Illustrated
is a green ware terra cotta tray form with opposing carved fish decorating the
interior. Loosely based on the Pisces zodiac design, I wanted the fish to
appear to be in motion to help animate the long form and added spiral bubbles
to help fill in the left over negative space. I have spent a lot of time
looking at and studying Japanese painting from the Momoyama to Edo periods and
the undecorated space has as much to say as does that with the actual painted
design. It may not appear to be influenced by Japanese woodblocks and ink
paintings but if you think of the interior of the form as a long panel, just
like that of a hanging scroll, the border or boundary is the frame that focuses
the attention of the narrative while striving to have a playfulness that
interests the user whether as a decorative accent or a functional object.
.JPG)