News from Earth and Fire -- September 6, 2005
A gift from the kiln godsA friend of mine was in last week and we got to talking about all the wonderful things that happen in the kiln which are, for the most part, almost totally out of the direct control of the potter. Yes, the potter is carefully watching the temperature rise within the kiln, reducing the oxygen at the proper times for a reduction firing, or adding salt or soda. And after years and years of making pots, he or she has a pretty good idea what is going to happen, but ultimately, they don't control a great deal of what happens.
Sometimes accidents happen. In the July 20, 2005 newsletter, I talked about watching a potter destroy several pitchers because the glaze ran off the bottoms of the pots, fusing them with the kiln shelf. Obviously, that's not a good accident.
But many times good accidents happen and, in fact, the potters actually count on them to "finish" their pots and make them more interesting. Look at this tiny little teapot from Laura Ross:
She used an image of this teapot on her promotional postcards for a long time. When I had a show for her at Earth and Fire several years ago, there were at least ten people who begged me for that teapot, or one "like it." Turns out it was one that Laura had kept for herself. What is so appealing about it is the fact that a celedon glaze from a pot that was on the shelf above it dripped down below and landed on this teapot. Notice how the top of the lid is fairly shiny? The glaze landed there, and fell off to the left a bit -- but then a rather large drop fell to the right side, stopping near the "half-moon" impression in the base -- just on the edge of the orange area.
It's beautiful. Serendipity.
She couldn't "make it happen" again if she tried.
That's why she kept it to enjoy herself.
I talk to Laura several times a year and one time I asked her.. if she was ever ready to sell that teapot, if she would please sell it to me.
About a year ago, she sent it in with an order for the gallery -- as a gift to me.
I was thrilled. I unpacked it with care and took a look at it. In my mind, of course, the other side of the teapot -- the one not seen in the postcard photo -- was just as lovely as this side. In reality, it's not anywhere close:
On this side of the teapot, it's very clear that the accidental celedon drip was just that -- an accident. It fell "outside" of the green ash glaze, and did not really add anything artistically. In fact, I find it quite disturbing, artistically.
Looking around the gallery, I found several other "good accidents" which completely enhanced the pot. Look at this utensil vase from Sam Taylor:
This is the part that Sam did. He formed the pot. He dipped it in slip, and brushed on the black bands. Then he turned the pot over to "the kiln gods" to finish the pot. Now, we don't know how many pots, if any, were ruined in this firing, but this pot certainly wasn't:
I suppose some people prefer the regularity and predictability of the pot "that Sam made", but what I love in a pot are all the things that were added after it went into the kiln. In this case, the fire hit this pot on this side, and the ash from the fire did what ash in a glaze does -- makes it run.
(Vase is 6" tall X 4" in diameter -- $85)
Another of the things I'm really drawn to in pots, is copper flashing. Copper flashing happens when the copper that is in the glaze vaporizes when the oxygen is reduced in the kiln, and a marvelous pinkish, redness appears, usually associated with the green glazes that contain copper. Sometimes it just tints the green, as with this pitcher from Bill van Gilder:
(Pitcher is 12 1/2" tall X 6" at widest point -- $150)
And sometimes it flashes outside of the green glaze, and colors lighter areas of the pot that are nearby, as in this wonderful pitcher from Mark Peters:
This pitcher also has ash all over it -- another thing I'm drawn to in pots. See all those little black spots? Those are little bits of ash that landed on the pot and melted into the glaze.
(Pitcher is 11 1/2" tall X 6" wide (at widest) X 3 1/2" in diameter at top -- $100)
Sometimes, the copper flashing doesn't even come from the pot it ultimately winds up on. Those of you who have been into the gallery may have noticed the large picture I have behind my desk of a pitcher by Bill van Gilder:
The copper flashing on this pitcher came from the pot that Bill placed very close to it in the kiln. Bill HOPED this would happen, and he did as much as he could to help it along, by placing a pot next to this pitcher that was glazed with a copper glaze, but the fact that it worked so absolutely perfectly was simply a gift.
Is there another artistic media in which the artist at some point or other completely turns over his or her work and just.. "hopes for the best?"
If there is, I can't think of it.
If you can, let me know.
Artist pages updated last week:
Mark Peters
Michael Kline
Mark Shapiro
Have a good week.
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