OLD ORIBE SLIPWARE

Illustrated is another slipware pot that was made out of stoneware, slipped in black and then white slip and then had combed decoration added. I usually use this technique on terra cotta under a clear or amber colored glaze but decided to try out the "old Oribe slipware" idea and I have been pleased with the results thus far. This jar form is rather simple as is the lid and small attached and thrown knob making for as straight forward a canvas to work on where the decoration adds depth and movement around pot making it both practical and hopefully enjoyable to look at or display. As for the glaze itself, this surface is the most common Oribe style glaze that I am using currently and there is depth and a slight luster combined with a slight droozy blue-grey running down the pot. The conclusion that I have come to is that I like the earthy, rustic look using stoneware/ Oribe style glaze and think that there is a lot of room for experimentation and working within the tried and true using this surface and possibly an amber and burgandy surface as well. With any luck I'll get another group of tests in the kiln and figure out just what comes next in a cycle or two.

EIZO GOSU

I am more than aware that the end of deliberating, no one come close to the works of Kawai Kanjiro that studied under his roof. At one level it would be a disservice to the master to copy his works without adjusting the pieces to create one's own idiom and on the other hand, how do you copy perfection? As you look at Kawai's students, each of them have perfected some style or form that gets to the heart of the master's work even though it falls just short but among those, Mukunoki Eizo had a knack for creating gosu hakeme works that embrace the original sentiment and aesthetic while clearly being the work of the actual maker. This sturdy henko composed of ideal proportions has a power to its form and the surface has that an echo of the Kanjiro voice that made this thick brushed slip pieces so alive and animated.      

In the case of Mukunoki he has arrived on a rather solemn and stately form, a perfect blend of master and student raised on a slight pedestal foot and finished off with a delicate though purposeful neck and mouth offset in attitude from the square base. The slip is roughly applied and then finger swiped creating a vertical movement that compliments the vase and acts to trap and pool some of the rich, deep blue gosu that is added as the final gesture of creation prior to being fired. The contrast of dark to lighter hues adds an inviting narrative to the landscape of the geometric form while softening the angles and planes of the molded henko to create an organic appearance to the overall pot. There is a sense of history in this form which relies on ideas that are both ancient and modern, the slight curve and taper to the lines set up a dynamic that grabs the eye and the use of the opposing planes on neck and body further create a visual tension that makes the pot just spring to life.  Admittedly no one comes close the genius and mastery of Kawai Kanjiro but with students like (and not exclusive to) Mukunoki Eizo he has clearly reached  a higher bar and the Kawai traition is carried on and brought yet another generation into the future.

PRACTICED IMPROV

If you look at enough of the pottery by Kowari Tetsuya, especially his tokkuri, guinomi and chawan you can see elements of the scripted and unscripted formulas that go in to his work; the threads that links each pot yet allows for that interconnected jazz like improvisation to emerge. The animation and posture of this Haiyu-Shino wood fired tokkuri is written across the surface of this piece and is inescapable and quite palpable as if the piece is trying to make its way from point A to point B right in front of you, perhaps not perpetual motion but as close as possible in a static, plastic object. The tension of the form created by its dynamic posture and the visual weight of the piece is defined by areas of rough, rustic texture and smooth planes of vertical motion painted over in ash, iron, Shino and flame that presents alternative visions as you move round the pot. Through Kowari's deft execution of the thrown and vigorously manipulated clay his pot has been brought to life that is then given a fine surface composed of a scant handful of materials and just the right amount of fire to marry the idea and creation into a object that surpasses mere function, pleasing the emotional core of the viewer (or user).  With Kowari's works, I keep coming back to the concept of jazz, where it is the spirit and improvisation and those moments in between that drives the aesthetic which I clearly see painted vividly across the work of a potter working on what isn't readily obvious and pointing it out to us with each new work.

RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL

Illustrated is a pair of Rapunzel pots, a large wall bowl and a simple cottage style teapot both made of thrown terra cotta, various underglaze slips and a thin clear glaze. Each piece is decorated with a stylized Rapunzel nude and her flowing hair, vivid sunflowers and a dark, almost alien and distant  background of swirled purple clouds. Meant to be somewhat whimsical and obtuse in its portrayal it can be challenging fitting the decoration to the three dimensional form but it is also just another of problem solving with a pencil and brush in the hand. Like many fables and fairy tales and beyond the Brothers Grimm, there is a lot of hidden meaning and sub-text to these stories which is why over the years I have used a wide array of such myths, fables and stories to decorate my pots as it allows a greater degree of discovery beyond just the obvious. Lastly, I decided long ago to depict Rapunzel free and clear of her imprisonment, enjoying the sun and forest floor for a change, not usually how she is portrayed after all it is the 21st century.

TEASER

Today was an incredibly unusual and busy day so I am just posting up this quick teaser photo of a truly wonderful and large futamono, covered box by Ito Hokuto. The detail, technique, form and presence of his work just resonates with me and each encounter is an impactful and playful experience. His works are worth the look.

