Pots and pottery
Posted: July 27th, 2013, 3:14 pm
It's interesting. The Japanese have had a long tradition of wood-firing unglazed pots, using the ash from the flames, and the smoke-paths to make a decorative surface on the pot. Google Bizen for some examples. Western potters have taken these techniques and adapted them, but I can't remember seeing Japanese bonsai pots using ash glazes and wood firing. (Maybe a round Bizen literati pot many years ago?) I think Kitaya has shown a couple here, made in Australia.
Here are some examples, and thoughts.
The fire marks on this are wonderful, but I can't help wondering if an asymmetrical or irregular form might be even better.
The marks on this are from flying ash. The form suits the decoration better, to my eye.
The textures and colours of this one would work well for native bonsai, I think.
These three are from "Modern Japanese Ceramics" by Anneliese Crueger.
Although the photo doesn't really show it, this is massive - about 80cms wide from memory. The craggy detail and burn marks could be interesting. It's by Peter Voulkos, who was well mad.
This is smaller, but still monumental. The colours are probably too much for a bonsai pot as is, but it shows the range of possibilities.
This shows some of the colours and textures that are "out there".
The last three photos are from "Great Pots" by Ulysses Grant Dietz
I can't make them (something about thick clouds of smoke and the neighbours being a metre away over the fence in suburbia) but if anyone gets the chance to do some wood-fired pottery, think about rough textures, fly-ash glazing, asymmetrical shapes, and sculptural forms. It can be tricky to make a pot look interesting but not too heavy or thick, or distracting from the tree.
Thanks for reading,
Gavin
Here are some examples, and thoughts.
The fire marks on this are wonderful, but I can't help wondering if an asymmetrical or irregular form might be even better.
The marks on this are from flying ash. The form suits the decoration better, to my eye.
The textures and colours of this one would work well for native bonsai, I think.
These three are from "Modern Japanese Ceramics" by Anneliese Crueger.
Although the photo doesn't really show it, this is massive - about 80cms wide from memory. The craggy detail and burn marks could be interesting. It's by Peter Voulkos, who was well mad.
This is smaller, but still monumental. The colours are probably too much for a bonsai pot as is, but it shows the range of possibilities.
This shows some of the colours and textures that are "out there".
The last three photos are from "Great Pots" by Ulysses Grant Dietz
I can't make them (something about thick clouds of smoke and the neighbours being a metre away over the fence in suburbia) but if anyone gets the chance to do some wood-fired pottery, think about rough textures, fly-ash glazing, asymmetrical shapes, and sculptural forms. It can be tricky to make a pot look interesting but not too heavy or thick, or distracting from the tree.
Thanks for reading,
Gavin