BALANCED

Though this may appear very similar to a few other Persian or Scythian design influenced square platters by Kato Kenji, this one is just a bit different in its scale, it is quite a bit larger and immediately radiates a rather magical presence. The border of this platter is of triangular shapes, flipping in alternative directions and filled with black and white that acts to contain or frame the interior decoration of black and white glaze, rich red and green enamel creating an abstracted floral repeat in the quadrants of the interior. As I pointed out in a previous post, the spontaneous and lyrical brushwork which floats on the balanced black and white glazes breathes life into not only the decoration but the simple and functional form which has also turned its attention to both use and aesthetics. Perhaps one of the hidden features of this platter is the rich breaking iron that acts as the final frame of the edge of this piece which is fully realized bathed in the warmth and light of the afternoon sun. Though probably best known for his various toruko-ao Persian blue glazes I have yet to see a glaze combination or decoration by Kato Kenji that has not made me feel just a bit richer and fufilled for the encounter be it brief or long standing.

DEPTH OF WINTER

When I was a kid growing up on Lake Champlain we would spend a lot of time on the ice, fishing and skating and on one rare occasion cross country skiing from Plattsburgh to Burlington. The ice in the depth of winter would range from being flat and smooth to areas of great upheavals but when you would stop now and again and look through the ice it would have this frosted, cracked appearance that even though it was feet thick would give you a momentary pause concerning your safety. When I first looked into this wood fired chawan by Kowari Tetsuya memories of my youth sprung to mind and gave me that instant emotional rush of near panic and exhilaration at the same time. 

Glazed in a feldspathic Shino glaze, the intensity of the fire has melted the various elements, added in some natural ash and created this fractured floor showing off some patches of frothy white, kannyu seiji style effects and crystals created through the blending of the available materials and temperatures. The bottom, mikomi of this chawan appears far off from the lip, a descent into what looks like a frozen and silent landscape that certainly will bring the viewer back again and again to experience the solitude and solemnity of what a potter and a harnessed conflagration can create.

TO THE BRIM

As I was getting closer to finishing an order a while back I realized I was going to have several tall areas that needed filling between four larger and taller pieces, about 16 to 18 inches out of the bisque. Given that I needed some filler I decided to make a few a few taller covered jar forms with slightly exagerated finials to complete the lids and forms. Illustrated is one such example, this covered piece is based on one of my teabowl forms where I have applied white slip impasto style around the pot looking a bit like it has been faceted. The surface may look like it is pinholed but infact I used to left over slurry which had some sand and other debris in it which adds to the texture of the form. On top of the ringed lid I have placed an elongated B.C. (or Prometheus) inspired finial and the whole package is glazed in my Oribe glaze with some Kuro-Oribe accents especially on the finial and the lid. When I loaded the kiln, these taller, narrower forms fit well and helped fill out the space in the kiln and turned out okay to boot. Better to fill the voids to the brim with experiment and fail than to leave any space empty is my mantra for better or worse after all these years of making pots and firing kilns.

PLANNED SPONTANEITY

Illustrated is a small porcelain koro with exacting underglaze and overglaze decoration creating a diminutive tour de force of the enamellist art. Nestled under the wing like collar, this koro is surrounded by four deep indigo blue kanji, this one being makoto or sincerity, also seen used by The Shinsengumi of the Bakumatsu era. Flanking the four kanji are panels of multi-color designs having a rather modern meets traditional atmosphere at some level reminding me of 50s design, the lip and the pierced base is surrounded by bands of black ticked by lines to define the space. Gold is used sparingly but to maximum effect, outlining the kanji, banding various elements of the form and the stylized butterfly on the pierced lid allowing for the incense to escape the interior when the lid is in place. 

Made by one of the stand out porcelain and enamel specialists of the 20th century, Kitade Fujio (1919-2014), he honed his craft under his father Tojiro (1898-1968) and in time and after many awards went on to teach a whole new generation of potter at the Kanazawa College of Art . Many of Kitade Fujio's later ceramics show an unbridled enthusiasm for the use of enamel painting combined with incised decoration work showing off a well planned spontaneity and a rather modern feel. Though this small koro likely fits into the 70s, his exacting attention to detail and precision are clearly on display and at this point the only thing missing is the wafting trails of incense in use.

REMINDERS

When I first saw this covered box form, I was struck by what seemed to be a rather complex geometric puzzle composed of well intersecting planes and angles. Over time I have actually come to realize that like much of Bruce Cochrane's pottery, there is an enticing simplicity where form and surface are the principle players in a thought provoking play, part drama, part comedy and purity of visual message. The wonderful angles of the box are well complimented by the strong, solid base which imitates the form in a slightly exaggerated scale while the piece tilts outward from base to the top where the extremes of the lid and foundation are almost of equal proportions. The top of the lid terminates in a seductive and full curve that breaks up the angulatiy of the form and is a perfect surface for the Shino glaze which was applied very thin and has some areas of flashed iridescence to catch the eye. While a good deal of Bruce's work is devoid of actual decoration there are reminders within the surface of how the clay was constructed, rasped, scraped and sure formed to allow the distilled forms to speak for themselves, cloaked in minimal glazes and wood fired surfaces where if there was ever a more apropos use of the expression, "where less is more", I am not sure I am aware of it.

