JUST ANOTHER ONI

Illustrated is a rather stoic, defiant and possibly irate Oni seated and taking full advantage of the sun as it emerges from the shadows. Though this is just another oni in the oeuvre of Fujiwara Ikuzo, this particular piece strikes a chord with its strong posture and pose and the well fired surface where just the right amount of ash has coated the form without obscuring any of the details. Carved from a solid block of clay by Mashiko artist, potter Fujiwara Ikuzo, his process starts out in a flurry where he gets to the bones of the sculpture, removing the broad strokes if you will before honing in on the details and bringing character and emotion one knife cut (or chisel) at a time. 

Like something akin to Frankenstein's monster, hewn from some amount of malleable earth, it is not electricity by rather the intense process and flame of the wood kiln that breathes life into his creation. The sheer diversity, animation and scale makes Fujiwara Ikuzo's work worth a second, third and one hundredth look to drink in all the spirit of the clay and his various studies of mischievous oni.

NEW TOOL

So I have been working on this new series of teabowls where the bowl is thrown and slightly altered and then the rest of the work is done off the wheel on a foam pad on a banding wheel for elevation more than anything else. As per usual I have been struggling with the foot which just is a constant thorn and a conundrum that I just can't crack. I kept thinking that maybe I can blame my available tools for the foot attempts failing to materialize as I want it to and then just within eyeshot I found a new tool. Off on a shelf not far from where I work on the wheelhead there was an opened pack of shims bought at the local hardware store, 20 to a pack for $3 and with the finest adjustment to sharpen the front and one side, I was in business. 

First I set up the size of the foot and begin nearly vertical cut to define the size and shape, next using the shim at a slight angle but horizontal I cut around the bowl and remove the donut like ring of extra clay. From there I use the shim to contour the foot and bowl profile and I think I may actually be getting somewhere. As I mentioned in a previous post it may take another 108,000 bowl but armed with my .15 cent shim and some amount of idealistic determination maybe I can get somewhere (?) sooner than later. 

FOUNT

In an email exchange I was recently asked if I was going to or at least close to running out of pictures of pots to which my answer was simple, "I hope not". To that end I went to a file and found a group of quite a few pictures and this curious plate surfaced. This thrown, triangular plate was made and fired at Kent State (KSU) back in the early 90s by Kirk Mangus. I was working there at the time and Kirk decided to demo a few things of which this plate was one of them, pulling out the clay and as the plates circled the wheel he would apply uneven pressure at the three point in affect throwing a triangle. The next day or so he set about tooling the piece which has that distinctive Mangus flare and then a week or so later it along with a lot of pots made it into the anagama and away we go. Fired upside down the silvery flashy creates a surface that appears perpetually wet and in some degree of motion. I am sure there are a number of potters who throw this way and fire wood kilns but you just have to admit, Kirk Mangus was truly one of a kind, inspired, fun and an unending fount of experience and knowledge. 

 

SOFT BLUE

On our very first trip to Japan like most people we tried to squeeze in as much as possible up at 6am and to bed by 1am or so. The irony to our plans and known destinations was the myriad of accidental or stumbled on places from an temples to antique stores and galleries. On one particular day we were taking what we thought was a shortcut near the  Sanjusangendo in Kyoto and walked literally right into a gallery-antique store. In one small display was a group of luminous turquoise pottery by Kato Kenji, our very first exposure to the potter; several guinomi, two vases and this rather soft blue koro. Unfortunately the koro was out of our budget so we ended up with a single guinomi with dreams of other pots in our future.   

With Kato Kenji firmly on our radar over the years I have seen and handled quite a few of his pots including quite recently when this sweet, simple koro arrived at our doorstep. This simple form is decorated in one of Kato's classic designs articulating the form before it was glazed in this hazy, semi-opaque Toruko-ao. The pot is finely thrown with a wonderful pierced foot acting as a pedestal for the koro adding to the "exotic" flair of the piece all decked out  and appearing a bit Persian in orgin but hinting at its origin being thousands of miles away.

