MIZUSASHI REVISITED

Realizing the movie feature on my camera is not of very good quality and the turntable I have been using is limited to under 2 pounds and is shakey at best, I decided to start making more slideshows to show off the features, surface, form, etc. of pots for the time being. I have been trying my hand at the videos and these slideshows to help you a fuller accounting of the pots I am discussing and that interest me, for some, this is the closest you can get to the pot and hopefully this will add to the conversation. Closest at hand was an Oni-Shino style mizusashi by Kajiura Soshu, so it was my first attempt using a new slideshow program. I am also attaching the link to the description of the mizusashi from my blog and the page where it is available on my Trocadero market place.  More slideshows to come.

http://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2014/05/doorstep.html

http://www.trocadero.com/albedo3studio/items/1251356/item1251356store.html

BEFORE & AFTER

Illustrated is a before and after montage of a stoneware slipped and combed covered water jar that was later glazed in a rich, Albany slip based amber glaze. The surface of the pot has a variety of textures including where the white slip was brushed on and allowed to create areas of thicker raised slip along the brush marks. The combed circles have the added texture of having areas where the ameyu glaze built up to create much richer and darker areas. The form of the pot was heavily influenced by Korean pottery by way of Karatsu creating a substantial amount of volume in a pot that is not terribly large. Though it was my intention to make the pot just as it is illustrated, the before and after pictures give a sense of how the pot had to be made to end up glazed just the way it did. Though I am a huge fan of running, flowing glazes as well as ones that change dramatically in the kiln, there is something to be said about surfaces that come out just about as you see them in your mind's eye.

SHINZEN-ENSO

My cousin Marie, not Vinny, sent me this photo a bit ago and I was immediately struck by the thoughts and associations that came to mind as I was looking at it. My initial impression was that it was a somber, moody and evocative photo that had the potential for being the backdrop to a thousand stories. What also sprung to mind was all of the Japanese period ghost/horror stories like KWAIDEN, GHOST OF YOTSUYA, UGETSU MONOGATARI and of course the Japanese Macbeth, THRONE OF BLOOD. However, the more I looked, the more I saw an enso, a natural enso (shinzen-enso) and I keep coming back to that image and the myriad of aphorism that accompany them. There is a resounding totality to the enso and as more images and thoughts emerge, the easier it is to draw a correlation between moon and a simple circle of ink. In reality I think it is easy to see the moon as an enso, just look at the number of calligraphers who reference the moon when depicting them, it is as natural to do so as the moon and its variety of manifestations have touched man since the beginning of time. In particular, there is a favorite enso and calligraphy that is brushed along side;

"Is it a cake? A dumpling?

The ring around a bucket?

What does it represent? Tell Me!"  Nakahara Nantembo (1839-1925)

THE RIGHT SIZED CUP

I made a few sets of tokkuri and guinomi and after making them realized that the cups were all rather small in comparison to the tokkuri. taking my cue from nearly every ZATOICHI episode and a myriad of other chambara flicks, I decided to make a couple of sets with a bottle and a larger cup, to some I suspect, the right sized cup. Illustrated is a stoneware set of tokkuri/guinomi with hakeme slip under my saffron and a clear glaze. The bottle will fill the cup exactly two times and when you are imbibing five ounces of alcohol at a time, two may be just enough.

CONDITION

Let me start by saying that condition of a pot is not arbitrary or abstract, perfect is just that, perfect. The obvious chip or crack alters the original condition and also the artist vision and value. The question though is when is something that is not perfect, still perfectly acceptable in terms of condition? When you think of all the wood fired pots and scars, firing cracks, etc, how do you judge the condition of those pieces? If you delve further, think about all of the pots with serious firing cracks by Arakawa Toyozo, Tsukigata Nahiko and many others, including some of the heavy and thickly thrown pots of Suzuki Goro, these pots are perfect in the sense that the potters approved of the pot, put them in a signed box and determined that they were all the better for the scars won in a ferocious and harsh firing. It would seem the acceptance of such imperfection is further reinforced by the wabi-sabi aesthetics where such issues add to the austerity and weathered beauty of a pot, hence the beauty on kintsugi. It would seem that kamakizu are in fact the perfection of the imperfect style of irregular and intentionally contrived pottery.