HAND BUILDING 101

In case you were or are wondering, this is what a screwed up elbow looks like, not from an MRi or x-ray but rather from the standpoint that this is what I am able to do. For some time now I have been having issues with acute tendonitis, I know, poor baby and after getting a number of pots made and dealing with the oncoming winter issues around the house and yard, I find it next to impossible to wedge or center without a good deal of pain. The answer recently has been making tray forms and slab pieces which I am oh so good at so what you are looking at is the pieces parts for two flask forms, likely to be slipped and then glazed in either oribe, amber or soda blue, just not sure yet and best not to count my chickens before they hatch. As is probably rather clear these two flask forms won't be particularly large as the larger they get the more the flaws of my hand building will be exaggerated and honestly they are intended to be more filler between other pots in an upcoming firing that includes a few orders/ commissions. With any luck, the building will go smoothly, not aggravate my elbow and in the end come out at least close as to how I see them in my mind's eye, that would be just enough for me at this moment. 

(I should note that there are only pieces parts for two pieces here. I am not much of a hand builder and as to not get out ahead of my skis, two is enough. The small necks and stoppers will be thrown once the bodies of these two flasks are finished.) 

 The second photo is from the next day once the flask forms were rough built, still needing a bit of fine tuning. Once completed the plan is to cover them in black slip and add white slip, impasto style to the front and back. At this moment the glazing plan seems to be a bit up in the air but will ultimately be either my Oribe, an amber or the soda blue, whatever I choose building and decorating these two pieces was a nice deversion and didn't really add to my ongoing elbow issues.

BLUE SAND

Illustrated is a set of two Nishiura Takeshi Echizen tokkuri that fit together as a nice, neat little package. First thrown round, the tokkuri were paddled and forced together so that they literally fit together making for a rather wonderful set. Once thrown and altered the pots were glazed in Nishiura's "blue sand" glaze and then fired Echizen style in his wood kiln creating what can only be described as a rather unique surface that works on small pots as well as some rather large pieces as well. Beyond the exceptional visual texture, these pots all have a rather vivid texture that is a constant blend of almost coarse and almost smooth making them rather pleasing to use or just stare at as they adorn so small nook or cranny interlocked as siblings or spread out yet calling for one another at opposite ends of a shelf. These evocative and challenging surfaces are a wonderful addition to the modern Echizen tradition and honestly, I think Nishiura has outdone himself with these wild and playful creations.

KISMET

I think it is safe to say that this is something you don't see everyday or since I don't know what circles you may travel in, I will say that this is something that I do not see everyday. Actually I will state for the record that I have only seen two of these in person, one in the US and one in Japan and another two illustrated so I would rate this as a less commonly encountered Tsukigata Nahiko form. What you are looking at is downward view of an Oni-Shino te-oke hanaire likely made in the 1980s. Beyond the rich surface and texture the pot is covered in a thin coat of glassy ash but it is the dramatic, deep brown, crystalized ash that has coalasced in the interior that catches the eye almost immediately. Unprotected during the firing, the interior walls have collected free wheeling ash in the atmosphere which built up, melting and running down the walls into the pool of the te-oke which then cooled slowly creating the dark brown crystaline pool with hints of iridecence here and there.

 Though I have no doubts regarding Tsukigata's skill of placement and firing of his kiln, how much of this surface was fortuitous and simple serendipity as it seems that kismet follows his each and every firing? I am sure had he been asked at the time of its firing, Tsukigata Nahiko would have explained how it was all staged, planned for this exact effect and based on the beautiful and exotic interior of a huge percentage of his work, it is absolutely believable but to be honest, kismet may play a role in the supporting cast of this pot and perhaps a few others. 

 "There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed." Napoleon Bonapart

HALF TWO

I had about an hour recently before I had to be somewhere close to 3pm and decided to make something a bit odd from start to finish and to use a movie quote; "I have a need for speed". I will preface this by saying that these timed pieces are more about thought process and ideas than they are about the finished object and also challenge a speedy thought process to get things done. In this case I decided I would would throw a raised jar form, square it up, throw and cut a lid to fit and then use a thick slip surface to finish off the pot. Throwing the less than three pound jar form went smoothly and then I started getting it set up and squared, which also went quite well. Since the surface was to be covered in slip, the corners didn't end up needing to be really crisp which saved time and now was time to try to fit the lid which I threw just under 20% larger than the original diameter of the jar's depressed gallery. This accounts for the squared corners which are now a bit wider than when originally thrown and also allows some wiggle room. I placed the lid over the form, traced the outside dimensions to the lid and started whittling away at the lid until it was a reasonable fit and then fit with a paddled coil handle reminescent of something I saw in the African cultures arena of the BMFA. The last step was to apply the thick slip with a palette knife impasto style diagonally to create a nice sense of movement which will likely get fitted for an amber suit down the road. Admittedly this was done in just under 32 minutes and the lid fit could have been a bit better if I had taken more time but I am reminded; "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." (Bertrand Russell)

