Okay, I grant you this may be an odd title but one of the reasons I would really love to go to Japan is to see what are referred to as the Seven Ancient Kiln Sites. Ahem – this may need a little bit of explanation and I warn you now it is a little geeky.
So a little context. I studied Ceramics at Art College and through that study I became quite passionate about Japanese Ceramics. Yes – pots. Even been known to make a few myself. Pots are quite absorbing and what the Japanese have done with them over the centuries is amazing. So the Seven Ancient Kiln sites are places in Japan where potters made their pots. Each area produced different looking ware and each one is part of the world history of ceramics production. Its probably true to say that Japan exhibits considerable innovation and ingenuity in ceramics – as does Korea. I think it has something to do with the unique combination of physical resources – all the minerals and clay deposits, the Buddhist / Zen aesthetic that makes the work look the way it does and the intensely practical mindset that prizes innovation and technique. Magical elements all brought together over thousands of years to make some sublime masterpieces.
So the seven sites are – in no particular order – Iga, Shigaraki, Bizen, Tamba, Seto, Oribe, and Tokoname. I think. I did that off the top of my head but I think its right. Being able to go and see these places – where all this history was made would be fantastic and a little bit geeky, its true. But what fun, though……
These pots and how they looked were a revelation to me when I was studying. They did not attempt to be perfect – far from it. They did not attempt to be in any way “Western”. They embraced their fat, squat, burnt ruggedness and clearly whoever made them was pursuing a wholly different aesthetic from Mr Wedgwood. That was a revelation and I quickly learned as much as I could about the Japanese way with clay which was spontaneous, fluid and tactile. I loved it and still do.
To end I will share a bit of clay artwork that I have made that embraces some of the aesthetic qualities presented in these magnificent pots. My work is nowhere near as good as these sublime creations. Just thought I would insert that important caveat in case you thought I was getting cocky!!
Twelve Good Reasons 