WM. HENRY KLOCK (1933-2017)

I received some rather sad news this morning, Anna Klock called from England to let me know that Bill passed away while in St. Ives, a place he loved and a second home dating back to his time working at the Leach Pottery. There is little I can say about Bill that will convey his presence; father, husband, grandfather, friend, teacher and mentor to those that passed through his classroom and studio. Bill was a "constant measure" for me in regards to my pottery work and my outlook on life, to say he will be greatly missed is an understatement, he was a kind and caring soul who was always so full of life and optimism. Godspeed you on your next journey Bill.

CLAY, IRON, SPAR & ASH

A super thick crawled Shino glaze with hints of the iron underneath and areas of natural ash coating the surface are all the textbook characteristics of an Oni-Shino vase by Tsukigata Nahiko. Though perhaps a little different than we are used to, this vase has a number of the classic traits that make a Tsukigata pot right down to this oft used form. The way the ash has created a mottled appearance to the piece adds to the chance, serendipity that makes Oni-Shino wonderful, it is this unpredictability that builds universes in clay and glaze that draws me to his work time and time again. I know that there are many styles of glazing and wood fired pots that have wonderful surfaces of innumerable possibilities just like Tsukigata but it is the complexity and diversity of his pots that blend a simple clay and a few other simple elements in to inexhaustible landscapes that few others can do that makes a potent and surreal monuments to a potter, some materials and the energy of unbridled flame.

NOT ONE AND DONE

I was recently contacted and asked if I made a specific item to which I responded that I do and made several in the past few months and would find pictures and send them to them as a reference. I will admit my skills at storing files and photos is a bit archaic but after some searching I did find the photos as well as some others I had been meaning to use. Back in October I had posted a photo and post entitled, LUTING which was not necessarily meant to be a one and done post with some additional photos which I have just now found. In this photo there is the before and after photos of the luted trumpet vases and specifically the decorated B&W slip vase that was made. The decoration is simple dots and lines which I use to enhance the vertical nature of the vase as well as to divide it into segments which helps to create a unified piece. At the base where the slip has run off the pot I use a wood tool and with the wheel spinning I clean up the extra slip which in turn ties all the stipes together at the very bottom of the pot, a small feature that I happen to like. I try to be more attentive and follow up on blog postsand hope this concludes at least one of the topics which I have started.

The original blog post can be seen here;

http://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2016/10/luting.html

WARI-KODAI

I have mentioned before how we are basically accidental collectors when it comes to gunomi but every now and then there is a piece that is just to compelling to pass on. This particular Hagi guinomi with wari-kodai has such a rich, deep and complex surface that it was just too perfect to forget so we added yet one more guinomi to the collection. Made by a rather skilled Hagi craftsman, Matsuno Ryuji (1954-2005) this guinomi has a surface that has a wide array of colors, tones and textures making it a delight, especially in the shaded sunlight of one of our display areas. Matsuno specialized in a number of styles of Hagi and also pursued the field of abstract, sculptural ceramics which he created as modern Hagi pieces at his studio and kiln, the Ryokuei-gama which he founded in 1974. This particular guinomi is a typical example of his work in which he showed great skill at navigating within the this tradition yet trying to infuse his work with his personal vision to carry out a meaningful dialogue between the past and present of Hagi-yaki.

CLAY & INK

In looking at this E-Shino chawan and drawing rendered on the interior of the storage box lid I think it is easy to see the influence of Arakawa Toyozo in both clay and ink. This chawan was made by long time Arakawa apprentice and Mino specialist, Nakayama Naoki and his blend of his master, Momoyama archetypes and his inner voice are clearly on display with the ink rendering also paying homage to his versatile teacher. The form shows off generous and sturdy proportions which are perfect for the intended function of the bowl while the simple blushed white Shino and direct underglaze iron decoration create a mental picture that most viewers can embrace and understand. Though a simple bowl in design and execution, I have always maintained that there is a deep complexity to simplicity and the simpler the appearance the more difficult the creation where things easily go wrong and are glaringly obvious in their lack of continuity and balance, that is just not the case here. As I study this bowl it is "just so", you can second guess all of the potter's decisions but in the end, everything is just as it should be in both the clay and ink of this classic chawan.