In this vein, Sawa Kiyotsugu springs to mind. I have seen a number of his pots in which in the making it is obvious that he is building in certain self-destruct aspects. In the firing the pots often split, crack and in some cases they even fall apart after which he "reassembles" the pieces with glue and lacquer to create whole and new works. In a DVD put out by the Tohjiro magazine it shows several such pots, including a vase which he intentionally tears dramatically while building it and the pot literally splits apart during the fire and in the interview discussing this, it shows Kiyotsugu drinking from a badly split chawan. For Sawa Kiyotsugu, this type of imperfect is the perfection he is seeking out. How are we expected to accurately describe the condition of the pot now, especially considering it was the intent and purpose of the artist that the pot would literally need to be repaired after it was fired and prior to being shown and put in an attested signed box? It would seem condition is a bit more murky in describing than I had really thought.

Illustrated is a large and powerful Shigaraki mizusashi by modern phenom, Suzuki Goro. Suzuki has spent decades crafting his work to speak volumes about happenstance and a state of the casual. In the past two decades, he has made pots which he then breaks and repairs by rebuilding them into new and modern statements by means of the kintsugi technique. In this particular mizusashi, Suzuki started with a very thick slab of clay which he attached to a wheel head and altered it to create rhythm and motion, he then took a ball of clay and threw the top potion of the body onto the slab and slightly into the thick base. Once thoroughly dry the pot was fired in his wood kiln for Shigaraki affect and the overly thick base cracked during the firing. Whether by mad design, serendipity or just previous experience, the pot is recreated by the fierce and brutal crack and harkening back to the medieval style "Burst bag" mizusashi well know to us from books and museum shows. I find this pot to be a tour de force piece, it is both powerful because of it presence and it ability to make it out of the flames in one piece, the question that I have though is; what is the condition of this pot? The answer I think is that beauty and perhaps condition is in the eye of the beholder.

DIVERSITY

I am drawn to simple work, work built on tradition and individuality, works the have a lot to express in their simplicity. Mizuno Takuzo (Taizo) makes simple, yet elemental works that speak as much about the nobility of use as they do about pushing forward an aesthetic now many centuries old. The works of Mizuno are easily recognized despite the diversity of surfaces, textures and styles in which he works, it is the somber and practical manner that he infuses his pottery with that creates a recognizable style and draws the viewer into his pottery. The illustrated Shino chawan is just such an example blending subtlety, warmth and power into one simply thrown bowl, the decoration and glaze further adding to the narrative that speaks as much about an individual as it does the tradition from which it springs. There are a great number of potters who steer clear of tradition and function, I am glad to that Mizuno Takuzo is not one of those.

"I have truly come to love the heritage of Mino, including the rich ceramic clay under the village and the wonderful treasures left by our predecessors. Will I be able to challenge myself in the months and years left in my short life and without relying too overmuch on tradition? I want to do my utmost in my struggle with the God of Fire." Mizuno Takuzo

FLUFF & FOLD

I mentioned having studied with John Gill and it made me realize that I had a nice group of photos from my time at Kent State. In 1993 I had an arts scholarship to work/study at Kent State which was in a roundabout way how I was accepted there for the master's program in ceramics. While there besides (the late) Kirk Mangus the other artist present were Eva Kwong, Marie Woo and John Gill. Up to this point I was a devoted and unwavering thrower, but watching Gill fluff, fold, cajole and coerce sheets of clay into fantastical and innovative form was enough to create a chink in the armor. John has a unique approach to clay and how to work it which was a continuous exploration of texture and form. Having taught at Alfred University since the late 1980s he has had ample opportunity to pass on his enthusiasm for creation to a large number of potters. Illustrated is a group of his ewers recently finished and drying waiting for a bisque and a glaze bath.

I came across this artist statement by John Gill and thought it said far more about his work than most people could say; "In my work I try to utilize simple techniques. This allows for a freedom of ideas and process. Shape, form, use and color inform and question other possibilities. My work uses shape and form to inflate color. Working within the realm of function expands the potential. History of ceramics, painting and sculpture collide. Clay has a simple directness - it prints beautifully."  John Gill

GEM LUSTER

Within the numismatic community there is a term that describes the patina of exceptional brilliant uncirculated coins, the term is gem luster. As soon as I saw this wonderful Kato Takuo that is exactly what sprung to mind. The process to creating such a piece appears somewhat simple, the chaire is thrown, bisque and then it has blue underglaze applied and then it is dipped in a low-fire faience style white glaze and fired. Once fired, the ochre based luster is applied, dried and then additional decoration is scratched through the design, sgraffito style. The piece is then refired, again at low temperature though in a reduction atmosphere and presto-chango, Persian luster. Now, I did say the process seemed simple but if you have ever tried it, it is anything but. The ability to create such a fine gem is honed by experience and I am also assuming a fair number of failures prior to getting to this level. Even among the great potters, like Kato Takuo, making pottery and getting the pot from out of your mind's eye is a rocky road paved with trial and error which hopefully leads you to your point of destination and the reward of success.

