MORE TEXTURE

Like any potter, I go through these phases of figuring out what does and doesn't work in regards to decoration and surfaces. It is probably apparent at this point that I am rather fond of various textures and the truth is, sometimes I get a bit carried away. I recently made a few teabowls for my lepidolite Oribe glaze. These chawan have to be made out of a blend of two different stoneware bodies or there ends up being a good deal of pinholing. Once thrown, I set about trying a variety of  impressed designs on the pieces and then came to this last one and decided to go all out and cover the body of the bowl in a repeat of two different designs. I think it came out rather nice for a spur of the moment idea and have to admit, the texture feels rather nice in the hand and added a good degree of glaze variation where the glaze is thicker and thinner. It would seem, this less planned out, the better.

HIKIDASHI II

Illustrated is the interior of a chawan made by Furutani Michio sometime between 1975 and 1985. The entire chawan is covered in a wet coat of glassy green ash and the interior has a very even coat of glass with one area of thick bidoro, where the ash has pooled. In order to get this particular surface, the pot is plucked from the intense heat of the kiln and allowed to cool quickly, allowing the ash to maintain its brilliant green glassy quality. It is no small wonder why Furutani Michio was so highly regarded for his Iga and Shigaraki works, his splendid firings and his knowledge and mastery of kilns and kiln building.  I am constantly amazed to see the ash, frozen in that moment it is pulled out of the kiln which stands testament to the potter's mastery of his craft and his exceptional timing.

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

http://www.trocadero.com/albedo3studio/catalog.html

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

"No sacrifice short of individual liberty, individual self-respect, and individual enterprise is too great a price to pay for permanent peace."  Clark H. Minor

UNEXPECTED

Over the years, I have collected up whatever catalogues on modern Japanese pottery, that I can find that is of interest to me. In that time, I have also developed some relationship with book dealers and collectors who from time to time send catalogues/books my way. About three weeks ago, a friend mentioned he had a group of misc. catalogues on Japanese pots and wanted to know if I wanted them, at cost, I emailed back and told him to send them.  So after about a week via media mail the catalogue arrived and I was very pleased to get them, several on potters I have nothing on and a few on potters who are among my favorites.

So here is where things get a more interesting. Yesterday while looking through the best catalogue of the lot, which I had done several times prior, the sunlight was just right to make me notice, the front picture page was actually signed by the potter. The first time I saw the signature, I assumed it was printed on the page as is somewhat common.  But in this light, I could see the variables in the strokes and the thick to thin where the pen was lifted off the page. Now I know this sounds like much ado about nothing, but the catalogue I was flipping through is on my favorite potter, Arakawa Toyozo! To me, this is what it must be for a baseball fan to have a Mickey Mantle autograph on a baseball program. The catalogue is from Showa 54, 1979 and is a wonderful cross section of the variety of works that Arakawa had made. I realize this doesn't add any value to the catalogue, but it sure makes it a bit more meaningful. Now if only I can find that signature on a wood box, with a nice little pot inside it!

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

"We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe." Johann von Goethe (1749-1832) What else can one say?

Illustrated is a woodblock print of the "god of lightening", Raijin by Sasajima Kihei (1906-1993).

SAFFRON NERIAGE PROGRESS

A while back I threw several chawan and covered jars in stoneware neriage to see how things progressed beyond  relatively small pieces. I got everything bisque and glazed and finally fired last Friday.  Other than a few small pinholes, the results look good, the larger covered jars, water jars, came out rather nice with a good degree of variation on the exterior surface. Where the iron rich clay is, there is some nice dark, purple brown droozy effects which helps break up the surface. The interior had a thicker coating of the iron yellow saffron poured in and I am pleased with the results as the surface all runs down to create a thick pool of  glaze in the bottom. I have always admired the neriage works of Kawai Kanjiro student, Ueda Tsuneji and can not deny the irresistible influence of his pottery in this work surface-wise.

The chawan illustrated was dipped quickly in the saffron glaze and the pattern turned out close to what I was after. The original intention for the neriage pattern was continuous undulating ribbons running around the body of the bowl. Though the pattern came out quite well, there are areas where the top or bottom of the loop is open. I guess only continued practice will make perfect, but who would want that anyway?

