Language Applied to the Ceramic Process

It is always good to receive feedback when one does something...be it negative or positive. It also gives one a chance to blow one's own trumpet...not done I know but here goes. It was a surprise to find this and I attach a translation. "Language and Visualization applied to Ceramics and Fire" was a course held at CACIS (Centre d'Art Contemporania i Sostentibilitat) near Barcelona, Spain. Wali Hawes was born in India.bHe went to university in England, studied ceramics in Spain then moved to Japan. He defines himself as "eclectic" and doesn't like to be limited by style or a stultifying ways of working. He was spot on with his workshop with a very original style which broke with conventional approaches. He started by reading out texts which placed emphasis on language and was focused on the word "Breasts" as a source of inspiration for the work we were to do. Each of us interpreted, wrote about and collected unconcious associations related to the theme "Breasts" which we then made a syntactic breakage in order to bring to fruition our experiences.
When you sign up for a course or workshop we are prepared to receive technical information, synthisize it, classify it and to depend on chance which is part of the ceramic process in order to put it into practice. However, in this workshop we not only found a very surprising approach but also a very stimulating experience. The atmosphere which was created and in which we developed our ideas was festive and leisurely and once the pieces were decorated we, pieces like plates, bowls and ceramic letters, etc we built a Paper Kiln whichat dusk brought forth a taste of greatness to be found in simplicity and was highly participatory. For Wali Hawes creativity is something that is common to all the arts. Ceramics and Literature, amonsgt others with a language in parallel. One needs to break the mould and apply it to new areas of creative expression.
Photo and text by Emma Nuevo

Emili Sempere

Emili Sempere is one of Spain's foremost experts on Spanish and Portuguese Pottery otherwise know as "Ceramica Popular" and is author of numerous books on the subject. He is also responsible for creating some of the best collections of "Ceramica Popular" having travelled extensively to almost every corner of the Iberian Peninsular in an exhaustive search of any and every example of this field of Contemporary Ceramics. He certainly opened my eyes to the regional diversity, technical virtuosity, dynamics and historical richness of Spanish Traditional Pottery. Sadly much of what used to be a very vibrant craft has declined very sharply over the last few decades and he has done much to keep the kilns firing in the various centres where it still exists. You didn't need to go to Japan in search of "mingei" when you could also find it in Spain....so it was just a case of swapping "sake" for "tinto" and instead of a "guinomi" one used a "chatto". Emili now edits the ceramics magazine "TerrART" which is published by L'Associcio de Ceramistes de Catalunya and is based in Barcelona. Seeing it is published in the Catalan language (which has its roots in Provençal) might put people off but it is richly illustrated and gives you a grest excuse to learn the language. So it was a pleasure to meet up with him and exchange banter and to know of his plans for organizing the 2016 Conference of the International Academy of Ceramics which will be held in Catalunya, mainly centered in Barcelona.
Enhorabona Emili!
He is seen here in the gallery of the Asociation in Barcelona....well worth a visit.
Web site:-www.ceramistescat.org/terrart

Pottery Festivals in Japan

Pottery Festivals in Japan

Pottery and Porcelain Fairs in Japan (from North to South)

