Since all the staff members who would be helping me raku had the day off Friday, I wasn't going to be able to fire until today, Saturday. Having finished whatever glazing I could do, and not being able to build anything so late in the month, there would be virtually nothing for me to do here, so I decided to go to Kyoto for the day. I wondered around Kyoto Station, the Imperial Gardens, Gion, and a couple of shopping arcades, just glad to be in a different, busier, and more exciting environment for a change. It was a very enjoyable trip, but most of it was not at all related to ceramics. However, I did spend part of the afternoon at the Raku Museum, and that is worth telling about here.
The Raku Museum in Kyoto is a wonderful, tiny little museum that shows a bit of the history and process of raku. You can see the museum's website here - www.raku-yaki.or.jp - it has pages available in English as well as Japanese, although the English is just a little awkward at times. When Andrew and I were staying in Kyoto before I came to Shigaraki, we went to the Raku Museum, and saw their usual displays - one piece from each master of the Raku family, a variety of other raku implements, and a display of items used for the very traditional ways making raku - saggars, bellows, tools, etc. I was so glad to have a chance to see all this, and when I decided to spend another day in Kyoto, I naturally wanted to go back to view it all again while it was so convenient.
When I arrived yesterday afternoon, though, I had a bit of a surprise - the exhibits were completely different! The Raku Museum is currently celebrating their 30th anniversary, and in recognition of that, they are displaying a special selection of items chosen by Kichizaemon, the 15th Raku family master. As you might guess, I am SO glad I went back. There were different works on display from the masters, as well as important works (mostly tea bowls) from other family members and ceramic artists, and other pieces of important tea-ceremony ceramic ware. They also had acquired a screen painting by Toeki Unkoku, which I believe had once been displayed in one of the temples in Kyoto.
As if that wasn't enough, as I was leaving there was a tour group of foreigners just arriving, and they were being shown a video in English about raku and the Raku family - a video which I hope I can find somewhere and purchase for myself! I was able to join them and see most of the video, and I learned so much about the processes the family uses. What is even more interesting is to see the differences between the Raku family's methods, and the process we used for today's firing. (And yes, I will be posting photos from that very soon!)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday's Adventures
Wednesday began with what appeared to be me wondering aimlessly around the studio and adjacent rooms. It was, in fact, me wondering around not so aimlessly, trying to find the right people to talk to, the right glazes to use, a way to get everything bisqued in time, and in the meantime, trying to figure out just how I wanted all this to work out, so that when I found the right people, I would know what to ask them for.
It was a rather uneventful morning, unless you count mentally.
I did find out that there are raku glazes already here in the glaze room that I could use, and I saw the test piece as well as a few teabowls with those glazes. Also, a trip to the Research Center had been planned for 3:00 that afternoon, and perhaps they would have some recipes I could use. Or I could mix the same glazes that I use at home, but I was anxious to try the Japanese style of raku, with some of the glaze they would typically use.
Around 11 or so, I got a call saying Takae-sensei (he seems to be everyone's boss or teacher, but I don't think he's the director here, so I'm not sure exactly what his position is) was waiting for me upstairs, and would like to see me. So, I went up to the kitchen, and found he was with a woman who spoke very good English and Japanese, and who was here to turn in her application to work here at Togei no Mori next year. I later found out her name is Celina, she has stayed at Togei no Mori twice before, she is from Bolivia, and is in fact the only artist from there to ever work here, and she has lived in Japan many years. Anyway, it was very nice to speak with the two of them for awhile, because she was able to make up for my deficits in speaking and understanding Japanese, and I found out Takae-sensei has been very interested in my work, but of course, has had difficulty talking to me since my Japanese is out of practice and seriously lacking vocabulary, and his English is minimal.
After we talked for awhile, Celina invited me to go to the local library with her, since she was going anyway and perhaps she could help me find a couple of good books on raku. Takae-sensei had said he had a meeting, but as we were leaving he pulled up beside us in his car and asked if we would go to his house with him since he had a little time. How nice! So, we followed him, and went to visit his home. I found out that his wife is also a potter, though she also has gardens and takes care of the house. Takae-sensei used to be the director of the Research Center here, and was for many years, and his father was also a teacher. After Takae-sensei retired, he came to Togei no Mori. He has done all kinds of amazing things with glaze research and develpment, including creating high-temperature luster glazes (I believe it had something to do with slowly cooling the kiln, and many of them were based on tenmoku glazes), glazes that completely change color in different light, low-temperature glow-in-the-dark glaze... And he is also interested in raku, and reduction with oil. There must have been at least 6 or 8 kilns at their home. It was great to get to know him a little better, and to see the amazing things he has worked on.
