HARMONIOUS

There is something somewhat engaging about a simple object without any affectations or contrivances that manages to exceed one's expectations. Crafted simplicity is an art that runs counter-intuitive in our fast paced world which may make such objects stand out all the more. The chawan illustrated is one of those objects, crafted and fired based on years of experience and ability yet simple in form, the aesthetics engages the viewer in a conversation about pot, potter and self. The act of creating is never a sure bet, but ever so often, everything comes together, like the exceptional harmonious notes of a seasoned orchestra. Furutani Michio had his fair share of exceptional pots, pots of simplicity and brilliance which marry clay, potter and fire; nourishment for the viewer. This Shigaraki chawan is a classic shape made by Furutani, rich surface, a fullness, a palpable tension to the form and just the right amount of kick adding lift off the kodai and with the cooperation of the kiln, a wet landscape painted on the face of the bowl. It may speak of simplicity but how many hours, pots and firings does it take to yield a bowl that is so minimalist with so much to say?

A QUICK FIX

Over the years I have used various copper or Oribe glazes over porcelain and in many cases, it is immediately apparent that alterations are in order. Using the glazes over the pure white surface with little or no iron in the body can lead to a rather bland or washed out surface and being somewhat disappointing. In using porcelain and Oribe together, I have just made slight alteration to the glazes to get a rich and pleasing surface, its not rocket science, but it works none the less and is a quick fix. Without some slight glaze tweaking, I have had a number of pots not come out as I would hope and now I find it best to take the extra effort and make the glaze match the clay or porcelain as it were.

 Illustrated is a small bottle vase with wide flared mouth. The pot was both incised and carved to give the piece some additional sense of dimension in a pattern I call a flame blossom. In between each blossom is a recessed panel that had the surface ticked away to create depth and texture. Out of the bisque, the bottle was glazed in an Oribe and then I brushed an additional layer of glaze over select areas of the pot including around the inside of the mouth to create two distinct visual textures. A momentary addition to the glaze assures the surface I intended as it comes out of the kiln.

"Disappointment is the nurse of wisdom."  Boyle Rouche (1736-1807)

CHOOSING SIDES

Illustrated is a freshly white slipped bottle vase that was thrown round and then paddled as to present two flat panel sides. The paddling is done prior to adding the slip and when the pot has been first tooled and then set up to just the right firmness, I paddle the sides and then use an old credit card as a rib to define the edges of the panels. The slip is applied both on the wheel and by brushing slip on the sides to give the pot a good, even coat. The broad panels serve to break up the continuity of the form as well as giving two flat expanses that beg to be decorated in one fashion or another, the possibilities are nearly endless. Over time I have figured out how to streamline the process and to date, the only thing that gets in my way is having the patience to wait for exactly the right time to alter the form. At this point of my life, I doubt the waiting will get any easier even if the technique has.

"Patience is a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue." Ambrose Bierce (1842-1913)

VOLUME

According to the dictionary, "volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some boundary", but what this definition is a bit short on creating is a real world perspective of what the volume of something, say a pot, truly means. If you have handled an o-buri chawan by Kumano Kuroemon, you will understand what I am talking about. If you are told the dimensions of his chawan, your mind and experience think, wow, that is a big bowl, but in hand and truly expressing the sense of volume of the pot, your immediate thought is WOW, that really is a big chawan. What really brings this up is that in the past two months, I have had three pots pass through my hands that I knew the dimensions, but in each case as they were unpacked, I was immediately awed by the sense of volume that they contained and the volume of space that they commanded. The three pots, a Kumano chawan, a tall vase by Kaneta Masanao and a stunning hakuji vase by Mashiko veteran, Hirosaki Hiroya. The impressive aspect of each of these pot is not simply about scale and actual volume, rather it is as much about how each command both their physical space and the space in which they are put. Though all objects will have some sense of volume, fewer yet can command the volume in which they are surrounded.

Illustrated is a tall Hagi vase form by kurinuki master, Kaneta Masanao. At over 14" tall, the vessel is impressive and imposing, commanding its space much like an ancient medieval citadel. The pot is glazed in a Shiro-Hagi glaze that has significant areas of blushed pinkish hues over half of the form and vivid areas of intense white speckles interrupting the absolute purity of the form. There are black highlights which define the form and process that peer out from underneath the glaze adding additional definition to the form and at the top of the form and on to one side there is a keyhole style opening cut out to complete the function of the form. In a static photo, volume can be hinted at, but it is only in person that the volume can be felt and fully appreciated.

