Clay Azart 18

Several BC potters attended Clay Acare 18
Internacional weodfire conference in July at
the Universicy af Northern Arizona,

[c Was fwo intende weeks of fining and
workshops. The ficse week we fired! the
naborigama, one of three builc by Yukio
Yamamoto (the third one is che Tozan in
Nanaimo}, [etek four and a halt days of
stoking co complete the firing. Ac the same
time we fired che anagama (also four days),
the bourie box (four days) and a wood salt
kiln (two days). The pots thac dicn’e fic in
the wood firings were fired in the gas sale
kiln, Some of us stomped acraw ime
recyeled clay co make a bread oven. Every
kiln site should have one! Wich ome day
off, leaving che kilns to cool, mast of ua
headed to che Grand Canyon fora lock at
and over the south rim.

The second week was filled wich moming
and afternoon demonstrations, and evening
slide lectures. The headliners were Don
Reic:, Don Bendel, Jim Leedy, Rudy Autio,
Dan Andersen, John Balistren, Broce
Howdle, John Neely, Toshiko Takaezu and
Yukio Yamamoto. A mural waa created by
all the participans: walking over an § foe
by 80 foot slab. [cis to be fired in the
naborigama kiln and mounted ar NALL

Sone of the off che cuff comments from
BC? participarics:

Beuce Beardsley “Very edweational. It's
interesting to see the same ching dome
differencly." {comparing che rao Tozan
kilns}

Les Beardsley *Wery good. Cooperacon all
around, everpone fitted in.”

Fay Hickey “It was an opporcunity fora
unique experience that provided a special
insigac tute the world ofcloy. lenjoyed it
imunmensel y.”

David Loyd “Ir waa exhausting and aeveral
fifteen hour days standing by the kiln
geteing dehydrated was nerve wracking but
educational. [ cried my bese ca learn
everything [ could and chat's why I spent so
much time there, but it’s obvious you need
a lotef people tomake a kiln like char

work. They eculd have bad some better
erganiatior in the loading and preparing
of che cones chae would have made ita
lor easier for ws. So good planning at the
beyening of o kiln firing like that is
esendal for che lacter pares of it.”

Jac kie White “Great ge nerosity of all else
people involved. A. spint of sharing.”

Abour 200 people attended the
conference from many pare of che world.
You could sign up for a stoking crew on
ane particular kiln or justobserve. Your
crew quickly became your friends. [conly
cost $50 plus $9 for che Don Rete Ranch
Cookour, Many people chat were at
Flagstaff aloo attended che August fring
of che Tozan ta Nanaime.

Linda Doherty.

Takeshi Yasuda, potter

Tokeshi Yoouda will be giving a
workshop on October 19 & 20 at the
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Both days
itt 10 am-4 pm. Cost i $53.50

Call 291 - 686-4 to sign up.

This workshop is sponsored by the Potters
Guild, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and
ECIAD.

Takeshi Yasuda was bom and mised in
Takyo. He decided no forego traditional
art school and gained hia ceramics
training through technical
apprenticeship ina working poctery. In
Japan, ecaft is highly respected in cerms of
status and monetary rewards. Takeshi
rejected the lucrative master Craftaman
route to run his own pottery workshop in
Mashike for ten years. His career took a

difference road after a holiday in Britain. .ape

While many potter in the Westlook pf

East for inspiration, Takeshi found che 4§

Wescern crt world liberating and
exciting. He secded in che south of

England and established a country pottery

in Deven making reduction fired
seoneware. Mow, after living in Britain
for crenty years, he considers himself a
British poner of Japanese ongin.

Takeshi's work shows a mastery of

maternal chat comes from hts years in che

Page fT

Japanese folk pomery. He loves the
spontaneity of clay asa material, Oeher
fiatenals have inherent dhipes, Surhices
ard characters, bur elay is formless with
limitless gorential, His forms are vividly
3-dimensional wich generous rims and
curves. Teapars ate sadigged and planes
are elevated on feecand embellished with

textured handles.

He has adapred Tang dynasty glace to
stoneware oxidation firing, He uses a
gray stoneware covered by white slip,
fired with a clear shiny glaze and
decorative couches of manganese and
copper carbonate.

“Takeshi regard: himself primarily as a
functional potter. He loves using pottery
-his passions in life ace cooking and
eating. Pottery showkd, tn his view,
elevace the simple act of eating to
pleasurable, daily oual. He draws
inspiration fom-vaned sousces. His we'll-
known ‘pillow dish" forms come from the
fullness of a child's inflacable swimming
ring and from watching the rim of a
scudent’s place flop down. Watching him
throw reveals what Ceromic Reetew hos
called his “sheer expertise of
craftsmanship"

"Takeshi... has long been acclaimed by a
wide public for his highly individual
stonewere dishes. He ln also a potter
eveatly admired by other potters -indeed
these is often a degree of reverence when
he is spoken of. Poctera eespond oo the
way he handles clay, enjoying sureness of
couch which is direct and vigorous.”
Ceramic Review 151, 1995

TAMesdal YASUE
Drop by: the front desk ac che Gallery t
look at Takeshi's work in Ceremics Mantly
May 1992, and Ceramics Review 151,
1995,