So, after a very nice visit, we proceeded to the library, and Celina helped me to find a couple of books with information on Japanese raku. One was called, in translation "Raku Technique" and though it is written entirely in Japanese, I am very anxious to get a copy for myself. There were numerous pictures, some glaze recipes, and all kinds of information that I could only begin to understand now. I would love to translate this book into English someday, because it is really rather difficult to find extensive information on Japanese style raku in America. Celina kindly translated a few recipes for me, and I'm anxious to take them home and test them. However, I decided that for now, here, it would be best to use the glazes that are already available and that the guys who are helping me are already familiar with. I don't really have time to test anything new, even though I would certainly like to! But I will soon, most definitely.
So, after an already busy and interesting day, at 3 a group of us went to the Research Center with Minori and Takae-sensei, as well as another man helped to translate for us. It is really an amazing facility, with every bit of machinery you can imagine for making, mixing, shaping, or analyzing glaze or clay. This, I believe, is where Takae-sensei developed most of his ideas, and there are all kinds of interesting works in progress there that we could only understand a bit of. For instance, have you ever thought that a sponge soaked in clay would burn out in the firing, and the result would be a block of some great insulation material? They have. That place has such an interesting mix of art and science. There are students learning how to throw, and upstairs, researchers testing the endurance of roof tiles. They have an entire room full of shelves upon shelves of glazes that have been developed there, and the recipes are all available. Simply amazing. I'll post some of the photos from the research center. I wish I'd had my camera at Takae-sensei's house, but I really only thought I was going to the kitchen, so I had absolutely nothing with me.
A room full of machines for making or mixing clay.
Takae-sensei explaining a kiln with a special fixture on the top for neutralizing the gasses (well, that's the simplified version we were given).
More odd machinery for... um... Looks interesting, doesn't it?
A student who is learning how to throw.
This is a microwave kiln. I'm not sure exactly what that is supposed to mean, or how it works, but that is what they said it was.
Remember how I talked about the sponge idea?
Roof tiles.
Clay and glaze test tiles. They had numerous boards full of these.
Crystaline glaze applied in little lines. I think they look like little furry caterpillars. Below the plate you can see a sample of really a brilliant blue crystaline glaze.
Takae-sensei had dozens of little teacups like this at his house, with such beautiful spots of luster. Some had larger spots, and some were almost completely metalic-looking.
More of his luster glazes, but I think these were low-fire.
More glazes Takae-sensei developed.
And his raku glazes.
Samples of materials used for glaze and clay from all over the world.
Look! It glows in the dark! And it's ceramic!
It was a rather uneventful morning, unless you count mentally.
I did find out that there are raku glazes already here in the glaze room that I could use, and I saw the test piece as well as a few teabowls with those glazes. Also, a trip to the Research Center had been planned for 3:00 that afternoon, and perhaps they would have some recipes I could use. Or I could mix the same glazes that I use at home, but I was anxious to try the Japanese style of raku, with some of the glaze they would typically use.
Around 11 or so, I got a call saying Takae-sensei (he seems to be everyone's boss or teacher, but I don't think he's the director here, so I'm not sure exactly what his position is) was waiting for me upstairs, and would like to see me. So, I went up to the kitchen, and found he was with a woman who spoke very good English and Japanese, and who was here to turn in her application to work here at Togei no Mori next year. I later found out her name is Celina, she has stayed at Togei no Mori twice before, she is from Bolivia, and is in fact the only artist from there to ever work here, and she has lived in Japan many years. Anyway, it was very nice to speak with the two of them for awhile, because she was able to make up for my deficits in speaking and understanding Japanese, and I found out Takae-sensei has been very interested in my work, but of course, has had difficulty talking to me since my Japanese is out of practice and seriously lacking vocabulary, and his English is minimal.
