Don Goodrich on sun 8 dec 96
Hi All,
Thanks to Mark & Marianne and subsequent posts about the exhibit of
ancient Chinese pottery that's touring. I just returned from Madison, and
agree that it's a must-see if it comes near your area.
The old Chinese works are truly inspiring, and humbling too. The thinness
of the stoneware bowls, the perfection of form in the bottles and jars, and
the mastery of technique stand as a goal potters in any age can aspire to.
The trained eye can discern the imperfections in these wares: the very slight
eccentricity of the bottle, the minimal warp of the lip of the bowl, the
slight tilt of the neck of the ewer. It's these aspects that give the pieces
their human quality. Looking at them, I recognized the same little deviations
from the perfect curve, the true horizontal or vertical, that appear in my
pots and I knew I was seeing the same things now that the potters did then.
This gave me a sense of connection with those old masters that I hadn't
expected. When industry imitated these forms and removed the
"imperfections", the products were cheapened in more than just price.
The surface decoration has subtlety and integrity, whether it was wrought
laboriously by sgraffito or paper stenciling, or casually by sprinkling ash
-just so- on a glazed surface before firing. As well integrated as the forms
and decoration are, either could independently justify the longevity of the
wares. Obviously, this leads to reflection on whether one's own work is
worthy to last a thousand years...but that's a whole different thread.
--Don Goodrich
p.s. No sign of crazing on any of 'em after at least 600 years.
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