A DEEP POOL

There is no escaping the fact that we are all an accumulation of our experiences, a deep pool filled with all the bits and pieces we have ever encountered  which for artists and crafts people it often finds its way into their work. Each person ends up honing in on some aspect of the blended psychology of numerous moments to focus on imagery and form that at times may seem inexplicable to the outsiders; from baby heads to post apocalyptic industry and almost (?) everything in between. This leads me to the illustration of two meticulously crafted and well fired vases by Shigaraki Valley potter, Kengo Saeki (b.1969) who after apprenticing with Sawa Kiyostugu  set up his independent studio in 2003.

What is particularly unique about these two vases is that each is based on Japanese locks, just like a Western style padlock mostly seen in use in the Edo, Meiji, Taisho and early Showa eras. As it is rather easy to see, these forms, though perhaps a bit modified, lend themselves rather easily to the aesthetic and function of a flower vase with their exacting and crisp details softened ever so slightly by the natural ash built up that accentuates the surfaces. In the end, we get this small glimpse in to the mind of the maker and beyond the aesthetics of the object we are left to sit, contemplate and ponder, just exactly where the idea really comes from and what is the potter thinking or trying to communicate.

"The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises." Sigmund Freud

WARI-KODAI

Over the years I have concluded that I can easily run hot or cold on wari-kodai preferring a more "conservative" foot ring is more my comfort zone not to mention the aesthetic that I prefer. I have seen a number of chawan with excellent wari-kodai, especially the works of Tsujimura Shiro, Miwa Kyusetsu XI and Hayashi Shotaro but for me to be fully invested in this style, the execution, and proportions have to be just perfect and sync seamlessly with the bowl form. Illustrated is a chawan I recently handled by Enomoto Kyousuke and as you can see from the photo the proportions and relationship to the bowl are almost spot on and the way the kodai is cut and articulated bring some movement to an otherwise static pedestal.

Perhaps what I enjoy most is that Enomoto tooled or carved out a slight basin like depression at the center of the foot prior to cutting it which ends up having the bowl rest on the edges of each articulated quarter. I really liked this touch and it changes the posture of the bowl and when looking at the chawan seated on a shelf or other flat surface it allows for a less heavy feeling and is really quite noticeable when handling the bowl and resting it in the hand. I know I drone on about attention to details way to often but what would anything hand or machine made be if the whole was not an amalgam of considered details, like all the atoms in any particular molecule.

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." John Wooden

TRIANGLES AND 2/3rds

This triangles decorated teapot was from a class that I taught some while back, the goal was simple, throw a closed cylinder in under five pounds of terra cotta and then cut it apart to build a teapot. Using about four pounds of clay, I threw a mostly straight sided closed form with a slightly domed top and enough clay in the base to tool a shallow foot and once it had set up, I trimmed out an angled foot around the piece. Now comes the tricky part, I cut the closed form with the trimmed foot into three pieces, the center piece being about 25% of the total diameter and then reassembled the two end pieces together and cut the foot to accentuate the form. I rethrew an opening to accept a lid which I then threw to fit the teapot, threw and attached a spout and last but not least added a handled. When I came up with the idea I hadn't really worked out the decoration but I had some black and white slip with me so this is what I ended up with. After the class, I brought the pot home and glazed it up in a copper glaze that I had made up for some students and this was the finished product which I have sitting up on a shelf, usually collecting dust as a reminder of that exercise, did I mention it pours rather nicely?

I should mention that there was an incredible array of ideas that came from the group in the class, from machine age, architectural, highly organic to outright fantastical. I think it is a great way to keep on my toes by coming up with odd challenges including tough time limits and the worst that can happen is that you wedge it up or slake and reclaim the clay at the end of the day.

UPSIDE DOWN

A while back I put up a couple of different post in regards to a sculptural Bizen piece by Kaneshige Kosuke, son of the Ningen Kokuho, Kaneshige Toyo. I think it is fair to say that when thinking of Kosuke it is his sculptural body of work that initially springs to mind and as you flip through TOH #45 that is all that is illustrated in the book about this artist-potter. I think it is also safe to say that among sake enthusiasts and chadogu collectors that Kaneshige Kosuke has also create a wonderful array of guinomi, tokkuri, chawan, mizusashi, vases and quite frankly, everyday using pottery. Looking at his body of work and the pioneering aspects of his sculptural pieces I can see why these pieces have attacked  the lion's share among critics but his wheel thrown pottery stands out among a large field among the Bizen tradition and are quite easily at home in daily use, for the odd and rare ceremony or occasion or up on a shelf to help define and even influence one's environment.

