Robert Yellin on thu 18 dec 97
Greetings from Numazu-
This article appeared in last Saturday's Japan Times. I'm glad to report
that Jeff's show was a great success.
Sipping green tea, as always-
Robert Yellin
New York based potter Jeff Shapiro(1949-) wants to make one thing
perfectly clear, "My ceramics are not Bizen!" At first glance Shapiro's
anagama(tunnel kiln) wood-fired ceramics do bear a close resemblance to
Bizen ware from Okayama prefecture and even some Japanese collectors
can't believe it when they find out that most of the materials- the
clay, kiln, and wood, all come from the backwoods around Shapiro's
country workshop in Accord New York
Ceramic aficionados in Japan will have a chance to see Jeff Shapiro's
yakishime(high-fired unglazed wares) pottery exhibition at Tenmaya
Department store's fifth floor gallery(086-231-7523) in Okayama city
until the 15th.
For Shapiro, it is a homecoming of sorts. He did study in Bizen, as well
as Takatori in Fukuoka prefecture and in Hamasaka, Hyogo prefecture for
a total of ten years before returning to the states in 1980 to establish
his own pottery. " I first came to Japan intent on studying aikido but
certain twists of fate led me to clay," he said. Initially he studied in
Takatori under Seizan Takatori, firing wares for the tea ceremony.
Shapiro reflected on that time and said that Takatori taught him about
process and a respect and sensitivity towards nature. Those lessons
still are an integral part of how he works today even though Takatori
ware is a smooth glazed type of ceramics while Shapiro's present work is
an unglazed rough style.
Next was on to Shikoku where he studied gas and wood-fired techniques
for more than a year.
Still moving about Japan he next came to Hamasaka, a small town on the
Japan sea. Shapiro came under the wing of Nobuo Kabumoto who gave
Shapiro the chance to create his own workshop and build an anagama.
Things were going well for him yet after three years, quite abruptly,
Kabumoto evicted Shapiro. In the catalog for the current show Shapiro
wrote on that time," Kabumoto gave me the opportunity to create my own
way, but I was not ready and he realized that, and pushed me from the
comfort of the nest. It was difficult for both of us but in hindsight it
was the right thing to do."
Discouraged but not beaten, Shapiro headed for Bizen. He always had a
liking for the austere naturalness of Bizen and it was in Bizen that he
deepened his understanding of wood-fired ceramics while studying in the
workshop of Joji Yamashita. This exposure to Bizen was to have a
profound influence on Shapiro's work as his way of firing,
like Bizen, tries to bring out the beauty of the natural materials- in
this case the warmth and rich colors of the clay. Shapiro said,"In
America we do not have the luxury of obtaining beautiful clays that have
been documented over centuries such as Bizen or Shigaraki. We must
search for deposits or create clay bodies that are suitable to
wood-fired ceramics. This is our challenge."
Most of the 130 pieces that Shapiro selected for this show were all
fired using clay from various locations, New York, New Jersey, and
Tennessee, that he then blended. The three rows of tokkuri(sake flasks)
in the photo have the range of colors, flowing ash drips and crusty
patches that speak of Shapiro's skill and mastery of the total labor
intensive ceramic process.
Shapiro finds inspiration for his work these days from stones. Some of
the more sculptural forms in the show were press molded from actual
stones that Shapiro picked up in the woods; he only finds two or three
stones a year that suit his demanding eye. These stone formation vases
are set on metal bases and some revolve giving them a three dimensional
feel- they could be chips off the shoulders of mountains, yet there is
the subtle hand of a sensitive ceramic sculptor noticeable.
Shapiro will also be showing vases, a large plate which weighs 85kgs and
is 115 cm. in diameter, tsubo(jars), guinomi(sake cups), and tea bowls.
This exhibition is a wonderful chance to see the work of an important
American potter who has learned the secrets of the art of fire in Japan
and has given it his own unique expression.
In Tokyo three shows of note are being held at various venues.
Kennin Kishimoto(1934-) will be showing his stunning seiji(celadons) at
Nihonbashi Takashimaya's sixth floor gallery from the 17th-23rd.
