expensive to buy! (well, after all it is 'art' and not 'craft'!) And they really hate being called 'potters' I also like Penny S's comment. I am often surprised that more potters/ceramic artists do not suffer from respiratory disease, due to all the clay dust that floats around their workshops. I know that men (and it seems to always have been men) who emptied the large bottle kilns in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding potteries in the 19th century/early 20th century died young, with very few reaching their mid-forties.
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