Sunday, October 20, 2013

GETTING ALL TOUCHY FEELY

Several of my favourite pipes have a delightful presence in the hand. As do many of my porcelain bowls, and several other objects in the apartment. Touch is probably the most comforting sense.

No, this isn't about naughty behaviour and stark-naked damsels, though it could be. No doubt you are already familiar with that subject, even though in your case it might be quite as hypothetical as it is for me.
Regrettably, I do not engage in naughty behaviour.


POTS AND PIPES

For over three decades I have collected ceramic objects. Many of them have glazes in the blue and green categories, and most of them are artisanal. Meaning that they were made by hand, in the Bay Area. Some of them are bowls with shapes and dimensions that suggest the Sung period (宋朝) and later dynasties, or in a few cases Korean ware from the eleven hundreds through the sixteen or seventeen hundreds.
In the case of the Hsin-chuen Lin (林新春) pieces, there are variations on Japanese and Sung through Ching (清朝) glazes that speak of an active and flexible mind experimenting creatively with more interesting vitreous effects than many other potters.
Many of his bowls are feely objects.
They demand the hand.
Sensual.

[Please note: his potting videos can be seen here: Hsinchuen Lin. Enjoy.]


GO AHEAD - FEEL IT

Much of the pleasure I get from restoring briar pipes derives directly from the touchy feely element that those objects share with exceptional pottery. It's a tactile presence that expands from their visual character.
The loveliest objects must be felt to be truly appreciated.
Museums, consequently, are sometimes unbearable.
If that guard ain't looking, I'm reaching in.
Mmmm, it's so smooth and cool!
A subtle pebblyness.
Fingertip.



Sandblast, shell briar, sea pebble, antique finish, natural, two-tone squat bulldog, author, taper-stem pot, prince, billiard, big semi-bent bull, trumpet, tusk, apple, deep blast stack.........

Tactile satori.




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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

of the man's video, I particularly like the one where he paints an infinished cylinder with sodium silicate and red slip, dries it, and stretched it out to break the new coating; and the one where he shapes a porcelain pot and a lit, the carving of the dried pieces was especially satisfying to watch.

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