Illustrated is a low Bizen chawan with a slightly wobbly posture and seductively undulating lip with a line creating the slope to the foot that echoes the movement of the mouth and creates a nice sense of movement. If you notice, there is a drip running up the bowl on the left which visually defies gravity but is actually the tell tale clue that this chawan was fired upside down. I think as you move away from thinking about Kaneshige Kosuke's Bizen sculpture, this is not a bad chawan to look at; classic lines, traditional yet modern form, nicely articulated surface and a lift off the foot and shadow line that are pleasing to the eye and the soul not to mention a wonderful sense of calm. It may not be a sculpture but following in his father's footsteps, but the way Kosuke uses clay and firing can be seen in pots just like this chawan combining a feudal tradition with concerns and aesthetics of a new millennium.

POURED B&W

I have been continuing to work on "faceting" surfaces using this jagged piece, almost a splinter of wood that has two sharp surfaces, one runs vertical and the other horizontal making for a neat chisel effect which you can see in the details of these photos. First thrown, the surface was then quickly faceted while still wet and then the whole bowl was pushed a bit oval. As the pot dried, I poured both white and black slip over the piece at four distinct point making for a random decoration and then once bisque, I glazed the teabowl in my saffron glaze with a hint of added iron here and there though I suspect it would have benefitted from just a bit more iron, but who wouldn't? I think the results are somewhat promising as I am trying to get more comfortable with the cut and tear method of faceting. The current results are just a bit unpredictable but in the end, it is this random quality that will keep me interested, keep each bowl a bit different and hopefully each cut as fresh as when it was made.

"When you allow yourself to be unpredictable, you step from the known into the unknown, where anything is possible*." Deepak Chopra

(*Anything being possible may not necessarily be the best thing conceivable on firing day, just saying.)

DAI-KANNYU HAGI

This piece is a rather unique and exotic dai-kannyu Hagi chawan made by Yamato Tsutomu, son of the Hagi legend, Yamato Yasuo. Made of classic Hagi clay with thick crackle slip put on the clay, an ash based glaze is then used to complete this rather modern Hagi chawan which follows admirably in the footsteps of his father and teacher. The use of this thick slip creates dramatic fissures and texture across the surface of the pot which has a high loss rate but when it works, this is the result, a primal, even elemental chawan. This chawan has a wonderful range of colors and feels great in the hand, truly a tactile experience while being visually engaging. This dai-kannyu style was pioneered by his father Yamato Yasuo and the potter, Yamato Tsutomu is an adept pupil and proponent mastering his ability to make this primal, elemental surface in to his own signature look.

Yamato Tsutomu is widely exhibited and published in Japan and even has several videos up on Youtube of him working. This particular chawan is also accompanied by an exhibition tag which I believe attests to what the potter thought of the pot. If you Google Yamato Tsutomu you can see his work in various international museums and some current prices including a rather pricy mizusashi at Gallery Japan. All in all this is a somewhat rare and classic example of the dai-kannyu Hagi style that both he and his father are so well known for.

You can see more of this chawan over at my Trocadero marketplace; https://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/catalog/ 

 

YES, YOU KNOW ME

Simplicity, that is what strikes me most about this very utilitarian yunomi, perhaps one of a thousand or more. Thrown out of a coarse Shigaraki clay with all of the larger bits of debris removed prior to the throwing, the form is all about use and also easily identifiable as a yunomi by Furutani Michio. The clay, surface and textbook cut kodai all speak to a potters understanding of pottery and process that makes Furutani stand out as one of the legendary proponents of the Shigaraki and Iga traditions. There is rhythm, honesty, sincerity and strength in his work and I hope that this short video slideshow conveys that along with even more if you are in the right mood and frame of mind. Mencius said, "sincerity is the way to heaven" and perhaps that journey begins at the bottom of a teacup. Enjoy!

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony.In the middle of difficulty, find opportunity." Albert Einstein, I suspect he was talking directly to potters.

IGA-KARATSU

I just recently received a handful of catalogues from a friend who was recently in Japan. My friend is a book collector and in searching book stores occasionally stumbles on to pottery catalogues, the interesting ones he picks up and sends to me as long as they are 500yen or cheaper which is his decision, not mine. In this most recent group was a rather old Tsukigata Nahiko catalogue that is mostly in black and white with the usual cast of characters from 1972 with the anomaly here and there. In this catalogue was the illustrated chawan that is described as Iga-Karatsu and details are a bit sketchy at best with what looks like a thin ash glaze over the whole bowl and areas of natural ash built up where the bowl was facing the front of the kiln.

This chawan certainly has a rather unique, medieval appearance to it and after combing through multiple references, I did not come across anything described in this particular way though I suspect the term Iga-Karatsu likely predates this pot. I can't say I know exactly what the motivation was in the description of this teabowl but I am sure that Tsukigata had his own rationale though not having ever seen another pot quite like this, I wonder in the end if this was the ultimate goal or a random series of fortuitous events. I suspect we, well I may never know unless another chawan, mizusashi or vase shows up tomorrow with the distinct hakogaki; IGA-KARATSU CHAWAN, as one can guess, stranger things have happened.

