Pottery Inspired by Japanese Antiquity

September 19th, 2009 | No Comments

Master Potter Jim Etzkorn writes,

“Like the crow and the raven shiny surfaces arouse my curiosity . That curiosity has been explored, created and expressed in the bronze body of work included in this article. These vessels illustrate techniques and ideas that fuse antiquity with contemporary practices.

While studying art history the minimal forms of early Chinese Shang bronzes struck a chord in me.

These bold austere objects were nominally decorated, often only having a linear incised line to outline the structure. My bronze work utilizes form to discover, investigate and express creative concerns. je_13_811

Travelling in Japan in 1987 I partook in a variety of cultural activities. One of these was the Tea ceremony which uses a variety of utensils. A cast iron tea kettle caught my attention. This simple spherical object reflected similar properties of the Shang bronzes but was stated in an entirely different way. je_13_32 The complete form was embellished by a raised surface of small bumps that employed pattern to stimulate visually and tactilely. Rope cording, where a small piece of rope is rolled across the surface of the clay to create reoccurring pattern, is a technique that I use. This was stimulated by the Neolithic Jomon culture of Japan who used rope cording and incising to delineate their surface decoration. When looking at the pictures of the work one can see the reoccurring texture of the rope framed by the incised lines. Sprigging is another historical method I use. I have a tiny mold where the clay is squeezed into and then applied to the surface to create a raised design. [Often a swirl on my pieces] When looking at my pieces one can begin to see how I begin to employ texture and pattern to delineate the form. je_vase_13-22 The application and location of sprigs punctuates the form. Drawing on cultural antiquity and integrating different historical techniques aids in creating contemporary vessels”.