Functional Pottery
The seed was sown in high school but took until the fall of 2008 to bear fruit. After cutting a tendon in my hand while washing the dishes, I took 4 months off for a little reading. I rediscovered the work Shoji Hamada, Bernard Leach, and Soetsu Yanagi. The new focus in my functional work comes from Hamada when he says (paraphrased), the last thing you should think about when you are making a tea bowl is a tea bowl. The form should flow out into the clay, and the artist should merely guide it. I have taken hold of this and created a new body of functional work. In a break from my past web site, I don't have photos of the exact pottery you can order. There is too much for that. Instead, I have included a gallery of work under each category to give a feeling for my style. You can specify what you would like as far as color, shape, and decoration, and I will try to match your request with a pot that I have in stock. If I don't have what you are looking for, I can make it for you in 4-6 weeks. So far I have posted new work in Vases, Pitchers, and Bowls. (update Feb, 21 2009) I want to make sure you are happy wiith your purchase. You may return any pottery that you don't like for a full refund including shipping both ways. You can't lose with a deal like that! Browse and enjoy. Thank you, Brook Bell Johnson |
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My
functional ware has been influenced through my study of Shoji Hamada
and the Japanese mingei movement started in the 1940's. Mengei means
"folk
craft" of village artisans in their local traditions before they were
mainly replaced by mass production in factories. The essence of the feeling
in this work is that the artisan could create the perfect rice bowl or
chair not because he or she was trying to make the best but because they
could capture the life of the object without even trying.