YAKI-YOKAI

I am not quite sure if this meets the Halloween criteria but I thought, what the heck, it's my blog and as long as I operate within the known laws of physics, I should be okay. I found this image a while back and it immediately struck me as a powerful and iconic image that only Fujiwara Ikuzo is capable of and it is fiercely wood fired as well. Looking a bit like a sentinel guarding the kimon, demon's gate, he exudes an attitude and posture which defies entry unless perhaps he can be tricked in to a game of gakko (tag). As with many of Fujiwara's hand sculpted pieces, this Oni is filled with dynamic tension and power and yet has just the slightest hint of wry humor in his expression which has a sense of being inviting, impish and a bit nasty all at the same time. Given the way in which Fujiwara Ikuzo sculpts his pieces, the wood firing has added a softness and shadow to the form giving it quite a degree of dimension and personality, bringing this somewhat disagreeable character to life out of a large block of clay. What's not to love and Happy Halloween!

GREEN 2 GREEN

I think I showed this particular Falling Leaves covered piece as greenware two or three weeks past. Here it is now fired and still warm from a firing this weekend showing leaves falling about a dark black background which I hope establishes a mood and sets up a sense of motion about the pot. I posted this to give a perspective of the piece from greenware to decorated where in many respects, little changes except the pot gets fired and the surface obviously changes quite a bit, but thanks to a really dependable terra cotta clay, there is little to no warpage, a small amount of shrinkage and very rarely does the clay crack. Though this clay is not the greatest to throw and can be quite a struggle at times, all in all given the clays super powers, it is worth the effort.

"The one thing that matters is the effort." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

B&W NOT B&W

Here is an excellent ink wash by sometsuke master and Ningen Kokuho; Kondo Yuzo. Though painted in black and white and not blue and white, this simple and easily recognizable thistle design is along with persimmons and sharp mountain landscapes a trademark design of Kondo Yuzo. As mentioned these designs are usually portrayed in deep, vivid cobalt with faint washes of blue to even grey tones with the additions of red and gold depending on the piece. Known as the Japanese thistle, cirsium japonicum, this particular plant caught the attention of Kondo early on and can be seen on many of his works throughout his long and illustrious career as one of the finest sometsuke artists of the 20th century. Beyond his initial family and students, the influence of the stylistic renderings that Kondo Yuzo is so well know for has influenced both potter and painters alike during his lifetime and well beyond.

"The thistle is a prince. Let any man who has an eye for beauty take a view of the whole plant, and where will he see more expressive grace and symmetry; and where is there a more kingly flower?"  Henry Ward Beecher

YAKIMONO JIZO-BOSATSU

Known as the patron saint of children, travelers and those languishing in jigoku (hell), Jizo Bosatsu is one of a large number of "deities" in Buddhism. If you have ever traveled to Japan you will find Jizo literally everywhere, along roadsides, in gardens and cemeteries and of course in Buddhist temples crisscrossing the country. Illustrated is a small, sculpted stoneware Jizo-bosatsu figure made by Mashiko ceramic artist and sculpture, Fujiwara Ikuzo. Though quite idiosyncratic to the artist, Fujiwara has kept the idealized features of the praying Jizo so that the imagery is immediately identifiable from the forehead jewel representing the third eye to the long earlobes and serene expression alluding to the state of nirvana. Like many of Fujiwara Ikuzo's figures, this small okimono has a somewhat comical appearance not intended to mock or satire the iconography but perhaps to make it more approachable and easier to fit within the modern home as welcomed guest and spiritual representative and advisor. What ever his intentions, this wonderful little Jizo-bosatsu figure is likely to find himself quite at home from bookshelf to home alter and just about anywhere he may wander.

SAME PLACE ALMOST 365 DAYS LATER

It is that time of year, a place where I find myself year after year when I just don't feel like I can get enough work done in a day and certainly can not get pots dried out fast enough for bisque firings. Over the years I have taken to using the kilns to dry out my terra cotta pots thanks to a forgiving and all purpose terra cotta clay body that I have tweaked over the years. The terra cotta that I am currently using was originally from a formula that I got from Dick Schneider back at my CSU days though the current incarnation has be altered quite a bit to all for what I call shock drying which rarely results in any warping or cracking of the clay. Illustrated is a black and white slip tray that was made on a Monday and glaze fired on a Sunday thanks to this drying method. Using soft brick under the tray, I allow the heat to perculate up through the bricks and dry out the clay which can take a couple of hours but makes it ready to go in a bisque the very next day. From here it is simply about balancing out pieces, filling and firing the kilns and getting everything finished. There is never enough kiln space or time and I always seem to get inventories to galleries just at the last minute or a day or two late but luckily, for the most part they are very accomidating. Thanks.

