CONSIDERATION

Illustrated is a fairly large thrown, altered, faceted and manipulated "storage jar" made by Michael Simon. Though undecorated, the salt firing has created a soft, blushed sheen to the surface that helps accentuate all of the various lines from those incurred during the throwing process to those created while manipulating the form culminating in the broad faceting showing a spontaneous and sure handed cut. All of the various considerations or decisions  made along the way, achieved over a lifetime of making pots lead to their conclusion in a well conceived, animated and dramatic pot that is about as complicated as a simple pot ever gets.         

Looking at this covered jar it is rather clear that Michael Simon was very considered in making his pots though at the same time he embraces serendipity and spontaneity in their making. He considered the line, form, weight and volume of the various elements that created the aesthetic in clay that he was after consciously and unconsciously. The following is just a glimpse into his thought process as it relates to a good sized storage jar very similar to the piece illustrated;  "This pot began in my mind as a medium-sized storage jar, faceted nine times. The thick clay at the edge of the lid holds a substantial mass similar to the faceted walls of the pot. The profile of lid edge and clay wall unites in one line. Squeezing the bottom into a triangular shape before faceting invites the addition of short legs at the corners. These legs lift the pot and help define its structure. This jar benefits from one facet that resembles the human leg taking a step."  Michael Simon from "MICHAEL SIMON: EVOLUTION.