I first noticed the work of Kishimoto about ten years ago when he was
firing Iga ware. Before that he was making Shino but his heart always
seemed to long to create what some call the most difficult of ceramic
art-seiji. "I've been testing seiji glazes for over fifteen years but
never felt that I had perfected it. Now I have confidence in my seiji
and am pleased to have my first Takashimaya show(this is his ninth)
showing seiji exclusively," he told me recently.
The seiji style requires flawless potting and Kishimoto's forms are as
sharp and perfect as any potter can get. The deep crackle glaze, which
runs in tones from powder blues to soft emerald greens sparkle like
jewels.
Kazu Yamada(1954-) is at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi's sixth floor gallery
from the 16th-22nd.
A tea world potter, Yamada fires in the Mino traditions which include
Shino, Oribe and Ki-Seto. In addition he has created his own style of
Shino known as Enbu-Shino which is a flowing fiery red glaze dripping
over a white feldspar glaze. Other innovations include his Kaku-yu Oribe
style- a strawberry red glaze over a buff white slip incised with
minamilistic etchings. The late legendary potter Tokuro Kato was a fan
of Yamada's and was even quoted as saying," This lad is good." I would
have to agree.
At Kandori(03-3239-0146) in the Hotel New Otani Mashiko based Shugo
Takauchi will be featuring his dynamic tea wares- hikidashi-guro(pulled
from the kiln-black ware)tea bowls, Oribe bucket vases, and
mizusashi(fresh water container), as the last artist in Kandori's Tea
ware six-part exhibition. The exhibition runs from the 19th-27th.
An interesting anecdote which happened this past weekend in Kurashiki to
show the enormous popularity of one Bizen artist- Gallery
Ikuko(086-427-0067) was the scene for a line around the block
twenty-four hours before the opening of Ryuichi Kakurezaki's sake
utensils exhibition. Collector's came from all over Japan and camped out
to get the chance to purchase one tokkuri and guinomi. The two-hundred
pieces sold out in a few hours. You can still see the exhibition until
tomorrow.
Happy Holidays to everyone and Ceramic Scene will be back in the Year of
the Tiger!
E-mail any comments or questions to me at rlyell@izu.co.jp
Robert Yellin on sat 10 jan 98
Greeting from Japan-
This is an un-edited version of an article which appeared in Saturday's
Japan Times(my column-Ceramic Scene) under the title 'Furutani: the
keeper
of the flame.' Hope ya'all enjoy it.
Robert Yellin in Numazu
It seems that the ancient anagama, introduced to Japan from Korea in the
fifth century, is causing quite a stir in the United States. A recent
issue of the American literary magazine Harper's has a 16-page article
entitled 'Before The Temple Of Fire $BC (Jabout an anagama in Oregon.
Most of the techniques used by American potters for building and firing
an anagama were learned by studying with Japanese masters. In Japan
there are hundreds, possibly thousands of potters using an anagama and
many can claim expertise in taming and controlling the entity that
Harper $BCT (J called the "dragon kiln."
Still, the title 'King of the Anagama $BC (Jwould have to go to Japan's
Michio Furutani(1946-).
His phenomenal Iga and Shigaraki wares are required viewing for any
ceramic admirer and can be seen at Osaka's Central Gallery from the 15th
until the 26th.
Furutani has built more anagamas, the first in 1970 and the only one in
Shigaraki at the time since the medieval period, than any other potter I
know of- at latest count 30. He is also the author of the book
'Anagama-How to Build and Fire $BC (Jthat has become required reading for any
Japanese anagama ceramist.
Furutani fires time three anagama in Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture and one
in Iga, Mie prefecture. His typical anagama is five meters in length
with the interior space for pieces about three meters. The shape of the
kiln resembles a candle flame, narrow at the front, slightly flaring at
the center and tapering off towards the rear.
