Pure Form: Japanese Sculptural Ceramics

• Find Japan on a map of the world. The revolution in clay, which liberated future generations and placed Japanese ceramicists at the forefront of international modernism, began in Kyoto. Find Kyoto on the map of Japan.
• Research historic ceramics from Japan, perhaps those from the Song Dynasty (966-1279) in China or during the Joseon dynasty in Korea (1310-1892) or as well as the beauty of useful ceramics created by well-known artists in Kyoto during the Edo period (1615-1868). What do you notice about these ceramic works compared to those you have seen in the exhibition Pure Form?
• Investigate Japan’s involvement in World War II, including why atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Research what these places are like today – what impact did World War II have on the landscape and Japanese people?

One of the defining features of modern Japanese ceramics (c. 1910 – c.1940) was the emphasis placed on individual expressions of artistic creativity, achieved through mastery of technique and form. The hand of the artist (jitsuzaishugisha) was considered essential to the creative process, which meant they were not ordered ready-made or made by assistants. This contrasted with the compartmentalised production of ceramics prior to the early twentieth century and mass production during the Meiji era.

• Select your favourite works in the exhibition. Look closely at objet and identify where you can see the hand of the artist. Hypothesise how the artist made these works – are there tool marks present – what kind of tool made these? Did they use slabs of clay, coils or another method? If the objet you have chosen is smooth in appearance how do you think the artist achieved this?

For hundreds of years, the ceramics community of Kyoto had been defined by the creativity and innovation of some of the best-known artists in the history of Japanese art, for whom form, function and design were inseparable. Designers and artists are often concerned with form and function, that is the shape of an object and the way it looks versus the intended purpose of the object.

• Can you locate any functional objets in the exhibition?
• What is the function of works of art that aren’t necessarily used?
• Discuss the following statement as a class: form is more important than function
• Select one of the ceramic pieces in Pure Form and design and create a wearable work of art to complement your chosen objet.

The art of flower arrangement (ikebana) played a central role in the creation of ceramics in the pre and post war years. Often they displayed works together in exhibitions in Japan. Vase and Square jar by Suzuki Osamu, from the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection, display a striking transition into an abstract sculpture, which reveals the raw clay. They reference ancient Japanese precedents, as well as modern design, and appear to achieve the ideal of an ‘impossible vase’.

• As a class brainstorm the definition of an impossible vase. What characteristics or requirements would an impossible vase require to be considered one?
• Design and create your own impossible vase that has some kind of floral element.

Black Toy (Kuroi gangu), by Kumakura Junkichi (1920–1985), joined Sōdeisha (an avant-garde ceramic group from 1948-1998), absorbing and injecting new expression into clay. Their ceramics were often, but not exclusively, created using slabs and hand-building rather than on the wheel, with an emphasis on monochrome sculptural forms, resembling walls or abstractions of the body. The titles of their works also become more conceptual and abstract.

Create a sculptural form using slabs of clay or thick carboard inspired by one of the following:

• Select an iconic building, collect as many images of this building that include a variety of angles and perspectives. Use a view finder to sketch interesting sections of the building.
  Or
• Undertake a life drawing class or visit AGSA’s permanent collection view and sketch figurative works of art. Use a view finder to sketch interesting sections of the figure.

Using these drawings create your abstract sculpture – so that it is not recognisable as your selected building or human form. Give your work an interesting title that captures the viewer’s attention.

• Furoshiki is the art of Japanese fabric wrapping, where cloth is used to transport objects or gift wrapping. Tanaka describes this technique as versatile – list some reasons why furoshiki is an effective means of transporting goods. What other traditional methods of packaging or wrapping can you discover? Select an everyday item to wrap and trial some of these techniques. Use this wrapped object as a subject for an observational drawing exercise capturing the fold of the fabric from different alternatives. Tip: You might like to play with a light source and take some detailed photographs of the wrapped object, convert these images to black and white so that you can see the variety in tone more clearly.
• Watch this video of Tanaka creating one of her sculptures.
• Trompe l’oeil is a technique that uses realistic images to create an optical illusion. In a way, Tanaka’s work Bundles could be considered a trompe l’oeil as the smooth ceramic sculpture appears to be made from cloth. Select an object and create your own trome l’oeil sculpture using clay. You might choose a food item for your subject – how will you create an illusion that your clay sculpture is real? Experiment with folding and coiling techniques and consider the texture, colour and proportions of you object.

• Investigate the history of blue and white ceramics. Why was blue and white ceramic ware so popular in Europe from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries? Research contemporary artists who use blue and white palette in their ceramic works. Tip: Gerry Wedd and Robin Best.
• Create a vessel to decorate with a scene of the Australian landscape. Perhaps you will be inspired by the place where you live. Consider the palette of your design and attempt to include a limited amount of colour that captures the place you have painted.
  

Aerial perspective is sometimes used by painters to create an illusion of depth. Objects or scenes in the distance often appear paler and less detailed than those in the foreground, which are often darker. This is often achieved by creating less contrast between colours as they recede.

• Collect a variety of coloured paper. Tear the paper into strips and arrange them from darkest to lightest. Glue the torn paper together, one above the other, emphasising the uneven nature of the paper. Turn your sheet of graduation of colour into a cylinder or three-dimensional form by wrapping it over an existing object.

Miyashita Zenji’s transforms the surfaces of his vessels into distant hills, drifting clouds or rolling waves.

• Photograph a landscape that is close to where you live at different times of the day. Modify your images so that you create subtle gradations of colour in your scene. You could use Photoshop to edit and manipulate your image. Paint this scene onto a ceramic vessel you have made or use a found object or vessel. You may even like to create a series which captures this place at different times of the day.

Investigate minimalist and abstract art movements. What qualities of these movements are evident in the work of Morino? Considering these characteristics, make your own rectangular sculpture using either slabs of clay or a cereal box. Consider creating cut-outs in your material and adding layers of texture to your sculpture. This could be achieved with layering paper or combining sand to paint (once your work has been fired if using clay).

Morino being based in Kyoto would have been familiar with the abstract sculptural works of Hayashi Yasuo (born 1948) and Yagi Kazuo (1918–1979). Yagi Kazuo and Hayashi Yasuo were part of the avant-garde ceramics group Sōdeisha. Members of this group were open to trends in art and other influences from Europe and America. Members of Sōdeisha sought to harmonise the modern paintings of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró (1893–1983) and Paul Klee (1879–1940) with Chinese and Japanese ceramics.

• Research the ceramic work of Hayashi Yasuo and Yagi Kazuo and compare these to the work of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Paul Klee. What do you notice that is similar about these artists’ work?
• Compare the work of Morino Hiroaki Taimei to that of Hayashi Yasuo and Yagi Kazuo.
• Select a two-dimensional work of art by your favourite artist and create a three-dimensional sculpture from clay or cardboard that complements or pays homage to the artist’s work you selected.

• Investigate a form or style of popular theatre, film or music. For example it could be a comedia dell’arte or film noir or heavy metal music. Create a ceramic sculpture that references your chosen style or form. Consider the costumes, tempo, themes, lighting, movement or atmosphere that are synonymous with your topic.

Tip: You may consider liaising with your drama, music or English teacher to see what they are covering in their learning programs – perhaps this is an opportunity to collaborate!

• Kishi Eiko scores her clay with fine tools so that she can pour the surface with coloured slip. Experiment with different tools to make marks into the surface of a slab of clay. Create a vessel of your choosing and score this clay with your favourite repetitive mark.

Tip: You might begin by looking at other contemporary ceramic artists who use repetitive marks such as Glenn Barkley, Sam Gold and Juz Kitzon.