Earthenware name:Festival/fair name	For more information
Dates
Place
Aizu Hongo Seto Ceramics Fair	Aizu Hongo-machi Tourist Association Tel: +81-242-56-4882 Japanese-language website: http://www.hongou.aizu.or.jp/kankou/
4 a.m. to noon, first Sunday in August
Aizu Hongo-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Mashiko ware: Mashiko Pottery Fair	Mashiko-machi Tourist Association Tel: +81-285-70-1120 Japanese-language website: http://www.mta.mashiko.tochigi.jp/
Late April to around May 8; several days around November 3
Mashiko-machi, Tochigi Prefecture
Kasama ware: Hi-matsuri Festival	Kasama Ware Co-op Tel: +81-296-73-0058 Japanese-language website: http://www.kasamayaki.or.jp/
Late April to around May 5
Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture
Mino ware:Tajimi Pottery Festival	Tajimi Pottery and Porcelain Wholesalers' Co-op Tel: +81-572-25-5588 Japanese-language website : http://www.japan-net.ne.jp/%7Etatosho/
2nd Saturday and Sunday in April
Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture
Seto ware:Setomono Festival	Setomono Festival Association Tel:+81-561-82-3123 English-language website: http://www.city.seto.aichi.jp/e/
2nd Saturday and Sunday in September
Seto, Aichi Prefecture
Tokoname ware: Tokoname Ware Festival	Tokoname Ware Festival Association Tel: +81-569-34-3200 English-language website: http://www.city.tokoname.aichi.jp/html/ intro_e/top.html
3rd or 4th Saturday and Sunday in August
Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture
Iga ware: Iga Ware Pottery Festival	Iga Ware Traditional Industry Museum Tel: +81-595-44-1701 Japanese-language website: http://www.igayaki.or.jp/introduction/ display.html
4th Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July
Iga, Mie Prefecture
Kutani ware: Kutani Chawan Festival	Kutani Chawan Festival Association Tel: +81-761-57-3511 Japanese-language website: http://www.ishikawashokokai.or.jp/terai/ p3/index.html
May 3 to 5
Terai-machi, Ishikawa Prefecture
Echizen ware: Echizen Pottery Festival	Echizen Ware Promotion Room Tel: +81-778-32-3200
3 days starting on the last Saturday in May
Echizen-cho, Fukui Prefecture
Shigaraki ware: Shigaraki Pottery Festival	Shigaraki Town Society of Commerce and Industry Tel: +81-748-82-0873
October 8 to 10 (please confirm)
Koka, Shiga Prefecture
Kyo ware: Gojo-zaka Pottery Festival	Toki Festival Association Japanese-language website: http://www.toukimaturi.gr.jp/index.html
August 7 to 10
Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Tanba ware: Tanba Ware Pottery Festival	Tanba Tachikui To-jiki Co-op Tel: +81-79-597-2034 English-language website: http://www.tanbayaki.com/index.htm
3rd Saturday and Sunday in October
Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture
Bizen ware: Bizen Ware Festival	Office for the Promotion of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Bizen City Hall Tel: +81-869-64-3301
3rd Saturday and Sunday in October
Bizen, Okayama Prefecture
Hagi ware: Hagi Ware Festival	Hagi Tourism Association Tel: +81-838-25-1750 Japanese-language website: http://www.joho-yamaguchi.or.jp/hagi-cci/ hagiyakimatsuri.html
May 1 to 5
Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Tobe ware: Tobe Ware Festival	Tobe-cho Office for the Promotion of Trade, Industry and Tourism Tel: +81-899-62-2323 Japanese-language website: http://www.iyo.ne.jp/tobe/index.htm
3rd Saturday and Sunday in April
Tobe-cho, Ehime Prefecture
Onta ware: Onta Ware Minto Festival	Hita Municipal Office for the Promotion of Trade, Industry and Tourism Tel: +81-973-23-3111
2nd Saturday and Sunday in October
Hita, Oita Prefecture
Arita ware: Arita Ceramic Bazaar	Arita Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tel: +81-955-42-4111 Japanese-language website: http://www.arita-toukiichi.or.jp/
April 29 to May 5
Arita-machi, Saga Prefecture
Satsuma ware: Miyama Kiln Festival	Office for the Promotion of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Higashi Ichiki-cho Town Hall Tel: +81-99-274-2111
Early November
Higashi Ichiki-cho, Kagoshima Prefecture
Tsuboya ware: Tsuboya Pottery Festival	Tsuboya Pottery Co-op Tel: +81-98-866-3284 Japanese-language website: http://www.tuboya.com/index.html
November (please confirm)
Naha, Okinawa Prefecture

