Thinking about how to present flowers. どう花を見せるかを考える。

陶芸をすれば、誰でも食器と花器を作ろうとするのではないでしょうか。僕はその典型で、９５年に始めた陶芸ですが、造形以外、殆ど僕の作る物は食器か花器だったと思います。（この中には、茶器も入る。）

When people start pottery, almost everyone makes dishes and vases. I am a typical example of that. I started making ceramics in '95, and almost every piece I made - other than ceramic art - fell into these categories (including tea ceremony related items.)

この中で、最近面白いなぁと思うのが、花器です。花器といえば、古伊賀のスタイルしか興味がありませんでした。というのも、造形を学んだ僕にとっては、桃山時代に作成された、これらの花器群は他の花器を寄せ付けない、造形美溢れる魅力があるのです。だから、僕なりに形と釉薬のバランスなどを考えて、セッセと古伊賀花器モドキを作り続けていたのです。（これは、作陶生活が続く限りやめられないのかもしれない。）
For the past few years, I've had a special interest in vases. Not that I'm new to vases. I've actually made lots of them,  but when I did make them, I almost exclusively made them  in old Iga style - at least the shape of it. Old Iga or Ko-Iga ware were made in Momoyama period (late 1500s). Their vases are highly sculptural. For a man who studied sculpture, Ko-Iga vases shined like no other. Hence, I have had made this style of vases paying attention to the balance of the shapes and the glazes. (I suspect this indulgence of mine will not stop as long as I make pottery.)

反面、僕は新たな刺激が欲しく、ここ数年間「どのようにこの美しい古伊賀花器の呪縛から自分を解放することができるのか？」などとも、一人でぶつぶつ言ってもいました。
Recently, I wanted something fresh. It is true that for a few years I would mumble to myself, "How can I liberate myself from this spell of  beautiful Ko-Iga vases?"

僕は草花が好きです。野草が好きです。花屋さんに行って、整然と並ぶ草花たちも好きです。一番好きな草花の姿は、自然のままです。何でも自然のままが良いのです。地から生える草花。木から伸びる枝に咲いては散る花。季節ごとに表情を変える植物は、生きる教訓を見る側に訴えます。

I like leaves and flowers. I like wild foliage. I also like flowers and plants that are neatly organized in flower shops. But I like plants in their natural setting the best. To me, anything really looks the best in its natural state. Those plants that grow out of soil, the flowers that bloom on the branches off a trunk, or the foliage that changes its expression by season, all give some sort of life lessons to the viewer.

でも人間とは面白い、自然を放っておけない。いろいろな見方(意地悪な見方も含めて)が有りますが、要するに自然が大好きなのだと思います。そしてその美しさや、自然の象徴する何かにあやかりたくて、草花を自然から切り離し、自分の手に負える範囲でもう一度、今度は自分のフィルターを通して、自然を表現したいのではないでしょうか？少なくても、僕はそうなのです。
The interesting thing about us humans is that we can not leave nature alone. There may be many ways to explain why we can't leave nature alone (including not so nice intentions,) I personally think it is simply because we love nature. In the process of or in attempt to emanate beauty or something that nature symbolizes, we take the plant out of its natural environment, and recreate and express nature through our own filters in more manageable setting.  At least, that is my case.

この数年に間、ただ考えていたわけではありません。幾度ともなく、試行錯誤しながら、土と語らってきました。僕の中では、あるコンセプトがありました。「自然からほど遠くない草花のあり方。」要するに、「切られたそのままの状態を僕の作った器でどう受けとめるか？」それが、課題なのです。
Last few years, I repeated the process of trial and error. I tried to understand the language of clay. I had a concept which is,"Presenting foliage not too far from its natural environment." The challenge was how the vessels I made accept fresh cut plants or vise versa. 

若かった頃、父と母がよく庭いじりをしながら、切った花をバケツに入れたのを思い出します。そういえば、イギリスに住んでいた時も、そん光景を頻繁に見たことがあります。バケツに入れられた花たちは、とても生き生きとしていたことを思い出します。どの花もバケツに入れられた時は意図的に立たせられたりはしていません。ただ切られた時のままバケツの口に寄りかかっているのです。でもそれがかえって新鮮に見えました。この「無造作さ」、それが僕のコンセプトの根底にあります。でも、先にも述べたように、やはり人間は、表現するものですから、僕の作る花入は、立てても横たえても良いようにデザインしているつもりです。

I remember my dad and mom putting flowers in a bucket as they worked in their yard in Japan when I was young. In England, I saw many gardeners doing so as well. I recall the flowers leaning at the mouth of the bucket looking extra fresh. Presenting the flowers well was probably the last thing they had in their mind. Such "un-intention" is at the root of my practice. However, I could not help designing my vessels so plants can stand or lay in them.    

きっと、先に花器を作ってきた人たちは同じようなことを考えていたにちがいない。
I am certain that people who made flower vessels before me thought, had concerns, and dealt with similar issues as I do.