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure."  Mark Twain

T&A 2

I have had the fortune to study with John Gill and Jeff Oestriech and one of the most enduring (and frustrating) lessons that I took away from the experience was that if you have enough patience, you can make clay do almost anything. Though I have made it abundantly clear on my blog, I am lacking in the patience gene, on occasion I have the bug to make something that takes both time and patience as well as lessons learned years back. Illustrated is a terra cotta ovaled baker in my abstrakt decoration with a well fitted oval lid. The body of the pot was first thrown and then altered with a slab bottom attached and the lid was made by humping a slab of clay over the form. The lugs on the baker and lid tie the pot together which is further accentuated by the decoration and ribs around the pot. This pot in no way matched the level of patience that either Gill or Oestriech process but I can say with absolute surety, this pot exhibits far greater patience than does throwing a simple teabowl and for someone lacking this particular gene, this is a step in the right direction.

"Beware the fury of a patient man."  John Dryden (1631-1700)

OST

Illustrated is a tsubo of classical form and proportions with a modern surface of an iron and ash rich Oni-Shino. This Oni-Shino tsubo is by Tsukigata Nahiko and represents yet another facet to his work in which the use of iron and addition of natural ash from the wood firing predominate the surface of the pot. The Shino is used as much as a flux as a base glaze to aid in the melting of the iron and ash which has built up wonderfully on the shoulder and at the right temperature turned to a liquid and ran down all the way to the base of the pot. In certain respects this tsubo is reminiscent of certain pottery of the Arts & Crafts movement but under even casual observation, it is all Tsukigata. The form borrows loosely from the tradition of feudal tea jars but as with everything that he did, Tsukigata has put his own unique stamp on the pot from the casually thrown pot and mouth to the highly active, flowing surface. Though I have seen a great number of pots by Tsukigata Nahiko, I am never disappointed in the nearly infinite variety created by blending the elements of clay, glaze application and ferocity of fire that only "the" pre-eminent master of Oni-Shino could achieve, time and time again.

(Photo used with the kind permission of a private collector.)

IMPLIED

I have seen a number of Oribe pieces by Kitaoji Rosanjin over the years, in particular a number of tsubo ranging in size from very small to about 16" tall and truth be told, each and every one was fascinating and has had a lasting imprint on my work. Taking a cue from a quotation by Rosanjin and realizing that "all pottery is a copy", over time I have figured out what it is about his tsubo that interests me and it is those individual qualities that I strive to recreate. Obviously, the glaze, rather myriad of glazes is a point of specific interest but I am also interested in the sense of tenseness that he achieves in his pots. I am looking to capture a spirited fullness in the form and that is a primary aim of my Oribe tsubo. The illustrated tsubo, maybe 9" tall has the fullness of the pot accentuated by the incised "fence" design created around the belly of the pot and the tautness of the form is further implied by how the Oribe glaze has stretched thin around the decoration. Now, I understand I am a far way off the expressiveness of your average Rosanjin, but each piece is another step toward an expressiveness that communicates my own unique style.

WINTER MOON

Illustrated is a wonderfully lyrical  bowl having a lotus like quality to the form by Buddhist nun and artist Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875). Her works on paper and clay are quite common but many are fakes created not only since her death but also during her lifetime attesting to her immense popularity. This bowl has the calligraphy thoughtfully incised about the surface evoking imagery of dancing snowflakes flittering about under a winter moon. Rengetsu not only created the canvas and poem but set about to create the atmosphere in which her poem takes place.

"A wind so chill-

The winter moon over the Katsura River

Casts a shadow so strong

It seems to freeze the rapids. Rengetsu" *

*Translated and authenticated by John Stevens

FRIDAY CONCERT

I listen to a lot of music while I work and just in general and though to share a few songs from a remarkable and dedicated Bluegrass talent, Sarah Jarosz. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.
BUILD ME UP FROM BONES

RUN AWAY