MULTIPLES II

I think back to stories from Warren Mackenzie, Bill Klock and Jeff Oestriech discussing the series, multiples of pots they were responsible for while at the Leach Pottery. I have heard this very same thing from a number of potters working with the likes of Hamada Shoji, Shimaoka Tatsuzo and many others. For some potteries, the multiples were the standard ware of the kiln, sometimes impressed with the masters’ seal, other times clearly defined as work of the kiln and not the master. For some potters, especially Hamada, Shimaoka and Kawai, there were a variety of molded pieces, henko, etc. made by the students or specialists which were then later decorated, marked or glazed by the master of the kiln.

I am unsure where I came by the illustrated picture, but it clearly shows Kawai Kanjiro surveying a large grouping of multiples in various stages of completion. To the left are a group of finished pots, most of which are molded forms with iron and clear glazes and various colored underglaze decoration. In the middle of the photo is a group of recently molded greenware pieces, ready to be bisque and then decorated and glazed. The group on the extreme right appears to be a group of bisque molded covered box forms ready to be decorated, glazed and then fired. I have always been fascinated by this photo as it shows Kawai’s multiples in each stage of completion and is one of the few photos of this type that I know of. I guess it is true; you can never have enough of a good thing!

IN PROCESS

I have just finished firing my third kiln load of terra cotta, with quite a number to go. So far, the loss rate and seconds have been minimal, which is always a relief. I fired off a number of medium sized plates (16 to 17 inches), oval bakers, covered serving bowls and misc in several different styles including; IT’s STILL LIFE, ABSTRAKT RESIST, TEBORI and Black & White slip trailed pieces. Making the transition from the high fire stuff to the low fire is a challenge and almost always starts with my making a series of molded tray forms. This is the bridge that gets my mind back to the terra cotta and the challenges it poses in terms of throwing and decorating. It is an entirely different mind set working with color and low fire technology than it is working with stoneware, ash glazes and more earthy surfaces. Now that all the pots are made, decorated, bisque and glazed, all that remains is firing them all.

Illustrated is a small group of my Abstrakt Resist work. The plate is about 17” in diameter and the two oval bakers are about 17” long each. All three are in a “spirali e tagli” design.

CONVERSATION

If every pot and potter has something to say, what does this Tsukigata Nahiko have to tell us? In most of Tsukigata’s Oni-Shino pottery, there is an aggressive battle played out between the glazes and the encompassing fury of the fire. These pots have a masculine, bushi like (samurai) nature dependant on the past, but essentially timeless. The shape of the chawan hovers, raised up on it well addressed kodai, inviting it to be handled and studied. The landscaped surface bares witness to the epic struggle of its fierce battle with the anagama like a badge of honor. I suspect, this chawan has a lot to say, conversant in a differing dialogue with each individual who views it.

As I study this bowl more, I am reminded of the Zen maxim;

SHIKITOKU SUREBA SANGAKU (NO) KOTO OWARU
(“If you grasp this, your study will be complete…………”)

It will be a while before my study is complete.

You can see more pictures of this chawan over on my marketplace website;

http://www.trocadero.com/albedo3studio/items/1102675/item1102675store.html#item

CERTAINLY NOT POTTERY RELATED

Seeing as how it has been a very long week of sanding, decorating, bisquing and glazing, not to mention I am in an odd mood, I have had this “spoken word” song running through my head for part of the day and thought I would try to pass it along;




It is a catchy tune, which, for me, goes back to the early 90’s and listening to Dr. Demento while we lived in Cleveland. This National Lampoon version is a satire (parody?) of Max Erhmann’s DESIDERATA (1927). Though the National Lampoon version is a great watch or listen, the Desiderata is worth a read for the stark comparison;

DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

IRIDESCENCE

Though my photographic skills are somewhat lacking (!), every once and a while fate, lighting and timing conspire to get a picture of what I am after. Illustrated is a kushime wan-gata style teabowl with my ame and haiyu glazes over slip. As you can see in the picture, the surface is covered in a halo style iridescence that is subtle under most lighting and by handling the bowl just right, you can see the surface come to life. Being somewhat photographically challenged, it is difficult to convey the surfaces of many of my pots as they are a bit more complex than one would guess at first glace. Luckily, every once in a while a picture comes along that helps convey the depth of the glaze technique.

KEEPING ONES DISTANCE

“Do not make a new form and design from an old pattern, I was always told. Turquoise is one of the oldest colors used in ceramics. It was produced by applying hashokuzai to copper, and copper oxide can still be seen in this type of pottery in the ME (Middle Eastern) countries. We marvel at the new molding and design techniques we have created in the modern age, but often it turns out that similar techniques already existed in the past. Truly original creation is so hard in this age, which is dominated by imitation. This thought is uppermost in my mind as I try to create.”

