I am not sure
why, but Bill Klock has been on my mind a lot lately. I used to be able to pick
up the phone and pick his brain, just say hi or discuss any number of things
including his world view which I respected and held in high regard. As I make
pots, Bill is one of those voices in my head along with a few others that guide
me away from my worst impulses and at times finds his way into my pottery. As I
came upstairs today I passed a small group of his teabowls on the living room
shelves that are that constant reminder of not only Bill but the ideals and
experiences he brought to clay from his earliest introduction to clay, to
working with Leach and then Onggi potters and his years of teaching and helping
spread the word about contemporary ceramics and crafts in general. This simple teabowl, now glazed in Cardew
Shino was one of a group of demo pieces Bill made the very first week I had started
in clay, casually and quickly thrown with a folded over rim for durability and
to acheive a specific look, the bowl sat around for a few days under loose
plastic before he tooled the foot, trimming off very little but creating a deep
well inside the foot ring on each piece in sucession. This lesson set me on a
path and direction and taught me to think about the finished bowl while it was
being thrown and how addressing the foot would alter the original thrown form,
it was a simple exercise but it was
never fogotten. Thanks Bill.
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