COME ON, YOU KNOW ME

Illustrated is a rather nice, generous yunomi byShino/ Oribe/ Seto-guro specialist, Higashida Shigemasa. Though an early piece it has many of the classic tell tale signs of Higashida from the obvious Oribe glaze to the incised and impressed decoration to the crumbly foot that many of his mizusashi and vases have. This yunomi really is my cup of tea as it holds quite a bit more than the typical yunomi and the soft nature of the clay acts as a slight insulator to the heat of the beverage and also acts to keep cold drinks colder for just a bit longer. What I can tell you is that despite it being a rather straight forward, even simple piece what table wouldn't benefit from a set of these yunomi and what drink wouldn't taste just a bit better coming from such an inspired, handmade cup?

TT&A

A while back I put up a blog post about an Oribe textured teabowl and recently tried the same surface treatment on a bowl than glazed in temmoku with a thin, really thin coat of ash glaze over it. The illustration is the results of the trial which has a rather brooding and ominous appearance though being a bit more slender than normal and with the very present texture the teabowl is easily handled with one hand and functions well. Probably the only caveat is that the texture at the lip clearly registers on the user and though it is not quite weaponized, it definitely is noticeable and possibly a concern for some users. Not that my opinion matters but I have long held the belief that once you move away from the industrial manufacturer and the very conventional the user should accommodate themselves to the pot and not the other way around. I realize this is not strictly speaking the definition of function but let's be honest, given the sheer number of potters and the way they throw, tool, put handles on pots, make lips, not every pot is going to work for each and every users this is where some degree of accommodation surely would come in handy. I should also mention this effect looks a bit harsh in the photo but is less so in person, admittedly the lightening is not exactly this teabowls best friend.

CONVERSATION & CUP OF TEA

After having a chance to study and converse with this yohen-temmoku chawan I spent some time trying to answer a rather specific question, have I ever seen a Kimura Morikazu chawan that I didn't like? This chawan has a rather seductive yet simple form that acts as the perfect canvas for this inviting surface composed of varying layers and colors like the fabled feather cloak of Japanese mythology. Kimura Morikazu (b.1922), originally worked in Kyoto but moved to Echizen Prefecture (1976) where he continued to specialize in iron, temmoku and yuteki glazes, his career really took off in 1947 as he was chosen to exhibit at a major art exhibition and since that time he has spent a life time dedicated to the pursuit of Chinese style iron glazes of which this yohen-temmoku is a nice example. This chawan underwent the ferocity of being wood fired which adds a slightly different quality to the glaze and exposed clay, something that is lacking on most more modern yuteki and yohen style iron glazed pots. What I really get from this chawan is the deliberateness and purpose of the creation, glazing and firing of the piece written across the form and surface making for a timeless aesthetic that is appreciated as much today as the day it was made.

"Silence is one of the great arts of conversation."  Marcus Tullius Cicero

Pt & Au

Almost exactly a year ago, I posted up a large yuri-hakkin-sai hachi by Furukawa Toshio with a deep, rich blue glaze over cut and incised platinum decoration. Just this week, another large tsubo of the same style, glaze and technique showed up but under the blue glaze was platinum and gold accents at the center of each medallion which decorated the form. Like the hachi, this piece was more than likely made as an exhibition piece though I have nothing to substantiate my theory other than an exhibition sticker reading no. 11. The use of the underglaze decoration makes for a rather striking presentation which glimmers and reflects light at every given opportunity thoroughly complimenting  the rather large,sturdy and straight forward form of the piece. This Furukawa tsubo only just arrived and when I get a moment, I will more thoroughly document the piece with photos and make a slideshow video or at the very least provide and overall image to give a clearer picture of just exactly what we are dealing with here.

PROGRESSION

Though I used the finished teabowl in a Youtube video, I thought this composite photo gave a clear picture regarding the progression of the slip application, decoration and glazing of one of the squared bowls. In the first photo, the slip has been applied and finger combed, the second photo shows the pot decorated using cut paper and wax to apply the black slip and in the last photo is the finished product. As with most stuff that I do, no rocket science or heavy lifting was involved, just basic know how and some patience which I have almost none of. Truthfully, the most difficult part of the teabowl was getting the bowl firmed up and the lines somewhat reasonable as I can tell you, not getting the geometry close to right makes for a visual focal point when the piece is finished fired. I think with these altered geometric pieces I spend more time fussing to get the lines right than anything else as I have a few years experience with slip application and getting the decorative devices worked out.  Every now and again my wife reminds me that I am much more considered and patient than I was when I first started and though I admit there may be some small measure of truth to this, I still draw the line at three songs in duration and only if there is copious amounts of coffee involved.

