Hiro Matsusaki on wed 12 mar 97
Earlier I wrote (when I started this series as a form of entertainment and
information): A horse is not mliked in North America. Goat milk is given to
baby horses in lieu of cow's milk, if that becomes necessay. Cow's milk is a
the last resort, not acceptable substitute for horse milk. Nothing personal
on cows and horses. One reader e-mailed me, saying that the cow's milk is
for baby cows and not for humans. In Mongolia, they milk horses (I don't
think there are cows either, but that's beside the point.) and produce a mild
alcoholic drink. A booze is booze and alcohol is alcohol. But you must
drink a lot of the horse milk concoction, to keep on riding a horse,
especially if you are a bloody Englishman used to a Scotch brand and fox
hunting. But, it can knock out a thirsty uninitiated who consider such an
activity as a mild form of entertainment in the dry vast plains of Mongolia
where flat grazeland extends as far as eyes can see. No trees or wood. If
you do not drink green tea, that's the only alternative that accompanies your
social visit over there.
Seriously, if you may recall, till recently, some listed glaze recipes
appeared on clayart, at times without mentioning the cone range, atmosphere
and other parameters. This was fine and dandy for experts, but the
information could be detrimental to the pockets of those with more passion
than reason. So no more glazes without proper history, the cone range,
reduction or oxidization, etc., with each chemical listings. But we ignore
the history, and claim originality whenever we can. So enforcing this rule
to the ambitious or the ignorant will be difficult. Still, overall, quite an
improvement for us all. Practical. And pragmatic.
I don't see why we should not do the same, or at least try to be more clear
on the more complex but in some ways more simple or malleable subject like
kiln building. My posting is designed for us all, including myself, it is
not for the expert who can avoid pitfalls in any postis given. I find it
ironic that many argued points are taken out of proper contexts. Hence
impossible to judge what's best and what's desirable for a particular
potter's situation. As one reader has pointed out in private mail, a kiln is
the heart of any pottery. Seeking renewal, a potter may operate on the old
one for bypass or new one transplanted, if it is failing. Today, however,
the miracle of medical science may permit us to many hearts. A good potter
already owns many kilns.
Still, I admit that people are more interested in throwing pots standing up,
cleaning up the studio, undergoing wrist pain operations, repairing kiln roof
or broken pots, and performing other acrobatic maneuvers. Well, that's life.
Those are like the rites of passage to adulthood, I guess.
Basically, the artistically inclined potters are not always technically
inclined. And vice versa. The artistic talent is hard to come by, and it
takes time to cultivate. It is determined not only by the body chemistry at
birth, but also by the environmental training (toilet, table, food,
clayworks, friends and so on). It is really hard to obtain at any price, if
it is not there. The technical information can be bought , on the other
hand, at a price, rather cheap, all things considered. Of course the glaze
formulae are free on clayart.
Many, many things impact on how a potter-built kiln functions. But the
matter can be de-mystified, as long as we are aware of which elements to
consider and which ones to ignore upon choosing a particular design. In
contrast, glaze chemistry is a different matter, quite precise, and the
result is highly predictable.
The kiln is far more complcated, but in a sense far more simple to build.
To build a kiln, one does not have to know anything about pottery, actually.
Nor, do you have to be a rocket scientist to build a kiln. And the kiln is
the heart of pottery. Funny, isn't it? It can be a simple, albeit
glorified, feat of engineering to non-potters or others who do not know
better. When you meeet with any studio potters in Japan, the first question
they ask is what kind of kiln you own. Nothing else is asked. To young
potters who are more or less Americanized, I answer that I have several,
something like seven, of which one is under repair and another under
construction. To older potters I mention that I don't own any, but came to
Japan to learn about woodfire. You see, I learned an American trick where
the number of employees is regarded as the sign of any enterprise's quality.
The numbers count. So I respond likewise. Older potters, of course, are
used to communal kilns. For them, it's the talent that counts and the
numbers are for the apprentice.
Anyway, my answers normally stop them from asking further private questions
on the number of hearts I have. The Japanese potters are in a way quite
right, although quite stupid, because in a congested situation over there,
only good potters, schools or colleges can afford a variety of kilns or
firing techniques. By that standard I am close to opening a private pottery
school here, if I want. But, speaking truthfully, a kiln does not make a
potter a potter. But, on the other hand, and at the same time, without a
good kiln, what can you make out of clay?
A disclaimer, here. If you own bees and engage in beekeeping and production
of honey or what's not, you are a farmer without land. The bees fly a
relatively wide range and distance to gather nectar. A beekeeper is a farmer
who does not have to own any land or lease any land (in a traditional sense,
having a farmer friend with land does not hurt) to be a farmer. Some potters
are like that. So, the general rule is not necessarily true. I did not want
to advertize this, but I did. There. There are some good potters who are
like that. Do not judge them by the kilns they own.
A kiln is a box, into which heat is introduced so that clay can be "burnt".
Anything goes, depending on the materials to make the box to confine the
heat. Thanks to the modern space-age technology, and cheap energy policy,
there are tremendous variations in the fuel to be applied, and the type of
clay to be "burnt". So, the history counts here. The high fire gas kiln, no
matter what materials the box is made of, is essentially the same as what
transpired in Sung Dynasty in China to fire those beautiful porcelain pots
hundreds of years ago. The same goes for the wood fired simple clay kiln to
make high fire stoneware. It's no big deal to have a climbing chamber kiln
made of clay, The clay may start to melt after a few years, but it can still
be used for many years to come. The local low fire clay can be used, much
like modern day castables. You see. Remember, I once mentioned that a kiln
is like an oversized saggar. ... ...
