A little treasure box of ideas for my creations...
Firing is such a crucial part of the ceramic making which I don't know much about yet but hope this will change soon. I saw this book at the studio and given the age of the book, published in 1968, there were some very old images of potters and kilns.
This is such an old image of a pottery workshop... people don't dress like this anymore in Korea. This is probably around 1950s or before. It reminds me of my grandmother... she wasn't a potter but the country life.
This is such an overdue post that I was meaning to do but never got around to post it. Here are some of the photos from the show at Stoke-on-Trent.
This was at the train station. It shows the highlights of Stoke-on-Trent.
Lee Kang-Huo's ongki, which was decorated on the opening night, I missed it but it was great to see it!
Juree Kim... Falcon Pottery... so much bigger than I thought it would be and so real!
Neil Brownsword Factory...
[This was from 24th Sept 2017 when the master class was held at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent as part of British Ceramics Biennale 2017. ]
KangHyo made a number of pots including bowls, a flat plate (a wall hang) and two onggi jars. I have tried to take short video clips to remain myself of the making process but let's see what I can come up with in the future. I have uploaded some processes of the wall hanging plate, some bowls and an onngi jar.
A little warning... the videos are not the best quality ones and I didn't realised that I should have had my phone horizontally!
The coils he made here were half a bag of terracota clay(apprx. 6kg).
He was saying that he normally uses dried sand to put on the bat before making the plate but whatever sand they have is ok. The sand is for the plate to not stick to the bat.
[This was from 24th Sept 2017 when the master class was held at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent as part of British Ceramics Biennale 2017. ]
We had Q&A session throughout the whole day and these are some that I remember from the day.
- When did you know you were an artist not a potter?
I never thought I was making a bowl but considered them as a piece of art work. Artist to me is one who goes beyond the technical ability as techniques are techniques. You have to have the deep connection with clay and put your soul in finding your style of work.
- To watch you decorate the pot at the opening was amazing, what is it like for you?
It is all about what I feel, I do not think when I decorate my pots. I put a piece of Korean drum music (samulnori- 사물 놀이) that is about 7 minutes long when I decorate and that gives me the energy. I use more energy during that 7 minutes than when I make the pot (the pot at the opening was nearly 2 meters tall).
The pot KangHyo decorated during the opening ofBritish Ceramic Biennial 2017 at Stoke-on Trent, Spode. (Apparently, the pot was made over one and half day long but it would have only taken half a day if he was in Korea as different clay and climate were the factors to the making process.)
- What influence has it make on you and your work whilst meeting famous artist/maker from all over the world?
My work does not take immediate change with the various influences and experiences although it's all in my mind and I think it fliters through my work very gradually. However, what has really changed is my life style. I have really learnt, especially visiting European countries, to make time to rest and play as Korean tend to work all the and do not know the importance of playing.
- I understand that you studied in Seoul but travelled to southern provinces to learn the Onggi making but faced with resistance. Why did you still want to learn to make Onggi and why were you attracted to Bunchang (분청) style?
At university, Onggi making was not taught as Onggi are often made by Onggi masters who have been handed down the techniques as a means of making a living out of making and selling Onggi. They are often less educated people (maybe only until primary school?) but with great skills and they thought it was strange for someone like me to learn to make Onggi.
Because the Onggi clay creates a very dark body, it was natural for me to use a bright decoration style that Bunchang style.
So much to learn about making a pot but firing process is what really fascinates me! An informative article of reduction firing.
Ryan Coppage, PhD • August 9, 2017
We all know what reduction firing is, right? Or do we? The science of what happens in a reduction kiln and the resulting color palette might not be exactly what you think it is.
When I read Ryan Coppage’s article on reduction firing in the March 2016 issue of Ceramics Monthly, I realized that I didn’t have the definition exactly right. So I thought I would share an excerpt from the article in this post. After all, really understanding what’s happening in the kiln can only lead to better results! – Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor.
by Ryan Coppage
Almost as a standard, the process of “reduction” is described with some degree of equivocation no matter where you go or in which ceramic setting you work. Most pottery professionals don’t like to describe it, especially to a persnickety chemist. These descriptions vary from place to place, but the process of reduction is most commonly communicated as “reducing the amount of oxygen in a kiln,” such that the flame/fuel searches for more oxygen and will pull said oxygen out of clay bodies, etc. While this is absolutely parallel and incidental to reduction taking place, that phenomenon is not reduction and is not responsible for the vibrant, beautiful colors that are synonymous with the firing method.
