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Growing up in Minnesota where, via the influences of the many local
potters, the climate for making pottery has a distinctly Japanese
folk pottery or mingei air to it, I began my work in high school
making “Japanese” inspired functional pots. As the
years progressed my work turned to non-functional, and then, to
purely sculptural concerns until my first trip to Japan in 1987
when the circle began to close. My residency there lasted from
1988 to 1996, and during that time I came to realize how deeply
ceramics were imbedded in the culture via the tea ceremony, flower
arranging, the various styles of regional cooking, etc. I became
drawn to Japanese pottery such as Oribe with its painterly playfulness,
to Shino, with its soft, rich textural surfaces, and to Shigaraki/Iga,
with their truth to materials/process approach. More recently,
via my interest in making wares for the tea ceremony, my attention
has turned to Korean influenced work, specifically Hagi as well
as Karatsu style ware. In contrast to Mingei style pottery where
the artist tends to express himself consciously via decoration
such as brushwork, I try to let my work carry more of a truth to
materials approach taking the role of the enabler, rather than
that of the creator. Coming from more of an abstract-expressionist
approach, as well as consciously stepping back to let the materials
speak for themselves, I look to find and use materials in a rawer
state in hopes of allowing the clay and fire their voice. Although
it may sound like an oxymoron, most of my work is completed unfinished,
or in a state where hopefully the viewer/participant completes
the work via the type of food or drink served or the flower arrangement
created. This approach allows more interaction between pot and
participant as well as allowing the various aspects of each pieces’ personality
to emerge over time and with use.
Working
alone in my studio, my thrown work is either created on an electric
wheel or, in the case of my tea ware, on an old
momentum kick wheel. There is a certain pace to throwing on the
kick wheel that gives a special quality to the tea bowls as they
emerge one by one from the hump of clay before me. Clays I use
in my work include a dark brown high iron body, a black body,
as well as a buff body which when fired approximates the mogusa
clay used for Shino ware in Japan. Local clay which I dig in
the area is added in percentages ranging from 10% – 50%
depending on the color palette as well as textures that I seek
to achieve. Additionally I procure ash for glazes locally as
well, using various types of ash including apple wood, black
pine, and alder as depending on the type of tree or plant and
where it grew, I can achieve differing color and surface quality.
The worked is either single or multi-fired fired in reduction
here at my studio in my 65 cubic foot gas car kiln to cone 9-10.
In the near future I have plans to build a small anagama kiln
which can be fired with a multitude of fuels will allow me to
further expand the range of my work.
BFA - Summa cum Laude - University of Minnesota
MFA - University of Washington
Selected
exhibitions of my work include such venues as the William Traver
Gallery - Seattle, the Urasenke Foundation - Seattle, the Parsons
School of Design - New York City, The Otis Art Institute – Los
Angeles, The Ichikawa Prefectural Musuem of Art – Kanazawa
Japan, The International Tableware Festival – Tokyo as
well as The Kintetsu/Matsushita Gallery in Takamatsu Japan.
I would like to thank the various people who have and continue
to support me along my journey including my family, both here
and in Japan, and friends. I also thank my teachers whom have
helped and challenged me along the way, Roma Luety, Curtis
Hoard, Howard Kottler, Bob Sperry, Tanaka Hideho, as well as
Kajita Shigeki. A special indebtedness goes to Katsuo Tsueko
who kept me going when times were tough in Japan, as well as
to Tominaga Kenji, Hashimoto Eiji and Yoshiko, as well as to
all of my many other Japanese friends whom have encouraged
and supported me. Oseiwa ni narimashita to Kishino Naohito
for his sumie walking man painting which graces this site as
well as my chop which he so skillfully created. A special thanks
to Bonnie Mitchell of the Urasenke Foundation here in Seattle.
A final thanks goes to you Etsuko, you’ve always been
there with your support……
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