In order to achieve the dazzling range of effects(henka) that he wants
he has made the kiln's roof quite low, only 1.2 meters in height; this
allows for a more hard intense fire and thus more dramatic yohen(kiln
changes). Hence the kiln's entrance is less than a meter high and to
load his kiln(kamazume) Furutani must crawl in and out of it countless
times on all fours- it is a sweat-drenching process. The first Bizen
Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige(1896-1967) said that kamazume is
THE most important procedure in a firing and Furutani is a staunch
believer in Kaneshige's advice- he does it with meticulous care.
The firing takes a little over four days and nights with kiln
temperatures reaching around 1300 (I_ (JC. Furutani says that he is not sure
of the exact temperature because he doesn't use a kiln pyrometer but
relies on watching the color of the flames and the sound of the kiln;
experience and intuition are more important than precise measurements.
Furutani fires traditionally shaped pieces: large storage jars(tsubo),
flower vases(hana-ire), tea bowls(chawan), tea caddies(cha-ire), and
wares for the table(shokki). He has also created his own flat sided
jar(henko) and an original style in which he uses Shigaraki clay and
coats it with a white slip(kohiki) called Shigaraki-Kohiki.
The clay is mostly Shigaraki kinose clay which was dug up almost 20
years ago during a construction boom; Furutani has almost 100 tons of
it(the most of any Shigaraki potter) and gives this now unavailable
treasure credit for the celebrated fire color(hi-iro) that he is so
famous for. It is a coarse clay filled with feldspar granules that
sometimes burst out on the surface(ishihaze)during a firing or is
covered by natural ash-glaze(shizen-yu)rivulets which run from light
olive greens to mustard yellows and browns. Characteristics of Iga are
scorch markings(koge)and a natural flowing vitrified glaze(biidoro-
after the Portuguese word for glass-vidoro) which sometimes stops to
form a globule called a 'dragonfly eye. $BC (J
Furutani will be 52 this year and is at the height of his artistic
skills. As a young man he bicycled around Japan for 21 months visiting
pottery sites. The journey still continues for this humble and dedicated
potter, only now within the mysterious universe of the world renowned
anagama.
Central Gallery(06-252-0956) is located in Shinsaibashi on
shinsaibashi-suji in the Dick Plaza 2F. The gallery will be closed on
the 21st.
Mingei(folk crafts)legend Kanjiro Kawai(1890-1966) used to invite
neighbors over for three o'clock tea at his home in Kyoto and then,
elementary school boy Shin Fujihira(1922-), would tag along with his
elder brother to enjoy the treats. Fujihira would sit quietly with his
snack and 'visually eat $BC (Jall of Kawai's wonderful collection of mingei
art. Now Shin Fujihira is a well-known Kyoto artist in his own right and
his mingei-infused sculptural pottery and functional pots can be seen at
Daimaru(075-211-8111) in Kyoto from the 14th-20th and at
Daimaru(06-271-1231) in Osaka from the 29th-Feb.3rd.
Kawai was a master of glazes and Fujihira, although he never formally
studied with Kawai, is too. Fujihira's underglaze copper red
glaze(shinsha) and cobalt oxide glaze(gosu) are the finest in Japan
today.
His forms are all hand coiled which allows him to make very angular
shapes. He sometimes applies decorative motifs, usually in the form of
animals, birds, or people, to each piece in a technique known as
hari-tsuke, literally 'sticking on. $BC (JHis low-relief hari-tsuke are
simple yet give a playful elegance to each piece. Other pieces are
bursting with a vivacious personality such as the bent over backwards
young child.
Fujihira's relaxed and humorous style may be the result of a serious
illness while in his twenties that made him appreciate the simple joys
in life- the laughing of children, a cup of tea, the shape of a leaf.
He started on the potters path well into his thirties and apprenticed
under Rokube Kiyomizu VI(1901-1980)for fifteen years. Fujihira loves old
Korean wares and in them finds the spirit of mingei yet he has no
interest in replicating them like so many mingei potters nowadays.
Instead, like Kawai and Kiyomizu, he is a unique character in a land of
conformity. He has won numerous awards such as the Japan Ceramic Society
prize in 1973, the Kei Fujiwara prize in 1994 and a special Kyoto
Cultural prize in 1996.