My point here is that, despite newer fuels, materials and ideas, the thoughts
that go into the kiln is fundamentally the same in design and ideas, as
practiced four or five hundred years ago in Japan. The time machine!
So, whatever the kiln you may make, it can be made to work by a potter. It
may not fire exactly to the specifications or expectations with which you
built it. A kiln is a different beast, different from glazes. It does not
behave like a glaze. But it can always fire clay and produce pots, if you
adapt yourself to it. We cannot always over-engineer or build safety
elements into a glaze (a wider range is possible, of course), but we can do
so to a kiln much easier. And if you do, you gain flexibility at small
additional cost.
The kiln building is a much softer science of heated air, gas, liquid, soil
or clay dynamics. So, it is far more complex than hard chemisty (of glaze
formula). Sounds quite an opposite, or contradictory, doesn't it? Let me
explain.
A valid analogy I can quote is the chess and bridge games played by a
computer. The chess is played to the hilt or the state of perfection up to
the master level now. The top chess champion at number one in world ranking
can barely beat the computer. Chess as a game is like glaze formula, can be
all computerized and calculated. ... But... ...Take another game like
bridge. The bridge game is no near to that sort of precision, and the
computerization is quite limited. The rules are relatively simple, and less
rigid. Humans can bluff, and four different characters are there (a player
can fool the partner by lying to everyone, a sort of legalized cheat). Clay
and chemicals are more honest or straight. But the kiln, especially the
woodfire, is hardly predictable as gas fired ones which in reduction behaves
like a runaway kid. The humans throw wood in the kiln, and not machines.
The human factor (not the human condition which can induce discussion thread
on clayart) makes the difference. No perfection exists in simulating a
bridge game. Not as yet. It looks like another five to ten years before a
realistic bridge game can be put on a computer. The humans make it so. That
is what the experts tell us. It is that much more complicated. But the
bridge game is simple enough to learn to be enjoyed. Lots of fun to have a
regular bridge party. If you doubt me, go to the store and check, you will
learn a lot. What's around on the market for a bridge game now is quite
rudimentary. A kiln built by potters are somewhat like that.
Likewise, what the kiln desires to achieve...the end results are much harder
to predict or simulate. For example, a small flue opening or double venturi
effect may be better for gas kilns. And in practice, a larger flue opening
can be made smaller without too much hassle. Wedge in a smaller brick or
two. So, it is a moot academic question. Experiment, and the answer shall
be given. A too small one, on the other hand, cannot be enlarged that
easily. Now, here is a kicker. A similar small flue opening will stall and
choke a wood kiln. A much larger flue opening is needed. A structural
adjustment is required. The same hot air is in there, but the type of fuel
and kiln shape make the difference. Even experts are duped into using a
small opening in a large wood kiln. The result is not only comical but
tragic, regardless of the number of cases of beer consumed. This is a true
story from an impeccable source. But to protect the honors who were involved
in this outrageous committee decision, I shall not mention names. A threat
is better when it's hidden and not mentioned. Can you believe me now?
Probably not,
So, let me give you another illustration to convince you. Why do you think
that steel bridges used to collapse? Or, make a spectacular scene by falling
apart in mid air? Because engineers did not understand the soil (semi-solid
clay) or air (wind and atmosphere) dynamics (effects). The strength of steel
used can be tested and calculated precisely, but the wind force and soil
strength are a different matter. If the steel footing is supported by soil
or clay or rocks on soil and clay at either end, watch out! If a hurricane
comes, better keep your eyes open. The engineers can wing it, since no one
knows for sure. People will take the word from them for what's worth. But
the bridge knows. As a result, the entire bridge can collapse. A partial
solution is to over-engineer the structure, or change the design of footing
to counterbalance the unexpected soil movement. Today we notice earthquakes
and collapse of buildings all over...but that came from bad economies and not
from engineering. For reasons of modern economy, they did not overengineer.
What I talk about is the old Golden Gate, the stuff like that. Likewise,
the kiln explosions I mentioned were not caused by gas. Gas heated water,
which indirectly caused explosive steam dynamics when matters are wet, due to
the human desire to make haste, things like that.
So, we may have to talk about the basic parameters which lie beyond or
outside the physical numbers for the kiln. The kiln design parameters are
basically the result of many compromises (the BALANCE of many different
properties) for a studio/artist potter. It is not pure engineering or
technical details as such, although they are very important. More than the
pure information on technical knowhow from the experts are involved. It's
your own game. It is your own show. It is you as the potter that counts.
After all, it's your heart, literally. Only that you have a few of them
normally, if you wish to avoid the risk of a stroke or heart attack, so that
you could switch from one to another when called for. The human factors do
count here. But even a mechanical heart comes in handy. Keep those kilns
handy all the time.
In my next post I hope to give the nature of this balancing business. Things
happen, though, like unexpected taxes (like the very addictive VLTs I talked
about), so I cannot promise anything. I don't know if my thoughts are
different and better, anyway. Different thoughts? Yes. But better? ...
Better is a judgemental word. I'm often asked how my better half is. How
is my spouse? I often answer: Compared to what? You see?!?!!!
What can I say? I am a potter. So, you see, when you ask: ... ... How
are my pots?... ... I say: Compared to what? Depends on who accept or
reject them, and who reject the rejections. Cheers!
HM
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