OLD IMAGES

I have been trying to create various files of digital images I have by both potter and pottery tradition and came across these old images of a simple kogo with a somewhat interesting story. What makes this kogo interesting is that it was discovered by accident while we were visiting the studio of Honiwa Rakunyu II, while looking at and inside his kiln, we spotted this lone kogo from the recent firing still on a shelf way off in the distance with wads still attached. We pointed it out to Honiwa-san and he retrieved it, later knocking off the wads, putting it in a signed box and then gave it to my wife as a small gift. I realize these photos are not the best, they date to the very late 90s using a digital camera my wife borrowed from her work, taken when we lived in NH if memory serves me correctly. This kogo, along with a number of other kogo, guinomi and yunomi that we received as gifts were on constant display prior to our last move and due to the limited space in our current home they are all sequestered away. It certainly was a nice little display and I am thinking that the nostalgia of it all is getting the better of me and I might just need to go get these pieces out again so that we can see them in 3-D again, hopefully Khan will cooperate.

INVITATION TO TEA

Sleek, streamlined and purely functional there is nothing superfluous about this yunomi by Tsujimura Yui. It is quite clear from looking at this piece that the potter had a good idea of exactly how it would look after his unique style of firing in which lots of powdered ash are introduced in to the kiln when it is at just the right temperature forming a glass like surface on his pots.  In this case, the ash has run down the face of the yunomi creating slight variations in the surface before collecting as a thick green line at the base of the pot adding more visual interest to the form which is simplicity personified. The person who sent me this photo uses a number of his pieces and in this instance, I wonder if the photo was staged or if the yunomi is just patiently waiting, an invitation to tea?

"Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy." Sir Issac Newton

(Photo provided by a European collector)

SPACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER

I have had a number of studios over the years going all the way back to my first shared space with my ex-partner in Cleveland. From there I moved into a large single room in our first house also in Cleveland and then on to various spaces from New Hampshire to my current place in Little Falls. What all of these studios have in common is that space is in fact, the final frontier; balancing areas for working, drying pots, kilns, slab roller and storing supplies and an active glaze making room is always a challenge. The wet glazes are all kept stored under several 8' long folding tables along with a few bins used for various storage but the real problem has always been where and how to store the glaze chemicals and clay. As you can see, the materials are all stacked up with open bags in front of the pile and on top, this gives me a two foot pathway to maneuver where on the opposite side is a built in wood workspace with two levels of shelves for more storage underneath. On the workspace shelftop I have two scales, misc. small storage totes for holding brushes, misc. tools and other things in daily use including all of my cones with the wall in front covered in small nails holding up a variety of objects from sieves to a coil of elements. As I ponder the vast infinity of space it always seems to boil down to the same question; why is it whenever I need to open a new bag of some material it is at the very bottom, back of the pile?

"Space, light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep."  Le Corbusier

PHOTO ESSAY

Over a number of trips to Japan, I made the trek to visit the Kawai Kanjiro museum a half dozen times, twice in one trip and what would never fail to amaze me is that each and every visit yielded new discovers, new details missed the visit prior. This thought lead me to this Youtube slideshow video compiled by Kari Gröhn featuring the music of Bach which uses an assortment of modern and archival images to create a wonderful photo essay of the experience. The video starts out with a short, written introduction regarding Kawai Kanjiro and then proceed to a famous portrait of Kawai before moving on to a thorough tour of the residence, studio and kiln with a focal thoughtfulness that allows you to relive the varying details over and over again. As evidenced in this video, Kawai developed and lived in a simple, honest environment and by glimpsing in to his creative sanctuary, the objects and details that caught his eye, you can get a better insight into his personal work in many mediums on display. The video also shows a small selection of works by Kawai Hirotsugu which shows the relationship between master and student. All in all, I find this to be a wonderful visual introduction to not only the museum but into the nature of Kawai, his environment and his perspective on Mingei as it was displayed during his lifetime and how it continues to resonates today. Thanks for the video Kari.

(I have posted this on my blog and linked it to Youtube with the kind permission of Kari Gröhn.)

TIME WARP

Though I usually go for a more rough and tumble style chawan infused with a sense of serendipity I am pleasantly attracted to the contrast of the random quality of the background juxtaposed with the exacting precision and elegance of the gold decoration and strong, static form. Inviting to the eye, this chawan has a classic sense of nobility and refinement from a very different time as if it has time warped from several centuries earlier showing elements and influences from Kyoto culture of the aristocracy or from the modernism of the Meiji era. Most bowls would come off as very cold and contrived but decision carefully considered by the potter have created a rather striking blend of the refined, the practical and the modern. Made by Kato Ichiro (b.1974),  he originally studied with Ito Motohiko before going on to create a rather unique style that is heavily reliant on simple, elegant pattern based on historical decoration and his own unique blend of design. As a foot note, adding to how well this bowl works visually is the wonderful lift of the pot perched on a sturdy and well conceived kodai, foot that like every other small detail of the piece was obviously very well thought and planned out.