Eighty pieces will be shown at each Daimaru location and this is a great
chance to see an extraordinary Kyoto artist.
In Tokyo, Kuroda Toen in Shibuya will be hosting two sake utensil and
related wares shows. The first runs through the 14th and features five
artists-
Ki-Seto expert Shukai Kagami, Hokkaido's Masaru Shibayama, Shuroku
Harada from Bizen, the promising Mino potter Ichiro Hori, and the
avant-garde Hagi artist Katsuhiko Miwa.
The second show begins on the 16th and finishes on the 21st. It is a Dai
Shuki Ten $BC (Jfeaturing past giants such as Rosanjin Kitaoji, Mineo Okabe,
Fujio Koyama and Shoji Kamoda, as well as many excellent current
masters.
Go to Kuroda Toen by exiting JR Shibuya station onto Meiji dori. Turn
left and walk pass the McDonald's for about one minute until you come to
the pedestrian overcrossing. Go up and across and you will be in front
of the Metro Plaza- Kuroda Toen is on the first floor. For more
information call 03-3499-3225.
Other shows in Tokyo include the veteran Seto potter Kiyoyuki Kato at
Akasaka Green Gallery until the 31st. The gallery can be reached by
taking the subway to Akasaka mitsuke station and turning left on Aoyama
dori in front of the Suntory museum. Walk until you come to the Doutor
coffee shop and turn left at that corner, continue on for a minute or
two and the gallery is on the right. Closed Sunday and Monday as well as
holidays. Call 03-3401-5255 for more information. The owner Kazuko Ito
speaks fluent English.
Also don's forget CWAJ'sthree day symposium about mingei at the end of
the month!
e-mail any questions or comments to me at: rlyell@izu.co.jp
Robert Yellin on sun 15 feb 98
Greetings from Olympic Japan
This is the unedited version of an article that appeared in Saturday's
Japan Times on Rosanjin.
A beautiful color catalog is available- anyone interested please e-mail
me.
Hope ya'all enjoy it.
Robert Yellin
The world of mingei- folk crafts has been a topic of discussion in
recent
weeks after the College Women's Association of Japan's three-day
symposium on the subject. One of the main premises for creating beauty
in the mingei realm was for the artisan to throw away the ego and work
mixing skill with the power of grace(tariki-do as Yanagi said).
I would like to introduce a twentieth century artist who would have
nothing to do with mingei ideals and even said that most mingei
products were "simply rubbish." Meet the flamboyant, boisterous,
brilliant, multitalented, and conceited Rosanjin Kitaoji as
Kobe's Daimaru Museum hosts 'The World of Gourmet and Aesthetics-
Kitaoji Rosanji'
until the 17th. The show then travels throughout Japan so check the
venues at the end of this article.
Rosanjin, which means 'foolish mountain man' was born in Kyoto in 1883
and was given the name Fusajiro Kitaoji. In a nutshell, he had a
tremendously difficult childhood never knowing his father and being
shuffled between adopted homes until his late teens. His first success
and recognition in the arts
came when he entered Ichijigaki- one character calligraphy in
exhibitions and won numerous prizes- he was still in his teens. Success
in wood carved signs and carved seals followed but it is pottery that
Rosanjin is revered for.
The introduction to ceramics came through his association with a
Kanazawa
benefactor who introduced him to Seika Suda's kiln at Yamashiro hot
spring in 1915.
Already possessing a sharp eye and an even sharper tongue, Rosanjin
would direct the throwers on how to make a pot and then pinch the
finished piece this way and that to suit his tastes. This style of
making pieces would continue throughout Rosanjin's life(which is why
Leach said that Rosanjin
was not a potter but merely a decorator)although he did throw, decorate
and
fire many pieces that bear his signature- I suspect a rivalry between
Rosanjin
and the mingei camp caused many verbal mud balls to be tossed about.
While in Kanazawa he also found himself immersed in a world of antiques
that was to inspire him to amass a ten-thousand piece collection over
his lifetime that was his 'library' whenever he needed to research
forms, glazes, or designs.