Mishima o la vision del vacio by Marguerite Yourcenar

I have to start off by saying that this book is the Spanish translation but I am sure an English version is available.Given the stature of the Belgian born writer Marguerite Yourcenar it is a bit perplexing to find that her book on Yukio Mishima should start off with an apology. I had been drawn to Yourcenar after coming across a book on "Foreign Writers Views of Japan" in Yokkaichi library some time back. She goes on to state "when the life of a writer has been so varied, rich, impetuous and at times wisely calculated just like his work we are warned of the errors in using the same virtues and his greatness to judge him!". Could it have something to do with the way he died or maybe what she wanted to avoid at all costs was to descend into what drugstore psychology?. It turns out that Mishima's grandmother, descended from the samurai aristocracy ...the Tokugawa's no less, was quite a character that dominated the young Mishima bringing him up on the values and spirit that is found in Noh and Kabuki which we are told goes overboard in melodrama and is quite blood thirsty. Yourcenar suggest that this crazy fairy placed in him a grain of dementia which would be necessary for his genius. This contrasted with a father bereft of and incapable of love or feelings and was a pen pushing bureaucrat that would find anything other than boredom too much to handle. In order for us "gaijin-da" to understand the work of Mishima comparisons are made with Western writers like Balzac (or in my university days Balls ache!) and is described like an half opened fan as a way of re-creating a Japan as in the case of the countess Ryakura of "The Snows of Spring". I could go on but found that what I wanted to do was read his books.....

La Ruta del Quemador

This all started off as a joke and was presented at "Enfang'at" in Celra, Spain at a Potters' Banquet. A banker working at an office day in and day out for donkey's years is sick to death and fed up to the teeth. He says to himself "Life must be more than this. I need a change. I know what, I'll do something exciting and sign up for a sky diving course" He goes to his local airfield and signs up. Six months later the big day arrives. He get into the plane and as they fly over the designated place his instructor goes through last minute checks. "Everything in order.....right 3,2,1....jump!" And there he is flying through space and feeling just like a bird. This is something I have always dreamed off" he says to himself enjoying the amazing views. Suddenly his enjoyment is spoilt by the peepeeing of his altimeter. He jerks at his ripcord but nothing happens. "No problem I have an emergency parachute!" Just then the altimeter goes off again and once again he tugs at the ripcord but still nothing happens. He starts to panic.....as he descends at a dizzying speed he sees this guy flying up towards him spreadeagled and face up. As they are about to pass he says...."Hey do you know anything about parachutes? and the other guy says.... "NO! Do you know anything about gas kilns?" And on this basis "La Ruta del Kemador" was started because the prize for the best joke went to a guy who lives in the Canary Islands and the prize was a set of gas burners!!!!!
The entire route can be found here:-
http://larutadelkemador.blogspot.com/search/label/ceramica%20experimental

Aoyama Artist-in-Residence Sculpture Trail

After having been involved in one of the rare examples of an artist-in-residence programme when I lived in Mie-ken, Japan it was good to see the time and trouble taken in mapping out the sites of all the works that are on public display. Here is the link:-
http://www.appfi.org/residence_2007/map.htm
All credit must go to Morita-sensei who is professor of Sculpture at Kyoto University and who is the driving force behind the project. Artist-in-residence programmes are few and far between in Japan and to have done so in a small town like Aoyama just goes to show what can be done. We were housed in a sake brewery and had the food prepared for us by volunteers. We also did workshops with the local children as part of the programme. The other aspect of my work with Monumental Open Fired Sculptures in japan is the way such work is dismissed by the potting community as not being ceramics. I did try and open a dialogue placing emphasis on the ceramic process as a method of communication and in dealing with the crisis that had been plagueing ceramics in Japan but it was like being a wood worm and trying to eat a brick!!!!!
More information here:-
http://www.nava21.ne.jp/~chez.ima/kyoro17.html

