LATE AFTERNOON

Some while back I put up a short video of one of my Oribe katakuchi in use with four Oribe mini-wan bourbon cups. Though not restricted to the use of bourbon, here are the same four cups just hanging about in the late afternoon sunlight to give a sense of the texture and surfaces of each piece. The combination of the sandy small batch clays, the gentle faceting opening up the surface of the pieces together with the multi-glazed, Kuro-Oribe style glaze makes for a rather interesting piece in the hand whether you are using it for sake, bourbon or any other litany of liquids.       

Though this Hamada Shoji quote may be apocryphal, I find it rather engaging, even playful; “Oribe is not a collection of forms, but a way of being”.

CAST A SHADOW

A while back I was rummaging throw some big, blue tuffy(s), looking for a tiny Japanese teapot and I came across this pot which immediately brought me back to Cleveland by way of Akron, Ohio. I cleared off a shelf and apparently decided to take a few photos at exactly the right time, using only natural light, this hand-built vase cast a shadow that is just a perfect companion for this Bob Yost pot. As I mentioned this vase was handbuilt in Bob’s rather unique, even quirky style where the posture and attitude become the central theme in a multipart play about vessels. The piece was glazed rather casually though I suspect by some experienced design in Dave Shaner’s red to yellow which seemed to be all the rage in the early 90s in the Ohio area though this application is near to perfection for the form. Perhaps the most engaging feature of finite details is the small lugs looking like some pre-historic appendages and adding movement and whimsy to the overall presentation. Without waxing nostalgic, I miss my decade long sojourn in Cleveland and it is these moments that give comfort and a constant reminder to the years spent there, enjoyed to the very fullest with lots of clay in all forms along the journey.

WONDERFUL MEMORIES

This is an old picture, converted from a 35mm slide to a digital image some while back, pictured are four jugs drying slowly having been made by Bill Klock sometime back in the 90s. Coming across this image reminded me this was the very last time I worked with Bill having moved to Cleveland and working at CSU and then my own studio in University Heights. I think I was in town for three weeks, one work cycle where we made lots of stoneware pots and then gas fired one group and wood fired the other. I don’t think I have a single pot left from my time there though I do have several of Bill’s. Though this was my last working trek in Plattsburgh, it was certainly not my last time visiting, every chance I would get I would make my way to Upstate NY and visit Bill, my dad and my wife’s family.  

As for the four jugs, I am not really sure of when Bill began making these forms though I suspect it was thoroughly cemented during his stay working at the Leach Pottery. These pieces have that classic English, Leach appearance complete with stamped decoration on a couple of them. I wish I had a photo or photos of these finished and though I may have somewhere I was just not able to lay my hands on any. At any rate, you can imagine them decked up in rich temmoku duds with some ash accents as well as his favorite celadon glaze, Whitings 1, 2, 3, 4 Celadon, maybe I am being nostalgic, but this brings back wonderful memories.

GROUP PHOTO

A while back I ended up throwing a couple dozen covered box forms and here is one group photo of four of them, some have been posted before. In this group all in one form of Oribe or another, the finials are all based on the Prometheus and Johnny Hart, B.C. inspired critter that I think makes for a functional and intriguing motif. All were thrown out of stoneware and despite that fact, each has its own unique surface treatment, on bare clay, over slip or slips and over the rugged fluting inspired by Maximillian armor. The fluted box has a simple tooled foot while the other three have either three or four feet which gives the pieces a bit of lift. As I mentioned, I went on a tear making a group of these forms with little thought as for decoration, glazing or purpose but since I enjoy making lidded pots, did I really need any real goal other than to throw and end up with a group of functional pieces that I suspect have as many uses as there are people who may end up using them?

IGA?

Iga, I do not think so but rather Canadian! What you are in fact looking at is a gift that came with a pot a short while back by Bruce Cochrane. This simple slab dish wood fired which securely rests on three long bar feet has a rather pleasant East meets West presentation good for just about anything from garlic shrimp to being just perfect for two large canoli. I believe Bruce choose this particular piece because he is aware of my interest in texture as well as the overall aesthetic, either way, it was appreciated and has been used a couple of times. 

