PRACTICED IMPROV

If you look at enough of the pottery by Kowari Tetsuya, especially his tokkuri, guinomi and chawan you can see elements of the scripted and unscripted formulas that go in to his work; the threads that links each pot yet allows for that interconnected jazz like improvisation to emerge. The animation and posture of this Haiyu-Shino wood fired tokkuri is written across the surface of this piece and is inescapable and quite palpable as if the piece is trying to make its way from point A to point B right in front of you, perhaps not perpetual motion but as close as possible in a static, plastic object. The tension of the form created by its dynamic posture and the visual weight of the piece is defined by areas of rough, rustic texture and smooth planes of vertical motion painted over in ash, iron, Shino and flame that presents alternative visions as you move round the pot. Through Kowari's deft execution of the thrown and vigorously manipulated clay his pot has been brought to life that is then given a fine surface composed of a scant handful of materials and just the right amount of fire to marry the idea and creation into a object that surpasses mere function, pleasing the emotional core of the viewer (or user).  With Kowari's works, I keep coming back to the concept of jazz, where it is the spirit and improvisation and those moments in between that drives the aesthetic which I clearly see painted vividly across the work of a potter working on what isn't readily obvious and pointing it out to us with each new work.