Wood Fired Pots at Roger-san's ロジャーさんの所の薪窯

When someone starts making pottery, sooner or later one wants to try wood firing. I started making ceramic art as a student back in 1996. I made my own raku kiln. When I went back to Japan in 1999, I even built an experimental kiln using kiln shelves to imitate wood firing with my friend Kohtaro Ito.  We packed the kiln with vases and mangrove charcoal, and fired it for several hours. As a matter of fact, we were able to get similar effect to wood firing. We planed to built a a type of real wood firing kiln called "Anagama." The city, however, did not grant us the permission to build the kiln. After that, I went to a grad school for art program back in the U.S. Since then, I never really had a chance to put my own work in the wood firing kiln.
---time warp---
Last year in 2011, I started coming to this wonderful ceramic/pottery studio in NYC called Togei Kyoshitsu of NY. I heard much nice things about wood firing at Roger-san's. But not for me! I had to pass 4 chances to bring my work at Roger-san's because something always came up. After a year, I was finally able to go to Roger-san's!!
The process was pretty simple; we bring our pots to his studio. Glaze if wanted. Put "dango" (I am not sure what we call these balls in English) at any side of the pot so it would not stick to the self.
And leave them. Wait for two weeks. And go pick them up! This must be the easiest wood firing participation there is in this world. Or at least, it must be as easy as making a cup ramen. Thank you for making this so easy for us, Roger-san!

some of my pieces minus the pretty piece with a lid

from left, Rie-san, Yujiro-san, and Tomoe-san of Togei Kyoshitsu  (ひだりから、陶芸教室のりえさん、ユージローさん、トモエさん)

（りえさん、トモエさん、いつもおいしいお食事ありがとうございます！ユージローさん、いつも運転ありがとうございます！）

From right, Aki-chan, Roger-san, and me. (右からアキちゃん、ロジャーさん、僕)

Those pieces did not require sanding or grinding at the bottom. (バリを取らずにすんだ僕の作品) 

As a big fan of Ko Iga flower vases, this became a priceless experience to me. I am already planing on making new pieces for the next visit.

Next time, I will introduce Roger-san and other people's work as well.

陶芸を始めたら誰でも一度はやってみたいのが薪窯を使って自分の作品を焼くこと。1996年に陶土を使ってオブジェを大学で造り始め、ラク窯も自分で作った。1999年には僕の友達の宇都宮陶芸倶楽部の伊東功太郎と一緒に薪窯まがいを窯板を合わせて作り、マングローブ炭を使って焼き、それなりの結果もでた。その夏僕たちは陶芸倶楽部に穴窯を建てる予定ではあったものの、市からは許可が下りず、結局僕はアメリカにM.F.A.を取りに帰り、それからは薪窯で云々と言う話しは全くなかった。
タイムワープ
去年2011年に久しぶりに陶芸を始めた。僕が作陶に励むのはニューヨーク陶芸教室と言う所で、とっても良い所です。いき始めてすぐに、ロジャーさんの所で薪窯をやっていると聞き始めましたが、その後一年は僕には縁のない事になってしまいました。いくチャンスがあるごとに他の何かが持ち上がり、プランはペチャンになったのです。然し今回ついに僕はあのあこがれの薪窯に初挑戦できる事になったーっ！
プロセスはとっても簡単でした。はず自分たちの作品をロジャーさんの所に持っていく。釉薬をかける。団子を的確に付ける。作品を置いていく。二週間待ったら取りにいく。
なんて簡単なんだー！これではカップラーメン作るのと同じくらい簡単。ロジャーさんありがとう！
古伊賀花入れの大ファンである僕にとって今回の経験はとっても計り知れないものになりました。次の機会持っていく持っていく作品のデザインも、もうすっかり始めました。
次回は、ロジャーさんと他の人々の作品も紹介させていただきます。

Flower Arrangement by Maysoun

My wife, Maysoun, is a public health researcher, however, she also has a passion for flower arrangement. Once in a while, she does flower arrangement for weddings and other occasions. Today, she asked me if she could take the dust collecting vases I made so she can put some flowers in them for her work reception. I was curious to see what she would do with the vases because I made those vessels with tea ceremony in mind.
The shape comes from ancient Iga ware or "Ko Iga Yaki," (古伊賀焼). If there are undeniably Japanese potteries, this is one of them. Ancient Iga ware were produced in Azuchi Momoyama piriod in the mid 16th century, among which were flower vases with small handles or ears on the sides. With the special demand to be used specifically in tea ceremony fitting the taste of "Wabi Sabi," ornamental aspects of the flower vase were made minimal.  Those vessels were wood fired without glaze, hence, ash of the wood melted on the surface of the vases and created unintentional scenery or "Keshiki," (景色). The transformation that happens in the kiln is called "Youhen," (窯変). Because there are very little ways to manipulate what happens on the surface of pots in wood firing kiln, one has to take a chance for the end product. However, wood firing never cease to amaze and fascinate many ceramicist. One drawback with wood firing is that it can only be done as a rare occasion. Unlike gas or electric kiln, potters has to wait for firing wood to accumulate, and everything else that entails wood firing takes time and extra effort. While I had no access to wood firing back in 1999 when I originally started making this vase shape of ancient Iga style, I simply combined the ancient Iga shape and the glaze I liked, Hagi (萩) white. Since then, this shape had been my favorite to throw on the wheel. I have a theory of how the shape of ancient Iga flower vases came about, but I will wait for a different entry for that theory.

In any case, I was pleased to see Maysoun's flower arrangement. The white of the glaze, Shirayuki (白雪): it was made at Togei Kyoshitsu of New York, accentuated every colors there were in the arrangement. The mood of the room went really well with the vase and the arrangement. I would say it was a success arrangement!