CONNECTIONS X 3

I think it is rather safe to say that by looking at this vase it would be rather hard to draw a connection to Ningen Kokuho, Kondo Yuzo but if you could or did, it would be a very safe bet. This haiyu, ash glazed and wood fired vase was made by Takayama Koh (b. 1943) who studied with Kondo Yuzo early on in his career but also spent time at the studio of Kamoda Shoji where he learned more about  sculpture and form and was also introduced to the wide array of pottery that was made at his workshop. If you add to Takeyama's exposure to Kondo and Kamoda that he later became rather interested in Nanban style pottery and went and worked at Tanegashima for a year, you get a fuller picture of the influenced that go in to his pottery. Looking at this particular pot, it is easy to spot the influences of Kondo's porcelain vase forms with the addition of creating marks in a way that Kamoda was well known for. The rich ash glaze matches well with the brick red clay which is very similar to some of his Nanban pottery pieces and his unglazed and wood fired Komainu sculptural. There is no way to dispute that every artist and craftsman is an amalgam of teachers, historical influences, life experiences and preferences but it is the those that walk along their own path with their own voice that many times have the most to say and this simple, even humble vase has plenty to say preferably in a two sided conversation.

A HANDFUL OF CLAY AND SOME ASH

I liked this chawan as soon as I saw it, boiled down it is just a handful of clay and some ash for the glaze. Making pottery really doesn't get much simpler or elemental than this, a potter, in this case Mizuno Takuzo throws a bowl he has thrown a thousand times before and adds an angular texture to the clay and pushes out from the interior creating fractures and fissures on the exterior. Later on and once bisque, the chawan is glazed in an ash glaze that Mizuno has used for several decades which once fired creates a wonderful surface for his pottery, accentuating every line, crack, dipple, fissure and highpoint on the pot taking this simple glaze and giving it depth, complexity and an ability to communicate with the viewer/ user. I am perpetually drawn to a pot that speaks of function while spinning a tale of it making and aesthetic choices that stem from years of making simple pots that are so much more when you are willing to stop and listen to what the clay has to say.

HALF & HALF II

I put together a short video slideshow of a chaire by Yamada Masakazu who specializes in wood fired Shino, Oribe and Haiyu glazes. The small lidded chaire is glazed just over the shoulder and the rest of the effects are all natural from the wood firing making for a half and half blend of all natural and applied surface. Appearing feudal in its origins, this pot is a purposefully made chaire ready for use in the tea ceremony or equally at home on a shelf on display; enjoy the video.

You can see more of this chaire over at my Trocadero market place;
http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/catalog/ 

HAIYU

Illustrated is a rather simple form with a lurid, almost lyrical incised decoration running around the piece creating a sense of perpetual motion. The pot was glazed in a rich Mashiko ash glaze (haiyu) and then was wood fired by the potter, Matsuzaki Ken with the results being framed in ash over ash making for a rather rustic chawan. The incised decoration has filled with the glaze and natural ash from the firing to fill the channels and present a rich and dark decoration which moves freely about the pot. This combination makes for a wonderful blend of the formal and the common while adding to the tactile experience the piece has to offer. It never ceases to amaze me that the confluence of a lump of clay, a simple wood tool and a few materials mixed with water can combine to create such a pleasant vessel with just the slight help of a good potter.

BLUE MONDAY XX REVISITED

I had several people email and ask to see a picture of the blue ash tsubo by Takeuchi Kimiaki, so here it is. Softly thrown, this classic pot has a wonderful surface created by both applied ash and natural ash acquired during the wood firing. The long and running tendrils of the ash glaze give the tsubo and impression of height despite being under a foot tall. Probably the most amazing aspect of this pot is that the glaze, very much like an opal, changes appearance rather dramatically depending on the light source. In low, dusky light, it has a somber, even brooding appearance in in bright light it has a rather festive attitude. The works of Takeuchi Kimiaki never cease to amaze me and I can hardly wait for my next encounter.

WOOD & CLAY

Illustrated on the left is an austere and weathered wooden kizuchi style mallet, in its own way, it has a sculptural presence and is classical mingei. It is mallets exactly like this one that have inspired potters to turn wood in to clay over a number of centuries and this particular example makes a great test subject. The pot on the right is a rather old haiyu glazed kinuta vase by "ex-salary man" and Mashiko staple; Takauchi Shugo. Created rather early in his pottery career, probably in the mid-1970s, this piece is another simple and casually thrown pot with just the right balance of proportions, throwing marks and gesture to make for a successful form. The use of a thick and runny ash glaze creates further movement in the pot creating dark areas where the glaze has settled in to the throwing lines and the way the glaze is running down the neck creates a wonderful vertical sense to the piece as well as creating a rich pool in the depressed area of the shoulder. Though made early on, this pot shows the individuality, skill and sense of proportion of form that has set Takeuchi Shugo's pottery apart from most potters today.

"That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of our times."  John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

ASH

Over the years I have used ash glazes with ash from a variety of sources. The composition of the ash, rarely mattered based on how I was using it. In recent years, that has changed quite a bit. The ash glaze I am primarily using can swing widely in appearance based on where the ash comes from.

My current, but dwindling ash supply is a blend of ash that I got from Bill Klock and my father-in-law. Bill’s ash was a mix of soft and hard woods from his tree farm. The ash from my father-in-law is composed of a myriad of things; soft, medium and hard wood, construction scrap, paper ash, charcoal ash, and other misc. sources. The blend of the two gives me a good glaze that is amber/aventurine speckled where thin and runny Karatsu style where thick. This glaze can be used in a variety of ways.

I am currently testing new batches of ash from my sister-in-law and an old neighbor. As suspected, the results are different than I have been used to, but given time, patience and constant testing, I should be able to come up with a blend that works right for me and my pottery.

The tall kushime cap jar was glazed in my temmoku glaze and my old haiyu ash glaze.

A Potter's Alchemy

When I first started making pots, I got some very sage advice from Bill Klock (at Plattsburgh State) and later from Dick Schneider at Cleveland State University, don’t be limited by technology. For me, this translated into understanding glazes and continuous testing of glazes and new materials. As the tech at Cleveland State, I had unlimited access to 2 updraft gas kilns and a bunch of electric kilns. The ranges varied from Cone 06, 01, 6 and 9/10 and at every opportunity, I had glaze pods or test bowls in each and every kiln. I was able to develop a palette of clay bodies, slips, underglazes and glazes for most temperature ranges and in oxidation and reduction.

Testing is the key to my moving forward. Having a wide range to draw from, I have been able to adapt to whatever clay body or temperature range that was available. This has been exceptionally important as we have moved all over and I have had seven studios and new suppliers each time. Adapting to what is at hand has been a mantra. In trying to adapt successfully to new clays and new suppliers, I have left 95% of my old recipes behind and have taken what little I have learned about formulas and materials and have come up with simple, few component recipes, many of which don’t need to be weighed to the gram.

Since my last move, I have concentrated on very simple glazes, preferring Oribe influenced glazes, temmoku and ash glazes. These are all 1/2/3 glazes and are simple to make. I work in a common cycle where I throw for a week, tool my pots, bisque and then glaze fire. I try to save at least a couple of hours a cycle to make up glaze tests to go in the glaze kiln when I fire it. The constant testing has resulted in my new “Karatsu” style glaze which uses unwashed soft wood ash without any colorants. It makes for an amber toned glaze when thin and a droozy greenish ash glaze when used thick. Both like to cool slowly. I am constantly testing new ash batches and trying to come up with new glazes that have a rich Japanese or Chinese appearance as well as those of medieval pottery.