Spanish National Awards for Ceramics

On the 3rd December in Totana (Murcia) Spain, a gala dinner was hosted to present the National Awards in Ceramics. I was paricularly pleased to se Emili Sempere given an award for his contribution to what he has called "Ceramology". It was his book "Rutas a los Alfares" which became my bible when I travelled all over Spain in order to visit centres of production in traditional pottery. Tito from Ubeda was also awarded a prize and it was due to the book I was able to visit Tito at his atelier in Ubeda. It was amazing to see the huge plates he made and the traditional way of firing them. It is also my theory that the root of the Japanese "Oribe" is linked to the green glazed pottery from Ubeda which was exported to Japan in the period prior to Oribe becoming associated with Japanese ceramics.......the Western style pottery figures is another clue. Few people have had as much influence on "Ceramica Popular" in terms of research, documentation and dissemination of popular and artistic ceramics in Spain as Emili Sempere. His boundless activity for ceramics are unparalleled in the country. His other publications are "Terres de l'Ebre", "La Terrissa Catalana" and "History and Art in Ceramics in Spain and Portugal" amongst others. He is also editor of the TERRART and is co-ordinating the celebration in Spain of the International Academy of Ceramics Congress in 2016.

Loli Cardenoso and Cockpit Arts

Loli Cardenoso is a ceramicist who has been living and working in London for the last 30 years. I have been in touch with her previously as we tried to get a participation of a group of London Potters for the International ceramics Festival "Embarrarte" in Ponferrada, Spain. Now that I am back in London it was a splendid opportunity to make contact again so I was delighted to receive an invitation to visit Cockpit Arts for the Open Studios, which is where Loli has her studio. After having lived in Japan it is only beginning to dawn on me the difficulties potters face in not only maintaining a studio but also making a living from their work surrounded as they are with such a web undefined inertia and contemplated overt strategies to impede anything that would allow creative freedom to thrive, which is why Cockpit Arts is such a great initiative. Loli was also responsible for setting up "SAL" or Spanish artists in London which brings together ceramic artists, painters and sculptors.
Info can be found here:-
artwork-lolicardenoso.blogspot.com/
and here:-
www.cockpitarts.com/designers/loli-cardenoso-3

www.s-a-l.co.uk/wp/artists/loli-cardenoso/

25 anys du Lavoir. Parcours Céramique dans la Ville

It is always great to receive information about what other potters and ceramic artists are doing so was delighted to receive this from Eleonre Weiss who has her studio en Lodeve (Llanguedoc-Rousillon) in France. Quite amazed at the level of work which makes me realize why France has always been a magnet, a "bressol" for artists of all persuasions....has alot to do with the French attitude to art, how the respect Art and artists and cultivate this........pity I had to miss the vernissage c'est samedi the 10th Dec.

Tea Bowl Stories V. Better broken than Whole

I was gazing at a beautiful porcelain Tea Bowl through dewy eyes of humility. It had one of the most exquisite celadons I have ever seen. I turned to the maker Yoshimachi-san. He looked at me expectantly. I said, "I think it would be better if it were cracked and repaired with gold!...you know some kintsugi or shit like that!" I smiled thinking the Zen twist of ironic imperfection and incompleteness would bring a smile to his face or something like that. What happened is something I should have anticipated. He felled me with a well aimed karate look. "Gaijin-da will never understand Japanese feeling!"...."I was only joing...jodan desu!" I gasped as I struggled to my knees up Mother Brown. It was just then that Shingo-san dropped by. "I can teach you how to make it but what I can't do is teach you what to make!" I bowed deeply like the Pacific Ocean full of tuna fish as I took in his words. I was swept away and transported to Kyoto and Daikoku-ji. I wandered aimlessly amongst the corridors. Kimono-clad maidens shuffled about with trays filled with delights and displayed like little works of Art on equally exquisite pieces. "You have to go through there!" one maiden pointed to a door at the end of the corridor. Later I would find out her name was Yoshino. I slid open the door with my right hand halfway, then with the left finally opened it fully. I bowed deeply. Entered and took my place amongst what appeared to be courtiers. Nobody questiond my being there. On a dais to my left sat the shogun Hideyoshi, the most powerful man in Japan. From a side entrance the size of a shoe box a door slid open in the same two style pattern. A Tea Master bowed then passed through. A feeling of Ichi-go-Ichie filled the room. He unfurled a fukusa and placed on it a Tea Bowl. It was the famous "Asaina" meaning "The Morning is Beautiful". We all surpressed a gasp. The Tea Master placed the bowl in front of Hideoyshi. He made a move to hold it but as his left hand moved towards it-it shattered.