"The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity." Douglas Horton

XO-CSB

When I am involved in a cycle that involves carving terra cotta pieces, I like to throw the pieces, tool them the next day and then loosely cover them in plastic and wait a couple of days to carve them. By working in this way, the surface is perfect to carve and the pots stiff enough to handle without them warping from the process and I have found that throwing lidded pieces, in particular on a Thursday, tooling them on a Friday and coming back to them on Monday is the best way to go. The weekend acts as a natural distraction from the pots and under normal circumstances I lack the patience to wait two days before I carve them, this way it is much easier to set them aside both literally and figuratively. The illustrated covered serving bowl was tooled and slipped on Friday and carved this afternoon and you can see in the photo there is just enough wetness to the surface to making the decoration easy to carve but stiff enough that the carving tools can make reasonable cuts in the clay. The exterior of the bowl and the top of the lid are both carved overall with the XOXO pattern while the interiors are left with the unslipped, rich terra cotta surface that looks quite nice once glazed and fired which is also highlighted on the interior of the knob where I have stamped my makers mark on an added wad of clay. I like carving pots, I decide how each one will be carved, set up my work space directly on the wheel, put on some relaxing but not sleeping (!) music and set about carving, making for a good start to the week on another rainy day in Central New York.

HIDASUKI

Illustrated is a large tsubo by Tamba veteran, Ichino Etsuo. Made sometime around 1992 the face of the piece was actually the bottom of the pot while it was being fired, resting on its belly with straw underneath to create the hidasuki style cord markings that look like they have been framed by hiiro and other ash effects. Though this tsubo has a lot in common with the other Ichino Etsuo pot I post a while back, the surface of this is less controlled and shows the nature and ferocity of the fire contained within a wood kiln with a strong, rich coating of ash running across the back of this pot. Over the years I have not seen a lot of Etsuo's work, perhaps two dozen pieces from chawan, mizusashi and tsubo but each one has a strong and simple form accentuated by experience and intuition when using nothing more than clay and flame to create and paint his works.

MG&T

Illustrated is a detail shot of the inside of a medieval green and temmoku pasta bowl about 14" of so in diameter. Sometimes as I am going through a cycle, I rush by the past in a hurry and forget about surfaces that are tried and true and compliment what I am doing at the moment and this glaze combination never, or rarely fails me. I thought this detail shot really shows what the glaze looks like and allows the faux oil spotting to stand out rather clearly against the mottled, tortoise style texture of the medieval green glaze with its floating spots of iron balanced against the design. Considering both of these glazes started from nothing except what little I have learned about making glazes over the years, I am pleased with the depth and texture they both present and am happy with the variety that is compounded under varying light sources. Though this is not an Oribe glaze, I am reminded about a quote that I read in which the author/potter mentioned; "why would I need anything but green, the possibilities are endless".

MEMORIAL DAY 2017

"In the world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich." Henry Ward Beecher

UNCONVENTIONAL

I have written about Konishi Heinai II previously who is known for his rather idiosyncratic Shigaraki and Raku wares of which this chawan is a classic and dynamic example. Though Konishi was not part of the Raku family tradition and rarely identified his pieces as such, this evocative chawan was produced using the nearly four century old Raku process where a pot is glazed and then plucked out of the kiln at a fairly low temperature. The rather interesting thing about Heinai's works is that since he is not bound by any strict convention and spent time with another "unconventional" potter, Kawakita Handeishi, his pots have a uniqueness and individuality about them that certainly makes his pots stand out among other chadogu makers. Though well known for what one would or could classify as aka-raku and kuro-raku, it is his less conventional Raku pieces that have quite a bit to say and even more to contemplate as these pieces display a vision intent on its own voice. This particular surface paints an alluring landscape that reminds me of a combination of the Taisho-Showa Nihonga painters infused with a strong dose of the 20th century abstract expressionists, a blend that works well to compliment the rather sturdy and purposeful form. Over the years I have handled and seen a number of Raku (and Shigaraki) pieces by Konishi Heinai II and I am never disappointed with the imaginative, lustrous and thought provoking surfaces that he has plied to his three dimensional canvases.

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought."  Matsuo Basho  (1644-1694)