It was food that initially sparked him to take up making pottery. From
1925 to 1936, Rosanjin presided over the now legendary 'Hoshigaoka
Saryo' restaurant. Often parties of a hundred people would have to be
entertained and Rosanjin could not find any antique sets of tableware to
accommodate such a large group. He therefore took it upon himself to
make all that was required for Hoshigaoka, building a kiln behind his
house in Kita-Kamakura.
In the current exhibition a large portion of the 150 pieces on display
are functional plates, platters, and the like that draw on Momoyama and
Edo period styles but are so embedded with Rosanjins distinctive
originality.
A noble celadon vase and dish, delicately painted overglaze wares, jars
with Rosanjins distinctive brush writing in cobalt blue(sometsuke),
medieval yet thoroughly modernIga, Shigarki,and Bizen tea jars, silver
painted bowls(ginsai), the list could go on for Rosanjin was so adept in
any style.
My favorite pieces in the show are a large Iga shell-shaped bowl that is
one of the most dynamic yet refined serving bowls I've ever seen; a
large bowl with red and white camellias painted on the side and a
Kenzan(1663-1743)
Rimpa style Kyoto potter)inspired sets of dishes.
In Kodansha's out of print book 'The Art Of Rosanjin,' Rosanjin is
quoted as saying, "If clothes make the person, dishes make the food"-
another quote about tableware, "People content with low-grade tableware
can only produce low-grade food. People raised on low-grade food can
only become low-grade people."
A highbrowed approach to a dish no doubt but one that bears truth. If we
today are content with disposable everything then what does that say
about us? At least Rosanjin had the sense to value even the lowly
chopstick rest(some beauties in the exhibition)that today we hardly even
glance at.
Also in this exhibition are wooden plaques, metal lamps, calligraphy,
lacquerware, drawings, and paintings.
This brief article cannot take up the countless stories of Rosanjin's
idiosyncrasies but one of my favorite stories is when he visited Picasso
and presented Picasso with a lovely paulownia box which contained
Rosanjin's work. Picasso became enraptured with the craftsmanship and
smoothness of the box admiring it for longer than Rosanjin could stand.
Rosanjin thundered, "Not the box, not the box, you simple child! What I
made is inside the box." (page 10 of the above mentioned book)
It is little wonder that this epicurean ceramic artist's exhibitions
regularly tour Japan for the public seems to never tire of his honest
brilliance;
themingei potters can only sigh and watch Rosanjin's star rise further
with no
visible end in sight. Rosanjin's pieces at international auctions are
always bought for the highest sums of any potter in Japan- I'm not
saying that expensive means much just that Rosanjin is in a different
league than any other Japanese ceramist.
It is also interesting to note that Rosanjin's work was first shown in
the US at the Modern Museum of Art in New York while the mingei potters
were shown in folk museums. Here is an artist and proud of it- so proud
in fact that he declined the title of Living National Treasure for Oribe
wares because his former assistant Toyozo Arakawa(1894-1985) was
designated one for Shino ware before him. He died on December 21st, 1959
of hepatitis at the age of 76.
Admission for the exhibition is 800 yen for adults and 600 yen for
students.
Jr. High and under free.
After Kobe the exhibition travels as follows: March 12-17 at Daimaru
Shinsaibashi in Osaka, April 23-May 5 at Daimaru Shimoseki, May
7-May19 at Daimaru Museum in Kyoto, Sept. 12- Oct.25. at Kurashiki
City Musuem, and finishes at Daimaru Museum in Tokyo from Oct.29-
Nov.10.
Takahisa Furukawa's colorful overglaze enamel wares can be seen in
Kanazawa at Daiwa department store's eighth floor hall from the 20th
-24th.
Furukawa's style draws heavily on Edo period Rimpa painting.
For those who would like to see a mingei type show in Tokyo, Masaaki
Shibata will be showing at Akasaka Green Gallery until the 28th. Leach
inspired pitchers, tea pots, and bowls will be shown. Call Kazuko Ito at
the gallery for more information in English- 03-3401-5255.
Happy Valentines to all and e-mail me any comments or questions at
rlyell@izu.co.jp
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