DEPRESSED BOWL

Despite the fact that I keep posting up pictures of teabowls and other Japanese "inspired" pots, at my core I am a rather practical, functional potter. I like the concept of everyday use and function and find it a rather significant motivator on most days though there are times that I just like to see what else can be done with a vase, a covered piece or a bowl. This temmoku bowl with side lugs and an overall rain pattern around the top and bottom of the bowl is not one of those pieces, rather it is rooted in function. The indented, depressed channel that surrounds the pot breaks up the continuity of the form as well as the decoration making for a visual focal point to the piece and serving a function in aiding in picking up the bowl while wearing oven mitts if deemed necessary. This is a rather basic bowl, meant for a modest amount of content and perched on a rather wide, stable foot which is designed for a typical "nuclear" family or a small get together as it will likely hold enough for six people unless one has invited your local sumo stable to dinner in which case I suggest one, possibly two of these for each guest. You can see the basic origins of these bowl forms by checking out this previous blog post
 
https://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2016/06/cross-cultural.html



 

 
 

SPEAKING OF IGA-ORIBE

I had the opportunity to handle this rather interesting Iga-Oribe mallet vase a couple of years back. It has rather nice, if a bit slender proportions but the posture and sense to the pot made it rather appealing not to mention the rich painterly surface created through a combination of glazing and wood firing. Made by Mino veteran, Mizuno Takuzo, this vase is part of a classic body of work in this style by the potter which also includes Mino-Iga, various Shino surfaces, Oribe, Ki-Seto, Seto-Guro and quite a few others. Perhaps one of the really appealing features of this piece, besides the animated form is the wonderful pooled surface at the depressed area of the shoulder composed of rich, translucent blue-green on one side and a milky, cloudy light blue on the other caused by its proximity to direct fire during the firing process. Though a rather serious, Momoyama influenced pot, there is something quite spirited and lively about the pot, it just exudes a sense of the positive which I quite enjoy and gives  this Iga-Oribe mallet a certain degree of curb appeal and a touch of everyday nobility.

WAIT, WHO?

A friend I share pictures with sent me this photo a while back and when I read the label, I was like, wait, who? This chawan is by Bizen legend, Mori Togaku and when his name springs to mind I think of his massive kiln, large, and I mean large storage jars and a variety of Bizen fired pots from chadogu and beyond. What doesn't come to mind is wood fired glazed pottery as this illustration clearly is and before you ask, it is marked with his mark and the box is clearly signed but the aesthetic is just not what I normally think of. Now admittedly, I may be out of the loop or just not up on the totality of Mori Togaku  but if I were pressed to identify this piece from just this single photo, Mori would not be in my top 50 answers. Actually at first glance I thought it had a bit of a Mino-Iga vibe like the surfaces of some of Mizuno Takuzo's pots though obviously not by him either, honestly I just wouldn't have narrowed it down to Mori Togaku. As irony would have it, once I received these photos, plucked from the electronic ether, I actually ran in to a second piece glazed in a similar but not identical manner so my suspicion is there are a number of these pots out there. For my last confession, I have really not followed the work of Mori Togaku all that much, not sure exactly why and despite the fact that I realize he makes some wonderful pieces he is just not really on my constant radar. I really like the two pots of this style I ran in to and would love to see more, especially a mizusashi but since these are the only two examples I have seen in thirty years I suspect it may be a while before I see another or with the way things work, perhaps tomorrow.

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING

I stumbled on this image the other day while collecting up a group of slides to be converted to digital images and had honestly forgotten I had made this set. Back in the mid-90s, while still living in Cleveland I was asked if I would like to be in a figurative show and given that I had three months to prepare, I thought, what the heck, why not. I remember making two sets of these stone texture cups and pitchers, several cup and saucer sets with "Mayan" inspired figures and a large covered house box with a series of alien life forms, really landscapeman designs on the piece and a couple of large plates with painted nudes on them. It was a fun task as it got me to think a little outside the box and away from safer designs that I felt comfortable with and out of this came some ideas that I use to this day like the Rapunzel , Europa and the Bull and Leda and the Swan. The illustrated set was easily made from cutting out slabs and then squeezing them until they create a puffy, three dimensional form and adding handles which also carry on the anthropomorphic attitude of the pieces the stone texture and inlay accents just finished off the pieces. It is odd how I couldn't remember the pieces until I saw the slide and then it actually brought me back to where I was when they were made, back at my Hillbrook Road address in Cleveland Heights with the ever present  music playing in the background.