michael on sun 26 dec 99
Hi everyone,
I was fortunate to spend two and a half years in Korea studying at
both a traditional pottery and a more modern factory. I spent many a
happy morning wedging clay under foot. I was told to use my body weight
and keep my body straight as I worked with primarily the heel of either
foot to create a beautiful chrysanthemum pattern on the highly smoothed
concrete floor. The traditional pottery is distinguished as such
because of the lack of modern equipment on site and the master's disdain
for such machines. He personally selected the raw materials of his clay
body and glazes which would arrive by the truckload. The clay body was
sieved into containers then pressed through cotton bags. Only after
these initial steps did I get my feet on his clay. The master potter of
this small but extremely talented and successful pottery is considered
an expert of Korean bowls that are highly praised by Japanese collectors
and practitioners of tea ceremony. He deemed it necessary to foot wedge
all the clay that his thrower used.
The more modern factory received their clay body already processed
from a distributor, it too arrived by the truckload but it was already
in the plastic state. The pug mill at this facility was a recent
addition and its presence in the workshop was welcomed by the assistant
but seen as a reluctant necessity by the master potter. All clay was
run through this pug mill prior to hand wedging. It was only when the
master thrower was going to produce ongi jar size vessels did his
assistant or myself foot wedge his clay. The assistant would then hand
wedge and then coil amounts for the thrower.
These last two points are illustrated in a wonderful video on
traditional Korean pottery called Part 1: Forming techniques which is
part of a three volume series from an association entitled the East /
West Institute for the Arts. I'm not sure if this organization still
exists but this videos may be available through the Potters Shop book
and video outlet in Mass.(?). On this tape are excellent examples of
Korean forming techniques as well as clay preparations and decorating
methods.
In the exuberance of my youth I unfortunately did not document even
the most basic clay body formulas or glaze recipes. I would greatly
appreciate information on clay bodies and glaze recipes for ongi sized
vessels that I want to fire in both noborigama and anagama kilns.
Presently I am using stoneware bodies which are fine but I would like to
try those bodies. I thought as many young ones do that my time in Korea
would never end and before I knew what was happening I had returned home
to the U.S. and started a family and only potted part time and the rest
is ... what happens while your busy making other plans. ( thanks John )
Come on ask another question. Mike, at the always envisioned but newly
formed AV Pottery
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