After we talked for awhile, Celina invited me to go to the local library with her, since she was going anyway and perhaps she could help me find a couple of good books on raku. Takae-sensei had said he had a meeting, but as we were leaving he pulled up beside us in his car and asked if we would go to his house with him since he had a little time. How nice! So, we followed him, and went to visit his home. I found out that his wife is also a potter, though she also has gardens and takes care of the house. Takae-sensei used to be the director of the Research Center here, and was for many years, and his father was also a teacher. After Takae-sensei retired, he came to Togei no Mori. He has done all kinds of amazing things with glaze research and develpment, including creating high-temperature luster glazes (I believe it had something to do with slowly cooling the kiln, and many of them were based on tenmoku glazes), glazes that completely change color in different light, low-temperature glow-in-the-dark glaze... And he is also interested in raku, and reduction with oil. There must have been at least 6 or 8 kilns at their home. It was great to get to know him a little better, and to see the amazing things he has worked on.
So, after a very nice visit, we proceeded to the library, and Celina helped me to find a couple of books with information on Japanese raku. One was called, in translation "Raku Technique" and though it is written entirely in Japanese, I am very anxious to get a copy for myself. There were numerous pictures, some glaze recipes, and all kinds of information that I could only begin to understand now. I would love to translate this book into English someday, because it is really rather difficult to find extensive information on Japanese style raku in America. Celina kindly translated a few recipes for me, and I'm anxious to take them home and test them. However, I decided that for now, here, it would be best to use the glazes that are already available and that the guys who are helping me are already familiar with. I don't really have time to test anything new, even though I would certainly like to! But I will soon, most definitely.
So, after an already busy and interesting day, at 3 a group of us went to the Research Center with Minori and Takae-sensei, as well as another man helped to translate for us. It is really an amazing facility, with every bit of machinery you can imagine for making, mixing, shaping, or analyzing glaze or clay. This, I believe, is where Takae-sensei developed most of his ideas, and there are all kinds of interesting works in progress there that we could only understand a bit of. For instance, have you ever thought that a sponge soaked in clay would burn out in the firing, and the result would be a block of some great insulation material? They have. That place has such an interesting mix of art and science. There are students learning how to throw, and upstairs, researchers testing the endurance of roof tiles. They have an entire room full of shelves upon shelves of glazes that have been developed there, and the recipes are all available. Simply amazing. I'll post some of the photos from the research center. I wish I'd had my camera at Takae-sensei's house, but I really only thought I was going to the kitchen, so I had absolutely nothing with me.
A room full of machines for making or mixing clay.
Takae-sensei explaining a kiln with a special fixture on the top for neutralizing the gasses (well, that's the simplified version we were given).
More odd machinery for... um... Looks interesting, doesn't it?
A student who is learning how to throw.
This is a microwave kiln. I'm not sure exactly what that is supposed to mean, or how it works, but that is what they said it was.
Remember how I talked about the sponge idea?
Roof tiles.
Clay and glaze test tiles. They had numerous boards full of these.
Crystaline glaze applied in little lines. I think they look like little furry caterpillars. Below the plate you can see a sample of really a brilliant blue crystaline glaze.
Takae-sensei had dozens of little teacups like this at his house, with such beautiful spots of luster. Some had larger spots, and some were almost completely metalic-looking.
More of his luster glazes, but I think these were low-fire.
More glazes Takae-sensei developed.
And his raku glazes.
Samples of materials used for glaze and clay from all over the world.
Look! It glows in the dark! And it's ceramic!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
More new work...
Since everything is built now, I figure it's about time I post pictures of the last few pieces. However, one of the three is being bisqued right now and I forgot to take a picture before I put it in, so I'll have to post that one later. Here's the other two...
Recent Outings
The past few days have actually been very interesting, though I've been so busy trying to finish building all my pieces that I haven't taken time to share.
This weekend, a former resident was here to fire a kiln. She lives in Japan now, and teaches English, and still comes back to Shigaraki when she can. What a nice arrangement! On Friday night, a big group went out to dinner with her, which was quite fun. We went to a local restaurant that mostly serves what can only be described as fried foods on a stick. In theory, not so appealing, but in reality, it was all quite tasty, if not a bit excessive. They served such a variety: asparagus wrapped in bacon, shrimp and scallions, little green chili peppers, cheese, prawn, mushrooms, little sausages... It was delicious, not too greasy, but by the end of the meal, much too filling.
The little frogs for your sticks once you were done eating the fried food from them.
The happy diners.
The owners of the restaurant, and their daughter.