 

CLAY, WAX & IRON

Illustrated is a rather large and well decorated Mashiko tsubo which is well over a foot tall and impressive in person. This robust jar has vivid areas of tessha floating around the surface which enhances the evocative wax resist floral design surrounding the pot, a blend of clay, wax and iron. Made by Kimura Mitsuru, son-in-law of Kimura Ichiro, this tsubo shows the clear influences of father, his master Hamada Shoji and the feel of pottery that has collectively become known as Mashiko-yaki. The decoration is fluid and almost lyrically arranged around the pot like a studied presentation of a waka poem where image replaces writing but conveys the same sense of narrative. The timeless quality of the form and surface is an excellent representation of Mashiko ideals that have almost become codified by Hamada Shoji, Sakuma Totaro, Murata Gen, Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Tamura Koichi  and Kimura Ichiro, all leaving behind excellent interpretations of what it means to be Mashiko ware while presenting a phenomenal base for all those who come after them to learn from, strive to and move beyond.

"The benevolent fragrance permeates all things;
Can it be that each blossom is the reincarnation of the Buddha?"  Daishin Gito (1657-1730)

F&F

When I first saw this ring style, round haikaburi vase I was taken by the animated and jovial nature that it possessed as much for fun as it is for function. Made by Yoshisuji Keiji most likely not long after he set up his own pottery studio, this vase has many of the unique qualities of his master, Kohyama Yasuhisa from the influences of ancient sueki ware to the manner in which it is made not to mention the wonderful neck that is prominently displayed on the piece. Seated on two raised feet, the third point of contact  is directly below the neck allowing the water to pool more deeply in this area and creating a wonderful and intriguing posture that is as entertaining as it is purposeful. The blend of the old and new along with the playfulness of the form makes for a rather enjoyable pot to look at and use and I hope this short video slideshow conveys these qualities to the viewer.

MINUS A CAPITAL

Illustrated is my Oribe style glaze over a fluted stoneware teabowl based on an ancient Roman ionic column. I find it interesting how easy it is to mix influnces and for this bowl, as I mentioned, the form is loosely Roman, the glaze is Japanese influenced and the foot of the bowl has its origins from the Leach/ Mackenzie tradition of pottery making. The fluting itself became yet another mix of influences and pieces parts as I used to have a fluting tool but somewhere along the way I misplaced it so it is no where to be found. I decided to make one out of a piece of sheet metal that the heating & cooling people left behind at my request many years back, by cutting a rectagle, I then cut two slits at the top of the strip and then using a piece of half-round molding, I created the area which protrudes and flutes the clay. The tool didn't turn out to be the best or most sturdy fluting tool ever made but did the job in a pinch as I had thrown a few pieces to flute (meaning they were thick!) and needed the tool I thought was still in an old pottery tool box. All in all, this made for an interesting day combining influences from several sources and repurposing some scrap material that was destined to be thrown away, hopefull the results were worth all the perturbation.

A.P.

To some, this may seem like heresy and to others, well, why didn't I think of that? Recently in an email exchange with a longtime collector we were discussing being accidental guinomi collectors but unlike my wife and I who do drink various spirits, the other collector did not but had over the years found a variety of uses or "alternative purposes" for his guinomi that are just about as satisfying. At parties, meals and cordial, casual get-togethers he has used guinomi for appetizers, sauces, individual sushi dishes and even for desserts like sorbets, custard, ice cream and even chocolates. I thought the idea sounded quite interesting and I could image a table set with varying Japanese and American handmade pottery punctuated here and there with guinomi of various origins. The illustrated guinomi is a boxed but unidentified kannyu seiji piece that I decided to heap full with brandy cordials and though it looks positively large in scale it is just about 3.5" across and holds a very ample portion of dark chocolate goodness. I thought the contrast between the form, glaze and contents was rather pleasing but it would seem in no time at all, only an empty guinomi remains, go figure.

COLORIZATION

I know this is not exactly a great photo, in fact it is a jpeg of a photo from a Japanese ceramic magazine from 1987 and shows a rather early piece by Fujioka Shuhei. Though this piece looks a lot more Shigaraki than Iga, Fujioka is best known for his angular, hacked at, sculptural Iga works which are intensely fired and easily recognized due his unique style. This vase really catches my attention partly due to the fact that it is just as carefree and wonky a mallet vase as can be with not a hint of being over worked or contrived in any way which is just as it should be. The vase was fired on its side as evidenced by the ash pattern which is running across the sides and the remnants of shell scars show on the rear which is also the direction the neck is now leaning due to the fact that it was marginally supported during the firing producing the effect now seen. One can only image the color and tones based on individual experiences but I for one would love to see this piece in all of its glorious color and I doubt it would disappoint even one tiny bit. Where is Ted Turner and his colorization process when you need it?