This small plate also came with a thoughtful note; “….. It has a very interesting surface so I thought you may enjoy it. It is a porcelain clay with coarse silica chips. There is an ash glaze on top and it was fired on top of the bag wall in the woodkiln so there was quite a bit of flame contact. Maybe for sashimi? Enjoy!” What is not to enjoy, thoughtful gift, great surface and perfect for pastries?

SUBJECTIVE?

I realize that this is a purely subjective observational comment but really, is there anything more seductive than the surfaces of Ono Kotaro? Clearly thrown thick(ish), Ono sets about carving a rather curvy, sensuous pattern in deep relief that wraps around the form and creates a brilliant topography that is a joy for the eye and the hand. If you factor in that is perfect little form and all of its dynamic movement, a guinomi is the clone reduced in scale of a chawan, well you have the perfect little pot. Finished off in a pale blue seiji glaze, the guinomi is sealed and ready for extended use for your favorite beverage, a small portion of blueberries of just sitting there, static on shelf but with this form, let’s be honest, there is a sense of constant motion no matter where it ends up.

ONE, TWO, THREE

Back before the Holidays, I was asked to make two sets of bowls, a larger serving bowl and two smaller bowls for soup, salad, chili or what have you. By the third email it was determined they would be cog-ware in my Oribe glaze, light on the kuro effect except the interior. As with many orders, to get two sets, I made a shadow third to make sure I had two sets of three and this group was the remaining larger and smaller set. Plus, or minus, these all came out fine and I married up the surfaces to make two cohesive sets to get packed up and shipped out. This set is currently in the studio collecting dust and I wonder do they get brought up and used or just hang out until they find a new home? Maybe it will come down to whether or not I need a bowl or two next time my wife is out of town and I am a bit on the lazy side.

THE VOICE OF A POTTER

Illustrated is a classic Yohen-Shino henko by Matsuzaki Ken. Sturdy, solid and solitary this bottle has a vivid surface composed of iridescent Yohen-Shino anchored by areas of thick, pure white, swiped Shino making for a vivid landscape and vivid visual ride around the sides. As you can see there are areas of iron and ash punctuations about the surface with the shoulder and neck receiving some wonderful ash from the firing adding an additional dimension to the piece. With each application of glaze, layered to create depth and distinction, this work all carves out its own unique niche within the Mashiko traditions.    

Though Matsuzaki Ken makes a wide variety of these simple henko forms, at the end of the day they are anything but simple, the form has been carefully considered to allow the surface treatment and firing to maximize the piece, a canvas for the varying landscape of ash and glaze. Though there may be a multitude of these form in several sizes and surfaces, each presents it own unique story, narrating the voice of a potter who spent extra years with his master in an effort to break free of his weighty influence, clearly at this is task, Matsuzaki Ken has excelled.

LIVE OR MEMOREX II

I end up following a number of museums and galleries on Instagram and to be quite honest, everyday is something new, interesting and even exciting. Recently on the feed of the Shizuoka Museum of Ceramic Art, up popped a rather familiar vase, so familiar, I had to take a double-take to a shelf near my desk, a classic “live or Memorex” moment. Illustrated is a photo I took a while back together with an inset from the museum of a Nagasaki sancai hanaire by Yokoishi Kasuke XIII. While it was always quite clear these pieces were molded, hand finished and then meticulously glazed, it was still a somewhat surreal experience. I should note that I think everyone in this same predicament may say, hey, mine is better, but apart from the actual object itself, I will say, to my eye, the one here in the US has a much better glaze application with wonderful running gradation of colors and placement.   

On a side note, for anyone considering acquiring a similar piece or a piece by Yokoishi Kasuke XIII in general, these pots are sturdy, solid, weighty and by no means some half-hearted attempt at mass production. Though the wood signed box is a bit on the economical side, the vase and glazing is honestly top notch and if you like sancai or Nagasaki sancai in particular that this is likely the pottery and potter for you.