The next day, Saturday, another resident, Yuji, had a gallery opening in Kyoto, so most of us were planning to go. Some went early to spend time in Kyoto, some took a later bus, some waited until the last minute in order to get more work done. I was part of that last group, though "last minute" actually means catching the 4:36 bus in order to arrive at the opening at 6. Kyoto may be close, but it takes some doing to get there. Nel and Antra were my travel companions, and the hour-long bus ride passed quickly while we talked. Then a train, and a taxi from Kyoto station to the gallery, and we arrived. The gallery was very nice - it might have been a converted Japanese-style house, with tatami rooms and a beautiful garden. There were two exhibits at the time, Yuji's, and that of a South American metal worker who had lived in Japan for 20 years or so. Nearly everyone was in the rooms with Yuji's work. We were given glasses of champagne when we arrived, and a low table was in the middle of one room, with a variety of sushi, bread, and other little bits to eat. They were using dishes Yuji had made to serve some of the food, and one of his panels was on the table, covered by glass and then by food. Pieces of his work were on shelves, walls, floors, and the largest display of nearly human-height pillars was in the garden. The Japanese style to the rooms were a perfect setting, since his work has a subtle traditional flavor to it. It is rather rough with complex surfaces, but at the same time, mostly simple forms.
Enjoying the company, the artwork, and of course, the food.
Standing pieces in a rather traditional setting.
Tiny, delicate pieces on tiny glass shelves.
Impressive sculptures in the garden.
As if all that was not enough excitment, on Monday morning I got a call from Minori saying a visit had been arranged, and would like to go with some of the other residents to see a local potter who was firing his kiln? Of course I would! I think most of us ended up going. I did not catch his name, but he was a Shigaraki potter with a studio and kilns at his home (a large and beautiful complex, I might add). From what I gathered, the design of the kiln he was firing was based on research done in China at the old kiln sights, and only within the last 10 years or so had he really been able to control it to his liking. It was a wood-fired kiln with two chambers, and the lower chamber was brought up to temperature, then the higher chamber would be fired up to temperature the next day. In this particular kiln he was trying to achieve the "hiiro" color - literally translated it is "fire color," brilliant shades of oranges and reds, fading to white in places. He also had a noborigama which he uses for glazed pieces. When we arrived, they (the potter, and I believe it was his daughter) were still stoking the first chamber, but it was nearly to temperature (they would go to about 1300 degrees Celsius). We also could peek into his studio, and we were allowed to go into one of the rooms to look at some of his finsihed work, where we met the "old master" - presumably his father. It was a great experience, and so nice to see firsthand some of the techniques used here.
Explaining some of the process for Minori to translate for us.
Adding more wood.
A great example of the hiiro coloring.
The noborigama, which was right next to the other kiln. It looked to have 3 chambers.
The studio building, which I think was also connected to the house. I also heard he has a tea house, as well.
He seems to make everything from large thrown pots to tiny little hina figures for the Girls' Day celebration.
A bit of the studio space.
Very nice display of decorative garden pieces.
I was particularly fond of the simple, natural glaze on these teacups.
Some of the master's work.
A pond in part of the garden... The orange spot in the water is one of the largest and most beautiful koi I've ever seen, but the water was too murky to get a good photo.
And of course, everyone had to play with his adorable and friendly little dachshund!
This weekend, a former resident was here to fire a kiln. She lives in Japan now, and teaches English, and still comes back to Shigaraki when she can. What a nice arrangement! On Friday night, a big group went out to dinner with her, which was quite fun. We went to a local restaurant that mostly serves what can only be described as fried foods on a stick. In theory, not so appealing, but in reality, it was all quite tasty, if not a bit excessive. They served such a variety: asparagus wrapped in bacon, shrimp and scallions, little green chili peppers, cheese, prawn, mushrooms, little sausages... It was delicious, not too greasy, but by the end of the meal, much too filling.
The little frogs for your sticks once you were done eating the fried food from them.
The happy diners.
The owners of the restaurant, and their daughter.
The next day, Saturday, another resident, Yuji, had a gallery opening in Kyoto, so most of us were planning to go. Some went early to spend time in Kyoto, some took a later bus, some waited until the last minute in order to get more work done. I was part of that last group, though "last minute" actually means catching the 4:36 bus in order to arrive at the opening at 6. Kyoto may be close, but it takes some doing to get there. Nel and Antra were my travel companions, and the hour-long bus ride passed quickly while we talked. Then a train, and a taxi from Kyoto station to the gallery, and we arrived. The gallery was very nice - it might have been a converted Japanese-style house, with tatami rooms and a beautiful garden. There were two exhibits at the time, Yuji's, and that of a South American metal worker who had lived in Japan for 20 years or so. Nearly everyone was in the rooms with Yuji's work. We were given glasses of champagne when we arrived, and a low table was in the middle of one room, with a variety of sushi, bread, and other little bits to eat. They were using dishes Yuji had made to serve some of the food, and one of his panels was on the table, covered by glass and then by food. Pieces of his work were on shelves, walls, floors, and the largest display of nearly human-height pillars was in the garden. The Japanese style to the rooms were a perfect setting, since his work has a subtle traditional flavor to it. It is rather rough with complex surfaces, but at the same time, mostly simple forms.