The above quote is by Mino potter, Kato Kenji (1933-2008) who while working in the tradition of TORUKO-AO (Turkish Blue) clearly understood the necessity to find his own voice and vocabulary in an idiom that would be easy to imitate what had come before. Kato was well trained during his apprenticeship with two Ningen Kokuho; Tomimoto Kenkichi and Kondo Yuzo; his broad abilities are a reflection of both of his masters. Kato worked within the traditional Mino field producing wonderful Shino wares as well as iron rich glazes, iro-e overglaze enameled works and both transparent and opaque Persian blue glazes. By looking at his body of Toroku-ao work, you can see that he kept his distance from simply copying what had gone before. He constantly strove to add something to an age old tradition, making this work his own.

This paddled henko-tsubo is very typical of Kato Kenji’s opaque Toruko-ao works. It stands about 10” tall and has wonderful brushed decoration under his lush and vellum textured glaze. Despite having the appearance of a traditional raqqa style pot, the form and decoration speak of a pot born out of a foreign ideal but distinctly Japanese in execution. Together with Ningen Kokuho, Kato Takuo, Kato Kenji helped extend the Silk Road all the way to the doorstep of Gifu Prefecture out of the past and into the present day.

PRUNUS MUME

Illustrated is a very simple and noble hexagonal mizusashi by Iga potter; Banura Shiro (1941-2001). This mizusashi is presented with two faces that alter the vision of the piece rather dramatically, one with a ceramic lid and the other with a lacquer lid. The simple ash glaze over a fluid underglaze decoration of a plum blossom tree and plum blossoms compliments the form and the varying lids adds to the versatility of the piece. The stark simplicity of the design and hexagonal form was part of Banura’s ongoing investigation into the relationship between pottery and painted design as he sought to add to the modern day Rimpa tradition of pottery. Using Ogata Kenzan as a foundation, Banura, along with several painters who painted on his pottery, had succeeded in adding to a long standing tradition that continues to this day.

SIMPLICITY REVISTED

“Simplicity is the glory of expression.” Walt Whitman

Though I am not sure this quote can apply to my work, illustrated is what I consider a simple serving bowl. The decoration comes about where the bowl was dipped into a secondary glaze and my fingers acted as resist. There are times when it is painfully obvious to me that the bulk of my work is not simple. Sometimes fussy, over decorated or just too busy, but there are times, when the right frame of mind, the right music and the right pot all conspire to simplify what I am doing. I look at this bowl as an example of a simplicity I can reach out for.

ASH CASCADE

Like Nakazato Muan to Karatsu, Arakawa Toyozo to Shino and Miwa Kyusetsu X to Hagi, Ezaki Issei can be considered to be the catalyst of the modern Tokoname tradition. On top of teaching several of modern Tokoname’s potters, Takeuchi Kimiaki and Osako Mikio, Ezaki began to make large scale tsubo and hachi that owed there inspiration to the medieval wares of the region. Using a variety of wood and rice ash glazes he recreated the spirit of ancient Tokoname in his modern work and passed on this ideal to his students and contemporary potters. He is best known for his crisp and insightful forms that used the medieval tradition as a basis, while maintaining a decidedly modern quality to his work.

Illustrated is a medium sized tsubo that has a massive presence because of its solid form with ash cascading down, creating a wonderful sense of movement. The uniquely cut lip of the neck adds to the mystique of a true pioneer potter.

(Illustration used with the permission of a collector)

INCOMING Et Al

After several emails and a couple of phone conversations, it looks like I have another group of pots coming in to find homes for. This time they are from two different collections, but both are parting with the pots for the same reason, refocusing and downsizing the collection. Speaking from personal experience, as a collector, one is always shifting priorities, refocusing on what is of the most interest and needing to part with pots, just because there is a concern for where the heck do you put them all. One collector I know has a very ridgid policy concerning his collecting; “one pot in, one pot out”. It allows him to have a constantly rotating group of pots in a very space conscious environment.

The group that is coming in, or already arrived is as follows;
A stellar Kuro-Raku chawan by Iga & Raku specialist; Konishi Heinai II
Nanban-yaki (Tanegashima) mizusashi by Nakazato Takashi
Museum quality Aka-Shino chawan by living master potter; Hayashi Shotaro
A few other pieces…………

These pieces, and a few others should arrive by the end of next week and hopefully with hit my Trocadero website by Thursday (9/22), please watch for them. Illustrated is the phenomenal, exhibition quality Aka-Shino chawan by Mino tradition master; Hayashi Shotaro.

In other news, with the weekend approaching, we plan various movie nights. I have spent a good portion of my life watching movies of all kinds from the classics, to foreign, to action and everything in between. Being very visually oriented, I consider movies to be an important part of my life. At lunch, my wife suggested a comedy tonight and well, there can only be one answer to that;


For those unfamiliar, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM is a comedy masterpiece with an adundance of action, excellent acting, music, comedic timing and superb direction under the helm of Richard Lester. Lester also is responsible for two other favorites of mine; THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS. All three movies are worth a watch if you haven’t seen them or haven’t seen them in a while. Can there be any of life’s simpler pleasures that can beat a great movie, an ice cold Sapporo and fresh Pretz, I think not!