Reduction is the process of electrons being donated to a metal/element/surface through some set of reactions, while another component in the same set of reactions is oxidized (electrons lost). This is your defined set of oxidation and reduction parameters. In a gas kiln, albeit natural gas or propane, you are using some set of hydrocarbons and oxygen. Your reaction breaks down to the following for an oxidation firing using propane:
C3H8 + 5 O2 4 H2O + 3 CO2
With access to enough oxygen to efficiently burn your fuel, you are almost exclusively producing water vapor and CO2, which will cause oxidation of your ceramic surfaces. This is the clean-burning, efficient, blue flame, which is why easy temperature gains are synonymous with oxidation atmospheres. Upon limiting the amount of oxygen access to the inside of your kiln via vents, flue control, or passive dampers, you are no longer producing purely CO2 from your fuel; you are now producing carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon black in the form of soot and char (C:H compounds in the ratio of 8:1 or so). Your flame is bright orange (1A) and you can see smoke and soot often rolling up and out of the kiln. Conversely, a fully oxidative flame is bright blue (1D), with transitionary flame compositions between the two (1B, 1C). CO and soot both deliver electrons to the surface of your pottery in the kiln. CO reacts with oxygen at the surface and forms CO2, leaving electrons behind. Soot will flow and adhere to the surface of whatever it touches in the kiln as incredibly small, free-radical black carbon particulate. As small carbon particulates build up on pottery surfaces, they begin to aggregate as soot and oxidize, causing a small flow of electrons into the ceramic surfaces. These processes result in the metals in your glazes gaining electrons, which means the net charge or oxidation state is reduced. Potters take advantage of this atmosphere for reducing oxidation states of metal colorants, soot production in carbon trapping, and more specialized glaze effects via soaking.
**First published in 2016
I was very fortunate to spend two days, maybe more opportunities to come?, at Kate's studio for work experience. I was surprised to be greeted by Kate herself when I arrived at her studio. She has a video of her studio on her website, which I have already seen online but it was nice to actually see the space in person, which is a live and work studio.
She showed me three different tasks to for the day along side her lovely assistant. They looked simple at a glance but the level of precision regarded to do these tasks well was extremely high. Kate was very nice and super generous with her time and knowledge, which I cannot thank her enough for her time. Most importantly, to watch her at work at her studio was a joy as the fluidity and effortlessness in her hand movements showed her mastery.
Click here for Kate Malone's work
Blue bits in the glazes are crystals in the glaze that she specialises in.... need to be up close and personal with the pieces to see the crystals!
This is her glaze research studio... 30 years of hard work!
I have been volunteering at Courtauld Institute since April this year to help digitise all of their archived photographs and negatives in the library. This will be available to the public to access (as long as they have copyright clearance) when the project is finished in about 3 years time. Digitisation project is part of a bigger change happening at the Courtauld Institute to modernise called Courtauld Connects.
This has been a chance to meet new people and to handle fragile piece of history. The work itself could mundane at times but I get a chance to do some quiet work in the library which is nice. Technology is not my thing, however it is nice to be aware and informed of what is happening in the art sector and have some insider understanding of the latest issues.
Below link is about the damaged negatives we digitised and I think this photo/negative is so funny! British peoples' pass time activity??
After 5 months of making cylinders, this is my first one that I am happy with. It just felt right as I was pulling up (H-15cm) with nice thin walls. Let's hope I don't ruin it when I turn it. It was a nice feeling after experiencing a month of many of my cylinders going off centre half way or at the top.
This was a learning process when I spoke to an experience self-taught potter at the studio, he said two steps forward one step back. It really felt like and my persistence is very slowly paying off, there is only practice, practice and practice to perfect this art and also not being frustrated with clay. Clay feels and it remembers the stress it experienced which results sometimes in cracks!!!
A very English affair...Summer Exhibition... I noticed it is the 249th exhibition. It will be a big year in 2018 for it being the 250th one! I was not so excited with this year's Summer Exhibition, it felt somewhat flat and not diverse enough. Perhaps this it the trend of the art world at present?
Pin the Wing by Julie Major... £6,200
Pin the Wing by Julie Major
Full House by Sean Scully... NFS
Butter Puja by Stephen Cox... £37,500
Thread: Artist' Residency and Cultural Centre (Digital Print) by Toshiko Mori... NFS
Shall I fire my hand?! I was stirring a very full glaze bucket and got my hand covered in glaze.
