Monday, March 2, 2020

TK No2 FACTUM

 
I finally fired a group of new Oribe test pieces including some small covered jars, a few serving pieces, teabowls and the kotsuzumi style koro that I had made. The results were pretty encouraging across the board with a nice array of effects on the various pots, each according to how they were glaze treated. The kotsuzumi style koro emerged without incident though I must admit until it was unloaded I just had this sense that it may be jinxed but I was anxious for no reason at all in the end. The koro came out pretty close to form as I had seen in my head and the surface has a wild, variegated surface with streaking resembling drizzling moss across nearly the entire surface with some areas of thick blue-green to white running down the pierced knob and around the central portion of the pot. The various sharp edges and lines around the pot as well as the pierced and impressed squares break up the surface and add more movement and detail to read. In the end I am both relieved and pleased to see this piece completed, what started as a quick thought while watching a Mizoguchi film made its way from a ball of clay to a complete idea in three dimensions, what is not to love about clay and second chances?