TEXTURAL NARRATIVE

When I first saw (and handled) this chawan I was struck by the collision of the perpetually wet surface and the non-stop textural narrative that surrounds the pot reminding me of some modern style emakimono in three dimensions and composed of clay instead of ink on silk or paper. Wood fired in Shigaraki Valley by Kengo Saeki, this chawan was pulled out of the violence of the kiln and allowed to cool quickly, hikidashi style freezing the ash surface as it was just moments before in the kiln. Running from emerald to olive greens, the texture shimmers where varying depths of the ash present very different colorations adding movement and a visceral articulation to the form. The bowl sits on a modest, sturdy kodai and sweeps up to the bowl form creating a rather appealing lift and shadow line that show that Kengo Saeki was thinking in terms of various dimensions during the creation process. Beyond the sheer visual pleasure of the ceramic topography it is perhaps the tactile nature of this bowl that makes it rather enjoyable to hold and mull over in the hand drawing the attention here and there grabbing one's attention to nuances, marks and other surface variations they may go unnoticed if not for all that wonderful wet texture.

 

MODELING SESSION

It has been quite a while since I put up a post on this Tsukigata Nahiko Oni-Shino hisago hanaire and I was lucky enough to get a few minutes to photograph the piece recently and here is one of those photos from the modeling session. As you can see in this view, this vase has almost everything you would look for from Oni-Shino right down to a wonderful coat of natural ash from the wood firing. The mouth and shoulder have a nice crust of wet, brown ash which gives way to a cascade of green coating the pot exposing areas of pure white Shino and iron perculating up to the surface. Though this is not a particularly large pot, its presence and  traditional form make it a larger than life piece in person where all the components of form, glaze, ash and fire meld together to make what I consider quintessential Oni-Shino from the potter who pioneered this style and technique now a staple of the modern Mino tradition.

https://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2021/09/bookends.html

END OF DAY III

I put off dealing with a group of eight small porcelain bowls until the very end of the day today. All eight were black slipped and two of the bowls were intended to not be carved so I went with this chattering technique where I use the very corner of the tool to create these marks. This technique isn't fool-proof and it causes the occasional skip in the design which personally I like, it breaks the routine and symmetry of the decoration and gives the surface a bit more pep. My current plan is to glaze them in the soda blue but things are fluid and always open to change depending on if I have enough glaze on hand, this approach is called the glaze lottery, using what I have enough of when it comes time to get things glazed and loaded, unless it is an order or commission. Since it is highly unlikely that I will win the $1B lottery, the chances are this will be my best odds for the day; a one in four chance of a suitable surface.

CHOREOGRAPHED

Though slightly reminescent of Tomimoto Kenkichi, this simple henko form with colorful floral decoration was made by Suzuki Kiyoshi (1903-1964). This vase clearly shows the influence of his master, Tomimoto with clear Kiyomizu (Kyoto) elements regarding the decoration and design elements making for a rather identifiable style typical, even traditional for the area with rich undeglaze blue, sometsuke brushwork ranging from soft blue to deep, almost black areas and hints of coral added as accents and later a rich red overglaze to punctuate the space and line the form along with the deep blue cobalt. Despite being over half a century old, this henko looks fresh, bright with decoration perfect for early summer and considering it was created and decorated to capture those exact sentiments it continues to preform just as intended. 

 Suzuki Kiyoshi studied with Tomimoto Kenkichi including at the Sennyu-ji and later with sculptor Yamamoto Kakuji before founding the Sekidosha with Kusube Yaichi, Kano Mitsuo and Asami Ryozo among others. Passing along the Kiyomizu, Kyoto aesthetic, both of Suzuki Kiyoshi's sons are potters; Suzuki Kenji and Takuji work in what I would still consider to be the fused Kiyomizu - Kyoto style making highly decorated and well considered pottery and design. If memory serves me, I remember seeing somewhere, perhaps the GENDAI TOUGEI SAKAIYE JITEN that Suzuki was born into a family who specialized in mold makering which would certainly help explain his prowess in making such well conceived and perfect henko forms. I have to think that looking at this well decorated henko, just how pleased Suzuki Kiyoshi must have been when he unloaded this kiln even if this was one among many, each pot unique but tied together in a well choreographed cycle or making, decorating, glazing and firing.