After a few years of trying to resist I've started to add pots to my collection again. I had to cut myself off when I was in grad school due to lack of funds. I continued to trade with friends, acquiring a few great pots during that time, but for the most part the collection was on hold. All three of these beauties were purchased within the last month and the fever has been reawakened. I remember hearing that in the late 1700's the European aristocracy would literally sell their land to get porcelain that was being imported from China. I can relate to this level of passion for collecting.
My collection includes pots, weavings, rugs, quilts, furniture, and sculptures. (Click here for a post about a Morrocan blanket chest.) Being back in the states gave me the chance to spend time with these objects again. One of the great downfalls of living overseas is that I had to leave my collection behind. When I finally do settle down for the long haul I look forward to displaying everything at once.
The Kari Radasch platter and Sam Chung pots were "finds". They are both pieces from earlier bodies of work that these potters have moved away from. When they were still being made I was an admirer, but never pulled the trigger on a purchase. For lovers of Kari V1.0 there is a sizable stash at Natasha's Market Cafe in Floyd Va. (Click here for more info) When I discovered them I felt like I had won the lottery without even buying a ticket. I had a similar experience when I found the Sam Chung ewer in the storage area of our Fumin Lu shop in Shanghai. I think it was made during a 2008 soda firing workshop he conducted at the PWS Jingdezhen. This ewer has unbelievable curves. It has the same classic edge quality of a 1940's Rolls Royce.
The Michael Kline bowl is a great example of odd numbered decoration schemes. Its density sucked me in on the first glance. The first layer of non tinted wax has five sets of lines that reference grasses. The second layer of tinted wax repeats a floral motif three times. The interaction of the two layers ups the complexity of the overall design exponentially. I find myself looking in awe at Michael's pots often wondering what holds them together. They are really successful in their use of gesture and negative/positive space.
For more information on Kari Radasch click here
For more information on Sam Chung click here
For more information on Michael Kline click here
Great share on this post! And nice new acquisitions too!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to everything you say. The last few years have been tough financially, so I've had to suspend my collecting except for one or two times a year. In my early days I was such a fanatic that folks would accuse me of even buying my own work at sales. Hard to stop my love of pottery ;)
Thanks for sharing these treasures with us! Happy potting!
Good to hear from you Carter. Thats a great story about you being accused of collecting your own pots. Its a fine day when an artist makes work that they would buy themselves.
ReplyDeleteI love going to other potters houses and seeing their collections. I hope more folks start posting images of their favorite pots on their blogs. Have a good night.