HOW DID I GET HERE?

Like a simple set up for a comedy routine or a music video, you can ask yourself, what do you get when you take a simple form, a ferocious firing and one such possible outcome is this lean Matsuzaki Ken vase. Showcasing a variety of wood fired effects, this simple yet elegant form is exceptionally well fired without hiding any of the defining lines or cluttering up the surface allowing for the idea and grace of the pot to be easily visible to the viewer. Having wood fired a number of times myself, I can say that though you may have a sense of where pots should be placed in the kiln, every firing is different and as such the surface comes out based on a wide array of factors that are not totally in the control of the potter, the fire has way too much sway over the outcome. That being said, this Matsuzaki vase is just as close to being perfectly fired as possible with its surface painted by fire and ash to stellar effect. The shoulders and side of the pot have a wonderful build up of ash that creates a lot of variation in one many may refer to as "another brown pot" with hints of the surface treatment articulating the surface where a sureform tool or rasp was used to help defing the angles and planes of the piece. As the song goes, with the somewhat random end result in question, "how did I get here?" and the answer is a mastery and dedication to a violent and labor intensive process and a great sense of form.