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."  W.B. Yeats (1865-1939)

AM I BLUE (FUDO)

Illustrated is a blend of ferocity and whimsy as only Sato Katsuhiko is capable. Painting in soft water colors and ink and depicting the Blue Fudo's menacing ire, strength and imposing nature the image and message is meant to compel or force individuals to adhere to the teachings of Buddha. Fudo-myoo (the Immovable Wisdom King), Acala in Sanskrit is a common theme of Katsauhiko's paintings and is rendered in a wide array of stances, colors and themes in his body of work. I am particularly fond of the fiery red ken, sword and the indigo blue hair which adds a wonderful focal point to the image. Among the work of Sato Katsuhiko, it is his evolving and dynamic imagery of Fudo-myoo that best captures the dichotomy of Buddhism; redemption and retribution.

LIVE OR MEMOREX?

In a previous post, I mentioned how Miyamoto Musashi understood the importance of studying master artists and craftsman across a wide array of pursuits in his pursuit of the perfection of his craft. There is something magical about watching a person who appears to have total mastery over their art/craft. The simplicity of their actions and spontaneity of the creation is both envious and intoxicating. Watching a master potter, like Suzuki Goro, either in person or on video (well dvd) is mesmerizing and seeing a chawan or mizusashi spring out of a lump of clay in an instant is  nothing short of an accomplished magic trick. The image grab from a dvd on Suzuki Goro shows him at the end of throwing a chawan, which may have taken a minute or so, sprung to life out of a lump of wonderful mokusa clay. It may well sound naïve or childish, but there is true wonderment when witnessing a master at work, irrespective of the art, craft or field.

Juan Hermosillo at work and at home;

 

 

DOORSTEP

A pot arrived on the doorstep today and oddly enough, it was by a potter that I really didn't think I would see another pot by for a very long time, Kajiura Soshu (b.1916-?). The boxed pot is a vivid little mizusashi that was glazed in iron and Shino and then violently fired in a wood kiln where tons of ash rained down on to the pot and encapsulated the entire form in glass. The form itself, is exceedingly casual and its attitude a bit aloof with firing cracks and a drooping lip and bidoro drips adding to the ambiance of the piece. One of the immediate charms of the pot is that where the Shino and ash have fused together, it has created a luminance jade green surface coating the pot both outside and in. I have put this pot up on Trocadero, so there will be more pictures to look at if you are so inclined;

http://www.trocadero.com/albedo3studio/items/1251356/item1251356store.html

I wrote about my quest to identify this potter in a previous post, please click the link for a reminder;

http://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2011/10/elementary.html

 

THIS MEMORIAL DAY

I would like to take a moment to thank all those who have and are serving our country, across many wars, conflicts and police actions who maintain the security and interests of our nation and our hard won freedoms. Without those willing to make such sacrifice, our way of life would be ever in jeopardy.

"He is most free from danger, who even when safe, is on his guard." Publilius Syrus (First Century B.C.)

HONTO

There is a lot one can say about Funaki Kenji (b.1927) from idealist to a staple in the Mingei tradition. Unlike most of the post-war potters, Kenji embraced the teaching of both Bernard Leach and Yanagi Soetsu and in doing so fused together a distinctly Japanese sensibility with hints of Old English pottery and his personal mingei journey. This journey started under the tutelage of both Leach and his father, Funaki Michitada (1900-1963) creating a foundation for a dedicated mingei style. Working on the shoulders of the Fujina tradition and the Fujina-gama, founded in 1845, Funaki Kenji has crafted work that is direct, honest and aesthetically pleasing. His forms and glazes maintain a balance of function and practical utility but the simplicity of his pottery is betrayed by the luminescence and depth of the surfaces married well to strong and noble pots. Illustrated is a rather utilitarian covered jar, at its core a pot for everyday use, but examine the various details, the handles and knob are both practical and aesthetic considerations, the volume and decorative accents animates the verticality of the pot and rich, lustrous glazes encapsulate the piece to bring it all together and to life. It is a functional pot for everyday use, but the truth of the pot is, it is so much more.

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." Oscar Wilde

AMALGAM

When I made this cap jar, I am not sure what I was after; I was playing a compilation cd of various Jarre & Vangelis tunes while throwing jars and this is what happened. Now finished, I can see an amalgam of various influences that I am sure I was not conscious of, or consciously pursuing at that time. All that I see, enters the mental blender and stuff just pours out in various combinations. Glazed in a rich temmoku, the impressed decoration has an ash glaze put over to accentuate the area and help define the pot. The lid has several steps, intentionally cut to create glaze breaks and the foot notched cut to break up the continuity of the lines. It is a simple jar that is a product of so many influences reassembled in a particular way that makes it my pot.

"Experience increases our wisdom but doesn't reduce our follies."  Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw 1818-1885)