DISCIPLINED RHYTHM

There is something so satisfying and captivating about a simple pot, in this case a Shino chawan. The form of the bowl is classic and simple, clearly stripped of any superfluous detail with minimal "off the wheel" manipulation or carving, a simple foot meant to bare the weight of the piece and function as a point of balance and stability. The bones of the pot have little in the way of contrivances allowing a slow, disciplined rhythm of the wheel to show in the finished product. As for the surface, created by using a bit of iron and some feldspar, the bowl is completed and brought to life from the skillful use of the essentials which include the addition of flame, the atmosphere and just the right heat and did I even mention the beautiful luster? Through the wood firing process the surface melts, take what it needs from the flame and fly ash creating a wet, fat surface that is a patchwork of red iron and off-white Shino mimicing antiquity and modernity in near perfect proportions, a simple chawan is born that just exudes nuances and subtleties.            

This chawan was created by Hori Ichiro who in my opinion has a profound sense of dazzling (!) simplicity, his pots are not fussy, over-worked or over-thought, they are direct and capture the essence of the forms he is after. In fact as I look at the body of work created by Hori Ichiro, his aesthetic is just to the point, there are no plastic gymnastics involved and my conclusion regarding his work in particular is rather uncomlicated like his work; there is nothing more complex that simplicity and this chawan is an excellent example of that idiom.