P.S. Thanks for sending the catalogues!

NOW & AGAIN

I don't really dislike hand building, what I actually dislike is the need for patience that goes along with the process. In throwing, I have become quite accustomed to the need to wait for pots to firm up, usually overnight before they can be tooled and decorated. With hand building, I haven't built up the tolerance to waiting and as soon as I roll out a few slabs my mind wants to go ahead and build which as one can guess rarely works out that well. The slabs for this particular teapot were rolled out after I finished tooling thrown pots at the end of the day and then placed on fiber boards used for drop ceilings to start to dry overnight and in the morning, coffee cup in hand and 80s music on the stereo, I set to building a pair of these "facade" teapots which despite their appearance are fully functional. The generic name for this decoration is called "waiting" which as you may guess has multiple meanings; the obvious subject matter is about waiting, the process to build the pieces is about waiting and lastly it is all about waiting as to when to decorate the pot. The title of this particular t-pot is "Waiting in Istanbul, Not Constantinople" a play of the TMBG song from 1990. I enjoy decorating pots with these "Its still life" themes as it allows the viewer to create and narrate their own stories or bring up experience from their own lives so have at it.

CROSSROADS

In many respects if you are navigating New York we live almost in the exact middle, the crossroads of where ever you may be traveling in the State and on the odd occasion I have had people drop by for a little bit of show and tell knowing my approximate coordinates. In this particular instance, a collector/dealer emailed and we arranged for a quick fly-by to show me a couple of pots that he couldn't identify and wanted what input I could offer. The pots were two nice pieces, a Bizen chawan, no box and a large porcelain hakuji tsubo which had its original box. The chawan was easy to identify despite the lack of box as was the tsubo though as you can see from the photo Khan was very pleased that it had its original tomobako and immediately made himself home in it never missing an opportunity to inject himself in to the conversation. This is a rather common practice for Khan though few boxes end up large enough to swallow him whole though undaunted there are times when he is trying his best to settle down for a short nap in a chawan box. I am not sure if you can see from the photo but  one side of the box had become unglued so before he left I drilled the corner, reglued the edges and put in two new wood pins to stabilize the box. It was an unexpected pleasure to handle the pots, especially the tsubo (more photos at a later date) but I suspect the real pleasure was all Khan's.

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods, they have not forgotten this." Terry Pratchett

CHA-TSUBO

The maker of this diminutive little cha-tsubo is Kutani-yaki legend, Hasegawa Sojin of Kanazawa perhaps best known for his wispy aspara-like fairies and various naturalistic designs created in a painting technique that he calls Yosai. This particular piece is housed in a box that reads; KUTANI CHA-TSUBO and is more akin to a chaire than it is what one thinks of as a traditional cha-tsubo, tea-leaf container. Thrown out of porclain with a matching lid, the piece is first fired with a clear glaze and then it is painted with overglaze enamels in his particular style and in this case of the wispy, lively aspara style figures floating freely about the base of the piece. Considering the normal atmosphere and formality of enamel painting, there is a casual feel to this piece which makes it very inviting and thoroughly functional whether it is used for matcha or sea salt, it has a place in almost any household. I hope this short slideshow video conveys the sense of playfulness that I had while handling this pot and gives a glint into Hasegawa Sojin's unique Yosai style.

OLD FORMULAS

I was moving a bunch of magazines around, making space on some storage shelves when I came across a group of old Ceramic Monthly magazines from the late 1960s. Since I am easily distracted, the next thing I know I am thumbing through a few issues when I came across a single page of various crackle glaze formulas ranging from cone 06 all the way to cone10 and after looking at the actual formulas, a few looked promising. I threw a few small test pieces and made up two of the recipes, one of which is illustrated and as you can see, right out of the gate it works. Considering there were no photos I was not exactly sure what to expect but based on the description it sounded a bit like a Japanese style kannyu crackle of which I think it certainly shows promise. As you can see from the photo, the glaze displays a nice uniform crackle and where it is a bit thicker up around the mouth, the crackle is much more dynamic indicating a thicker application is called for next time around. I should also mention that I rubbed a good deal of the glaze off the lip in an effort to highlight the clay which worked out pretty well.

I am constantly amazed that when working with a number of older CM formulas, books from the 60s and 70s and formula handouts from potters like Warren MacKenzie, Val Cushing and David Shaner that the glazes almost always work, spot on without any fuss, muss or adjustments. I can't help but say how indebted all modern potters are to the generations that came before us in what must be considered a modern ceramics traditions of our own in the US.