JUST THE RIGHT SPOT

As I look at the photo(s) of this wood fired jars, I am immediately reminded of the various Sueki jars I saw in various museums during the trips we made to Japan. This jar has that just fired look, fresh and spirited having survived the firing intact and with ash and hiiro painting the piece which has raised horizontal ridges and is further narrated by small feldspar and stones punctuating the surface. Beyond the Sueki look it is clear there are hints of Shimaoka Tatsuzo in this piece that was coil and thrown by Matsuzaki Ken in 2007 for an exhibition at the Keio Department Store in Shinjuku where this tsubo is illustrated in the accompanying catalogue. Forgoing glazing this pot, Matsuzaki choose to fire this in a strategic location in the kiln producing this haikaburi, shizen-yu effect like medieval jars of old though there is no escaping the various details that make this a modern tsubo. Perhaps the most defining detail of this jar is the proud and strong neck and mouth that finish the pot creating a rather strong appearance and presence, perfect for use or just out on display in just the right spot.

LEFT-OVERS

I took this impromptu picture to show off the left overs, not the food, rather the pots that have accumulated as extras from making sets and dinnerware commissions over the last couple of years. Where the dinner is ravioli, tomato and mozzarella salad and bread from our locally bakery, the pots are all made of thrown terra cotta, all black slipped, two low pasta bowls white slip trailing, to catch all bowls (omnibowls) also with white slip trailing and the bread bowl, actually a soup or pasta bowl is both carved and slip trailed with tama dots around the edge. I decided to take this picture simply because our dining experience, pottery-wise is rarely this cohesive and I thought best to get a photo as the next time this happens Halley's Comet could be coming around again.

PERFECT

I am curious if you have ever heard the song by Grace Jones, I'M NOT PERFECT (BUT I'M PERFECT FOR YOU) and if so, how can I possibly relate it to pottery? In a recent email exchange with a fellow collector regarding kodai, I was asked what is the perfect foot for a chawan. As you can image my answer was there is actually no such thing but that there can be a perfect kodai for each and every chawan and that is what most potters strive for over the course of their lives. Apparently this wasn't the answer that was expected but I stuck to me guns as I was running the Grace Jones song through my head and considering that varying styles, surfaces, forms all calling for differing kodai which is clearly evidenced in the wide array and unique interpretations for feet from potter to potter and bowl to bowl.    

So skipping to the end of the exchange, I sent this photo of the kodai from the foot of a high footed Shino chawan by Tsukigata Nahiko to show my point of view. To my eye, this kodai is well addressed, stable, very functional and works hand in glove with the bowl form making it the perfect kodai for this chawan. Would it be perfect for a large Seto-Guro chawan, a Raku bowl or a Inoue Manji carved porcelain form? I guess at the end of the day, each kodai may not be perfect, but its perfect for the bowl its on, well some of the time anyway.

SHINO BUTTE

Most likely as a result of watching way too many movies and TV, when I first saw this vase, what immediately sprung to mind was Devil's Tower (Bear Lodge Butte) in Wyoming and prominently depicted in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and in mash potatoes at a dining room table near you. This laccolithic inspired form made by Kato Toyohisa clearly has the presence of a rugged, craggy and rocky spire created over millions of years and now clearly encased in thick snow and ice but the resulting surface is actually the result of thick feldspar, haiyu, ash glaze and a good degree of temperature fusing clay, materials and the form into this geologically influenced landscape of mass and volume. The surface of this form was extensively carved, even hewn in the wet stages making for an ideal exterior for the added iron, Shino and ash which has muted the overall surface creating a rather inviting and soft appearance that is added in its verticality by the amount of running ash down the piece. It is rather obvious that Kato used the form, glazes and fire to maximum effect creating a pot both sculptural and functional in nature that acts as both landscape and abstract painting fused into three dimensions that leaves the viewer wanting more and being rewarded with each and every visit.

Illustrated is one of the follow up(s) to the Maximilian armor influenced teabowl. The first thing that is probably very apparent is that the covered box form is a real handful of texture which prior to the bisque I lightly sanded the pot to remove any sharp or bothersome edges and burrs so it now sits quite comfortably in use. As to the surface it immediately occurred to me that it had to be green, Oribe in surface and I think the choice was the right one. Once glazed and in the firing some of the glaze ran and filled up the bases of each, well most flutes creating rather deep, dark and even mysterious pools of green to rather perfect effect which is really quite effective at and around the Promethean, B.C. inspired finial. As I mentioned this was made a few days after I made the Max-bowl bowl so I decided to make a few more pieces including several covered box forms and the technique and choice of glaze seem well married though I think a rich, dark amber may work well on future pieces as well. I realize this covered box form is nothing revolutionary but in the end it think it a good follow-up to the bowl and honestly I wish everything came out as well next time around and felt like a good investment of my time.