"The spirit of Old Iga,
its body born in these hands,
and the soul which transcends time,
gives life to that which I shape."  Fujioka Shuhei (from the website of Fujioka Shuhei)

INTERLUDE

Though I am in the midst of back to back terra cotta cycles, I took a small block of time, a short mental interlude to throw a few stoneware pieces. Illustrated is a vase, about 11 or 12 inches tall and faceted using the technique I am working on. Along with this vase I threw a couple of tokkuri and a covered jar which will mostly be glazed in either Oribe or the saffron iron yellow. This vase had the foot cut in a hexagonal pattern and will be glazed in Oribe to best accentuate the faceted planes but also to collect on the bands and other horizontal areas that protrude just a bit which will create pools of very deep, dark green, an effect that I like very much. I have been enjoying working with this faceting technique as it leads to very direct and not necessarily predicatible result which to be quite honest can be a very good thing in the midst of throwing very predictable terra cotta.

A classical interlude;

THE VERY FIRST

Illustrated is a 4-Vue collage of a very nice Tsukigata Nahiko chawan. This is one of those 'rare" pieces that is actually ours that I post as it seems like 98% of what is up on my blog either belongs to fellow collectors or was just passing by. What makes this pot unique is not the pot at all but that it was our very first Tsukigata Nahiko piece and that it was a gift from a very good friend who knowing my passion for the potter just went and sent it to us one day a number of years ago. As a collector, the gentleman who sent it to Mindy and I was also a passionate collector with a keen eye who put together a rather impressive collection which had a number of Ningen Kokuho potters as well as individuals like Hamada, Kawai, Rosanjin, Kato Tokuro and Arakawa Toyozo. Several years back he decided to get rid of his collection selling off some and donating the rest to the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City and the San diego Museum of Art. Now back to the chawan which has a great form and foot with a soft, vellum like sheet of ash that wraps around the face of the bowl which than gives way to an area of rich, shimmery iron and active feldspar. The lip has a sensuous and continuous undulation that guides the eye around the bowl only to draw the viewer in to the super wet and glassy build up of once molten ash that coats the teapool as it runs down the sides, frozen in a moment when the stoking of the wood kiln stopped and the surface began to coalesce. I should say that despite the slightly different appearance of the ash face this is a classic Tsukigata chawan in every respect from form, surface, kodai and the fact that the violent and ferocious nature of its firing is written all over the surface; think MOBY DICK manifest in clay!

GOLDEN KOMAINU

Though not exactly clay related, well not related at all, I thought this carved and lacquered komainu was pretty cool none the less. The main part of the head is carved out of a single block of wood with the jaw, ears and horn all being seperate pieces that fit in to this well constructed piece. Over the years I have seen a number of komainu and shishi made in this style in both plain, unadorned wood and in kin-urushi, golden lacquer but this one is just a bit different. This particular piece was made by the famous Toyama wood carver and Toyama Prefectural Designated Intangable Asset; Yokoyama Kazuo (1911-2000). Though very well known for his articulated Shishi and Ikaku heads, Yokoyama also carved a wide variety of Buddhist figures, flowers, fish, hawks/eagles and decorative ramma for homes and temples. I said that this had literally nothing to do with clay but in certain respects that is not true as the very same things that draw me to pottery also grasps my attention in many of the other applied arts, namely; individuality, skill, creativity, expressiveness and above all a voice that shines through to maintain a meaningful conversation between material, artist, craftsman and viewer.

EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY

I know I have adressed this issue in a previous blog post but I am always amazed that despite having a fairly reasonable space for a studio how quickly I run out of space when I get working, especially toward holiday shows and restocking galleries. I have two banks of shelves that I use to store and dry pots as well as one 8' table in the main room of the studio and another of similiar size in a room behind the studio that is used to store bubble wrap, bags of chemicals, inventory and an area to photograph. All these spaces, every nook and cranny fills up rather quickly within two weeks of non-stop throwing and trimming. During this process the only thing that slows me down is the necessity to slip and slip trail or carve (tebori) a percentage of the work. The photo shows three pieces occupying the space on my slab roller which I use every now and again to take quick photos but in this instance, this is where the covered pot and two trumpet style vases will reside until they are dry and then decorated. The other side of the slab roller is still free of pots but is currently home to a box of slip jars, a plastic jar of brushes and a container with the tools I use everyday. I enjoy this time of year when I get to work long days, throw non-stop and am as busy as I can get but there are drawbacks with so much stuff filling nearly every space it is a bit like working in a maze where any false move can spell disaster. Unlike the motto, "measure twice and cut once" the motto for these days in the studio is "look twice and move very, very slowly".