A little delayed post from 8th July on Fortune Street Park Fun Day 2017. Pauline was very kind to invite me to assist her during the pottery making session at the event. Here she is working with twins to make a small pot.
These were the small pots the children made throughout the day! We must have been one of the very popular event of the day. Pauline worked with about 60 children in 5 hours! It was a super super super busy day!!!
Pauline and my work on display for sale. It was my first opportunity to present my sample pieces to the public! I was a bit nerves but it was a nice feeling to be able to sell some pieces... :)
Pauline and I after a very busy day but it was fun and the weather was great!
I have been wanting to go the British Museum to look at some ceramic pieces. These are from the Korean section...
The famous 'Moon Jar' in the back ground in porcelain.
조선초기 분청사기... Bunchung from Josun period (14C.). It is surprising to see the shape of these pieces as I sometimes (if I'm luncky!) throw pots like the one at the back.
An old fan... I quite like the pattern around the handle. I might be able to use it on some pots!
From Sir Percival David Collection... A room (Room 95) full of amazing Chinese Ceramics. I didn't take any photos as it would have been too much so I went and did some drawings to inspire me for my future work.
Finally made it to Art Basel, it was an experience indeed. The scale of the art fair was massive, there were two floors of galleries that divides into contemporary art (post second world war) and more classic art (late 1800).
'Unlimited' was an exhibition space of contemporary artist show casing their new work and older work including installations and video art.
@Whitechaple Gallery until 14/05/17
It was such a great exhibition for me at this moment of my creative journey. I looked at my portfolio and thought that it was all over the place feeding into my curiosity. However, the moment I stepped into the gallery, I felt relieved and comforted as if I was welcome into his own house!
Look at the various work displayed here alone!
Drawings for Tottenham Court Road tube station mosaic piece...in scale 1982
The exhibition was over two floors and it got more and more varied and varied which included a piece of music composted after his work! So maybe I should doubt what I do and just carry on.
I have always been interested in interior design and more so when I started making small furniture as they are located within an internal 'space'. A week's introduction course was available at Chelsea College of Art and Design just before Easter. It was nice to go back to university for a change and art schools have this particular smell, maybe paint?, in the building which I remember from my Goldsmiths time though I didn't study art.
We were gave a project to work on for the week which was to design a bathroom with an unlimited budget! I learnt to create a mood (concept) board, to complete technical drawings of floor plans, elevations and sections of the plan and finally a sample board.
a view of our table during the course... lots and lots of paper everywhere!
my mood/concept board AND sample board... fresh, clam, industrial
my floor plan, elevation of a wall and section of wall
I attended a short workshop to learn porcelain decoration/painting with Erika Albrecht at Arch 40 (East London). The surface was VERY smooth and the control of the brush was actually very difficult. However, erasing was very simple, just wipe it off with some tissue!
After 2 hours of practising on the flat plate, we were given a cup to decorate and eventually to take it home! This is what I did in the end.
Getting creative with clay from 7- 9 April 2017
Hey Clay! is a national celebration of clay through free pottery sessions across the UK. Hey Clay! will take place during the nationwide Get Creative weekend from 7-9 April.
Hey Clay! visitors will be able to witness the drama of raku firing and have a go at throwing on a wheel, pinching, slab building, coiling and much more. You will be able to create pinch pot egg cups in West Yorkshire, make a clay figure at the Leach Pottery in Cornwall, create terracotta pots at Ruthin Craft Centre in Wales, have a go on a wheel in Bristol’s mobile pottery studio. Plus the home of the Great Pottery Throw Down – Middleport Pottery - will be hosting a whole weekend of fun activities.
An Amazingly well received opening sale at E10 studio. I really enjoyed the day out watching Tom Kemp's demonstration and walking around the stands with friends who were inspired to buy the ceramic pieces. I hope, maybe in a years time I would be able to have stand to sell my own work. Watch the space! ;)
I've joint the new Turning Earth E10 studio as a member to practice more alongside my pottery lessons. The studio literally opened on 01/03/2017!!! Of course at the pottery studio the tiles are made and installed in-house :)
Check out Turning Earth Studio... http://e10.turningearth.uk/
Part of the glaze chart at Turning Earth E2...
Love the fact that the glaze colour combination is almost infinite!