HAKEME KATAKUCHI

In a previous episode of THE TRIAL AND TRIBULATIONS OF CLAY, well my blog, I mentioned the last of a group of katakuchi that had to be fired and this is the results. Thrown and pushed oval(ish) I then applied hakeme white slip at the central area of both sides trying to create a sense of motion in the somewhat animated form. Most likely resulting from me being a creature of habit I went directly to my Oribe glaze and these are the results. The interior has some nice effects from the glaze which works its way into the very center. Now based on a previous conversation with a pottery aficionado is it possible to tell from this picture what hand made the spout, left or right?

SIMPLE SET

Illustrated is a simple set,  a medieval  style Echizen wood fired tokkuri and guinomi by Miyoshi Kentaro, though once upon a time there were two guinomi but that is a different story all together. The way that Echizen stoneware takes on that greyish tone when fired compliments the accumulation of ash which in this case has run down the surface making for a rather pleasant and appealing landscape. The tokkuri is a nice size, neither too small or too large and is on the lighter side in weight and in general feels good in the hand as does the guinomi especially when held between the thumb and forefinger. Though I am not a real sake drinker, I have come to appreciate the degree of specialization that goes into making these functional piece for this purpose though the same can be said for any pot and all of their proposed uses, a pot that works well is surely a lot better than one that doesn't.

JUST ONE FLOWER

Though not nearly as ornate as the futamono that I posted a few months back this small, simple kogo is a strictly functional piece decorated in Eguchi Katsumi's patented washizome technique. Using a deep black instead of cobalt, this simple, low kogo was created as a practical piece where certain aesthetic consideration were employed to help will the space of the lid with a well conceived floral design, just one flower Vasily*. The use of paper to "dye" the design onto the pot creates a slightly uneven edge which soften the designs and then a hint of sgrafitto helps define the blossom's interior. At its roots, this Eguchi kogo is simple in form, execution and design and clearly owes just a bit to a rather long tradition of pottery making in Southern Japan.  

(*Slipped in a THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER reference there in case you missed it.)

 

HARLEQUIN

Basking in somewhat direct sunlight this thrown and altered, squared yunomi, harlequin style comes complete with visible fingerprints and sunny glare as standard options. This bowl was slipped in white and black to create the alternating circle and squares harlequin style pattern and then glazed over in my Oribe glaze to "dramatic" effect. There was a group of these squared yunomi in my most recent firing in a variety of  surface treatments but sharing a common link in they are all some version of green.

CANVASES

Utter simplicity yet a rather complex presentation where clay texture, form, lip, foot, geometry and graduated tones of Oribe all work together to create this evocative guinomi. Created by Suzuki Tetsu, son of Juyo Mukei Bunkazai, Suzuki Osamu, he has charted his own unique pathway, distinct from his father where much of his work revolves around various incarnations of Oribe and layered copper and iron glazes painting a rich landscape on his modern forms, literally canvases  for the 21st century. Though seemingly simple in exectution that a subtle details and consideration that steer you to just how complex such a small piece can actually be. I am captivated by the clay surface and its interaction with the glaze(s) creating a rather nuanced visual texture. Simple and small perhaps but in hand far larger than its diminutive dimensions may initially impart.

VOICE & VISION

Inviting, satisfying, rich, warm; these are just a few words that spring to mind as I am looking at this Shino chawan by Tamaoki Yasuo. Real or imagined, I have a strong connection to the potter and his work from various trips to Japan where he was on the list of potters to visit on our very first trip to Japan in 1990. This Aka-Shino chawan is early work by Tamaoki though it clearly has a place of distinction among his many decades of dedication to a tradition where ideals and archetypes give way to voice and vision forging a pathway to one's own style while adding to centuries of what has come before. The simple, curving  form terminates at a well conceived kodai and an undulating lip that bookends the surface composed of a rich iron slip influencing the glaze, creating a mottled rich, iron red and areas of thicker white accents all boundaried by the myriad of crawling pathways giving way to the wet, iron below. It is quite easy for me to articulate my interest in the works of Tamaoki Yasuo, he has a lifetime perfecting an alliance between clay, form, surface and fire, creating works that are never easy to overlook and rarely fail to live an impression.

Invitation (by Shel Silverstein)

If you are a dreamer, come in

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

If you're a pretender, come sit by the fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!
Come in!