Monday, March 18, 2024
LONE SURVIVOR
Friday, March 15, 2024
RUSTY ROLL
This chawan was made by Kimura Morinobu who along with his two sibling has dedicated a lifetime to the pursuit of exploring iron in glazes like temmoku and yuteki-temmoku, all influenced by their Chinese archetypes. Along with Morinobu's continued experimentation with "iron in the fire", he has burnt to a cinder numerous types of vegitation to create a wide and exotic at times, array of ash glazes. This particular temmoku glaze has a beautiful flare with the intermingling of dark temmoku and a rusty trail all culminating in a vivid, undulating glaze roll that is a beauty to look at and to feel. The glaze roll culminates near the foot, exposing the clay and just feels good, cupped in the hands. Even though this isn't one of Morinobu's ash glazed wonders, it would be rather hard to consider this anything other than another homerun (at least to my personal taste).
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
SILO
Monday, March 11, 2024
MOUSEY
Intentional or not, I immediately think of thick melting ice and snow slowing revealing the stone underneath though I suspect this type of landscape conjures up all kinds of memories and associations to each individual viewer. Perhaps one of the outstanding aspects to Tsukigata work is that no matter how many of a particular form you see, each and every pot has its own unique voice and especially landscapes. As I have seen a number of this form in varying sizes in this Nezumi-Shino surface, Ki-Seto, Oni-Shino, Muji-Shino and others, each piece is connected initially by form but each piece presented a nearly alien appearance to the other making it clear that though manipulated by the maker through glaze and firing, it was the fire that had the final say on what each pot would look like, maybe more than any other factor. In the end experience, technique and knowledge are one thing in the creation of a pot but without surrendering the pot and at least a bit of one's ego to the kiln and flames, these pots would be all the less so let's be thankful for those crucial decisions.
Friday, March 8, 2024
ILLUSION OF MAGIC
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
ROAD TRIP
Monday, March 4, 2024
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Friday, March 1, 2024
WASHIZOME
As mentioned Eguchi Katsumi is well known for his skilled use of this washizome technique using traditional handmade Japanese paper in the pursuit of his decoration. Unlike many other Saga/ Arita potters, Eguchi is hands on for all of the processes in the creation of his work from throwing, tooling, decorating and firing making him a bit different than many in his community. Though this small covered box is simple with a simple design, this piece clearly portrays the style and technique developed by Eguchi Katsumi to its fullest and shows a dedication to not only his unique decorative approach but to his indigenous materials, firing and heritage blending tradition and traditional materials with a modern sensibility.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
HANABI II
Illustrated is the recreated hanabi technique, the white areas and the bowl shape are made a bit more formal with high mostly straight sides and just a hint of throwing rings around the form. As for the colors, they were easy to match and the bowl has that deep black, glossy look broken up with the white panels and colors punctuated and splashed across the surface. I would like to think I succeeded in my goal as the customer was happy so I guess that is about as good as it gets.