NO ORDINARY ENSO

I was sent this illustration of a large square box lid by Kumano Kuroemon. I am reminded, each time I see one of his decorated boxes, that the boxes are as much a work of art as are the pots, I am also reminded, that these are no ordinary Enso, done in a perfunctory manner to hype the package and contents. The Enso of Kumano are metaphors for the process by which the pots are made in a spontaneous act, born of the wheel, through the speed and dynamic tension of the Bear of Echizen. The motion of the Enso is mimicked in the pot or vice versa and the real expression of the calligraphy is meant to echo the contents hidden away inside the tomobaku. The Enso of Kumano might also be a reminder of the contemplative side of a process that is both brutal and chaotic yet born from the simplicity of an singular ideal.

"When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself."  Shunryu Suzuki  (1904-1971)

ALL IN GOOD TIME

Illustrated is a phenomenal Bizen chawan by legendary chadogu specialist, Kaneshige Sozan (1909-1995). This bowl is a perfect chawan; beautiful landscape, simple utilitarian lip, definitive front and back, fine mikomi and perfect Bizen kodai, in essence, it rarely gets better than this. Kaneshige Sozan was the younger brother of Ningen Kokuho, Kaneshige Toyo and spent a great deal of his life as a pottery nomad, maybe even as an eccentric, wandering from kiln to kiln and working with various other pottery masters including Ishiguro Munemaro. Sozan's works were eclectic and it wasn't until later in life that his genius at traditional Bizen pottery became apparent. Many ceramic scholars and critics consider the chadogu of Kaneshige Sozan to be among the best made of the 20th century and by looking at this chawan with its magnificent cascading ash, it is easy to see why. Though he could have been seen in the shadow of his older brother, it is exceedingly obvious, that Kaneshige Sozan cast his own shadow over the pottery and potters of Bizen.

"All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare."  Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)

VERSATILITY

As I continue to work with glazes based on Oribe, I am occasionally asked, what it is about this glaze that I find so interesting. After having thought about it for a long while, I came to the conclusion that Oribe is the most versatile glaze I work with. Beyond the versatility of the broad base of glazes I call Oribe, there is an undeniable playfulness to the style as well, just think about the modern works of Suzuki Goro and Takauchi Shugo. This glaze can be stoic and solemn or whimsical and playful. The first thing about Oribe, is that it is no single glaze, rather there are hundreds of varieties, differing glaze bases, percentages of copper, tempering agents in the form of iron and an nearly endless way in which it can be used. From my perspective, the wide range that it can be used within helps limit the limitations you can face with other techniques.

I concluded that there are certain limitations for surfaces and forms for wood firing, salt firing, copper reds, etc, but Oribe has far fewer of those restrictions and when the pot is good, the Oribe  just shines and allows the viewer to see beneath the surface of the glaze so that how the pot was made and the clay are apparent. Many glazes hide the clay, subtle gestures and marks, but the glass of Oribe, usually keeps the mark of the potter visible as another element of communication. Now when I am asked, why do I like and use Oribe, the response is, how many answers do you want?

Illustrated is a tebori carved slab plate glazed in one of my Oribe glazes. The style of work is called VERTIGO for obvious reasons and when used any excess moisture  collects in the furrows, keeping the food from become over saturated and crisp. These are especially good for sushi, yakitori, gyoza and negamaki.

INCOMING IV

After a series of recent emails and a long phone call, I have another stellar group of chawan on the way to sell for a collector. The collector is in the midst of building a house and realized that the best pieces would have to go to help mitigate the money flowing out. There is a reason houses are called money pits! The current plan is that the pots should reach me by the end of next week and then I will get them photographed and posted up on  my Trocadero website;

http://www.trocadero.com/albedo3studio/catalog.html

Please keep your eye on my website for this great group of modern chawan.

The group includes a Hayashi Shotaro Shino chawan with underglaze accents of iron decoration. This is the finest Hayashi chawan I have ever seen, is big and pristine and exhibited and is accompanied with a portfolio sheet of this exact chawan. Next up is a very modern dancing fire, Enbu-Shino chawan by Yamada Kazu. It is extremely striking and part of his most recent works. There is also several chawan by legendary eccentric, Tsukigata Nahiko. All in all, a great group of chawan by extraordinary potters working in the modern Shino/Mino tradition..

Illustrated is  a Shino chawan by modern day master Mino potter, Hayashi Shotaro. Not only is the form and glaze quality exceptional, but the fluid and spontaneous vertical iron decoration gives this pot an extreme sense of upward motion. I am always reluctant to say this as it seems to be over used, but this truly is a masterpiece chawan.