I
have probably mentioned on an occasion or two that I am very influenced by the
pitchers and jugs of the late Bill Klock and having had the chance to handle
quite a few of them, I hope I have learned a thing or two or even three. The biggest
problem with Bill's pitchers and jugs is that for quite some time I was very
intimidated by them and only on the rarest occasion did I throw any and
truthfully they were just too close to his pieces. In order to move on I spent
a fair amount of time learning about and searching out medieval and earlier
pitchers in order to make my way clear of the shadow of Bill's pots and this
particular form is one that I settled on and still make to this day. This
temmoku, stamped jug isn't terribly large at about 12" tall but it has a
strict, almost formal form that is broken up with the deeply impressed designs
around the widest point of the belly and the exaggerated throwing rings around
the neck. The temmoku also has broken nicely on either side of the handle
creating a framework for the deep rich glaze in between either edge and all
told just enough detail has been added to break up the surface and give the pot
the right amount of eye appeal. This is just a jug, nothing more but there are
lessons learned from Bill Klock, Warren MacKenzie and others in this pot but
they are subtle and I would like to think the bigger picture is all about how I
see and make pottery just outside the cast shadow.
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