John Britt on sat 24 oct 98
No, Leach did not speak Japanese. But he did speak "English" well,
especially when he referred to Hamada as a 'good Japanese assistant' .
(see pg 24, Bernard Leach, Edmund de Waal, 1998.)
--
Thanks,
John Britt claydude@unicomp.net
Dys-Functional Pottery
Dallas, Texas
http://www.dysfunctionalpottery.com/claydude
john eden on tue 27 oct 98
Did Leach speak Japanese?
Many moons ago when I was a student at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts
in London, Hamada came to visit. He was accompanied by Bernard Leach. The
head of the ceramics department at the time was Dick Kendall who happened to
be Leach's Son-in law. It was decided that he should make some pots ( thats
about as organized as it got back then) so a Leach kick wheel was dragged
into position and a table was jacked up level with the shelf at the back.
Those who know Leach wheels will know what I mean. This allowed Shoji (what
the hell, I can call him that) to sit crossed legged on the table and throw
while somebody kicked the wheel. I seem to remember that the person kicking
was Bryan Newman an excellent British potter who was technician and part
time Instructor in the department at the time. I can remember that a few of
us thought that he ought to kick his own wheel. Anyway, he threw a bunch of
pots, and then went for lunch. Afterwards we all watched him trim and then
decorate the pots, sloshing pigment about with, what looked to me at the
time like gay abandon . While he was brushing pigment on the pots he said
something in Japanese. It had that kind of sound/intensity about it that in
any language means it might actually be important. All of us, that included
fellow students Tony Hepburn, Mo Jupp, Raymond Silverman among others and
faculty Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, Colin Pearson, Ian Auld, looked at one and
other and shrugged shoulders until some brave soul asked Bernard what he had
said. Bernard told us that Shoji said "Decorating a pot was like walking
down a mountain into a stiff cool breeze". I have to tell you that there
were a few raised eyebrows in the audience.
So it seems that Bernard was not only a good potter but from what I am
hearing if he didn't speak Japanese, bloody quick off the mark. It gets
better and better.
Cheers, John
John Eden / Ceramics
John Abbott College
Ste. Anne de Bellevue
Quebec, H9X 3L9, Canada
Tel. # 514-457-6610 ext.395
| |
|