SIMPLE, SQUARED

Illustrated is another one of those simple, squared yunomi that I really enjoy making here at the studio. I am not sure if I settled on yunomi over mugs because of my admiration and time in Japan or is it I just don’t like the fussing around with timing and handles, maybe a question for another time. This one was thrown out of stoneware and softly squared up to allow for a less severe look and then covered over in impasto applied slip before its final meeting with Oribe and iron. The diagonal application makes for some rather interesting effects as the glaze runs and channels down the furrows making each and every one just a bit different and each plane its own unique landscape which come together in an overarching theme. It may be simple in design and execution but the texture and surface hopefully push it to another place entirely.

IN ALL PROBABILITY

I can’t say that I have handled many pots by Mino potter, Kato Yoji but I can say it is often funny how things come in threes. This wood fired pot is the third Kato Koji I had encountered and is everything I like in guinomi with a fierce posture and form, flowing and active surface and looking every bit the chawan despite it actual scale. Having been fired on three small shells, the scars from the firing punctuate one side while also giving the piece a tremendously tactile adventure to the fingertips. The face of the guinomi is defined by soft throwing marks, drifting rivulets of green ash against a dark brown surface that as it wraps around the pot it shows off iridescence that flows into the interior as a most welcome surprise in the handling. If I am being totally honest, part of me wishes this was a chawan every time I see it but, in all probability, alter any one feature of this diminutive gem it is more than likely you strip it of what makes it so appealing, best leave things just as they are.

FOUR SEASONS

Illustrated is a Kutani style porcelain vase that we refer to as “the Vivaldi vase” due to its rich decoration showcasing flowers unique to the four seasons along with bold calligraphy in gold in a cartouche adjacent to each respective panel. Made of a pure white porcelain, this vase was then glazed and fired and later covered over in a rich surface of red enamel before gold, purple and blue were applied. The gold was detailed by way of sgraffito that brings that surface to life and adds more depth to the surface. This rather ornate vase is just a perfect blend of old-style Kutani technique and workmanship while showcasing the efforts and innovations of a century’s long tradition. 

This vase was made by Kitade Seiko (b.1926),born in Kaga Prefecture and student and son of Kitade Tojiro, launching his career in earnest when he was selected for the 6th Nitten Exhibition in 1950. Like his father, Seiko adds naturalistic, Kutani inspired devices, designs and decoration to his work which is meticulously crafted and painted where sometimes simplicity rules and others where the surface is densely decorated with complex and well thought out patterning. Working in stark decoration over white porcelain, using cobalt or red pigment as a canvas or the combination of the prior, this octagonal gourd style vase is a wonderful example of his work which is true to the style of his father, Kaga and Kutani while leaving room for his own unique interpretation of all three.

LOCAL INSPIRATION

What appears to be just another teabowl is in fact, a small serving bowl so it is true, appearances can be deceiving. This single hexagonal bowl was actually from a group of four that were ordered a while back but being me, I ended up making six to make sure I ended up with the number required. Thrown out of a white stoneware, each bowl was made roughly hexagonal and they had strips applied and flame blossoms, well that’s what I call them, inlaid as alternating decoration. Once bisque and reasonably sure they had made it, they were glazed in the soda blue glaze I have been using and there it is. I will mention that one feature that I like is where the blossom was inlaid, the glaze helps create this droozy effect where the black runs a bit, creating a softer line than when it was first done.       

I should say, to some, very small degree, I have used the work of Victor Schreckengost as inspiration, a designer and ceramic artist from Cleveland (Heights) who I actually had met back in the very early 1990’s. Though maybe you have to put on your imagination caps, much of the black underglaze decoration comes from seeing Schreckengost’s marvelous Jazz bowls showing off his carved and fluid designs under a Persian style blue glaze, how can you not be inspired by such brilliance that was lingering right in your own backyard?