Enjoying the company, the artwork, and of course, the food.
Standing pieces in a rather traditional setting.
Tiny, delicate pieces on tiny glass shelves.
Impressive sculptures in the garden.
As if all that was not enough excitment, on Monday morning I got a call from Minori saying a visit had been arranged, and would like to go with some of the other residents to see a local potter who was firing his kiln? Of course I would! I think most of us ended up going. I did not catch his name, but he was a Shigaraki potter with a studio and kilns at his home (a large and beautiful complex, I might add). From what I gathered, the design of the kiln he was firing was based on research done in China at the old kiln sights, and only within the last 10 years or so had he really been able to control it to his liking. It was a wood-fired kiln with two chambers, and the lower chamber was brought up to temperature, then the higher chamber would be fired up to temperature the next day. In this particular kiln he was trying to achieve the "hiiro" color - literally translated it is "fire color," brilliant shades of oranges and reds, fading to white in places. He also had a noborigama which he uses for glazed pieces. When we arrived, they (the potter, and I believe it was his daughter) were still stoking the first chamber, but it was nearly to temperature (they would go to about 1300 degrees Celsius). We also could peek into his studio, and we were allowed to go into one of the rooms to look at some of his finsihed work, where we met the "old master" - presumably his father. It was a great experience, and so nice to see firsthand some of the techniques used here.
Explaining some of the process for Minori to translate for us.
Adding more wood.
A great example of the hiiro coloring.
The noborigama, which was right next to the other kiln. It looked to have 3 chambers.
The studio building, which I think was also connected to the house. I also heard he has a tea house, as well.
He seems to make everything from large thrown pots to tiny little hina figures for the Girls' Day celebration.
A bit of the studio space.
Very nice display of decorative garden pieces.
I was particularly fond of the simple, natural glaze on these teacups.
Some of the master's work.
A pond in part of the garden... The orange spot in the water is one of the largest and most beautiful koi I've ever seen, but the water was too murky to get a good photo.
And of course, everyone had to play with his adorable and friendly little dachshund!
Relief!
The bisque was a success, and I've finished building all of my pieces. What a relief... Everything is going so well. I'm getting anxious now to learn about the glazes they have here, and to try out the raku kiln. I've heard it's an oil drip kiln, which I'm not familiar with, plus, Japanese techniques for raku are different... So, I have a lot to learn, and I'm sure it will be very exciting. Hopefully there will be someone here tomorrow who can tell me all about the glazes, and then in a couple of days I'll be able to fire for the first time!
Here's a picture of the finished bisque:
I'll post some pictures of the new pieces soon. They are all drying now, and a few more pieces have been bisqued now, too. It's so nice to have them all done, but I know I'm going to miss building. This is a wonderful place to work, and I like my little area in the studio. However, it is nice to have a little more free time for a few days. The weather has been beautiful for the last couple of weeks - occasional rain, but very pleasant, not as hot. You can feel the beginnings of fall in the air, and just a few leaves are starting to change. It's so lovely to be outside, to walk around the Togei no Mori grounds, to ride a bicycle to the store, or even around the town with no particular destination. Twice before I've been in Japan in the summer, so it's nice this time to get a taste of fall. However... I'm also extremely glad to be leaving before the weather actually turns cold...
Here's a picture of the finished bisque:
I'll post some pictures of the new pieces soon. They are all drying now, and a few more pieces have been bisqued now, too. It's so nice to have them all done, but I know I'm going to miss building. This is a wonderful place to work, and I like my little area in the studio. However, it is nice to have a little more free time for a few days. The weather has been beautiful for the last couple of weeks - occasional rain, but very pleasant, not as hot. You can feel the beginnings of fall in the air, and just a few leaves are starting to change. It's so lovely to be outside, to walk around the Togei no Mori grounds, to ride a bicycle to the store, or even around the town with no particular destination. Twice before I've been in Japan in the summer, so it's nice this time to get a taste of fall. However... I'm also extremely glad to be leaving before the weather actually turns cold...
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