Such a Deal!

Last month, as I contemplated the awesome dilemma of  what I could possibly bring to Africa to share with students I had no experience with, my friend, Priscilla got me thinking by asking me what skills I am comfortable teaching. One of the things that I have learned something about in the ceramic arts is the RAKU firing process. Like so many who appreciate the ceramic arts, I have been smitten by the radiant colors, iridescence, antique crackling and smokey abstract shapes that appear on the surfaces of raku ware.

Raku was developed as a low temperature alternative to traditional firing in 15th century Japan. Finding a way to fuse the surface of pots with a glaze (glass) at a lower temperature has an obvious advantage in that firing takes less fuel (energy) and time. The disadvantage is that firing in this way produces a weaker bond in the clay structure and the glaze that is attached to the surface; thus a weaker vessel. Additionally, this quick fire, quick cool process typically introduces more variables and therefore lacks the predictability of higher temperature firing. The results, however, are so immediate and so transformative that the mystery of the outcome is part of the fun.

In Japan, raku was originally used for producing ceremonial tea bowls that were not destined for harsh treatment and did not need to be strong. Raku art as it is practiced today is still subject to the same limitations and consequentially, is made mostly as decorative ware. However, much has changed in the evolution of the artform as many artists exploring the process add their experimental discoveries. Raku kilns can be lightweight and portable, and for that reason raku has seen a resurgence in popularity in art studios, schools and community facilities.

I decided after learning from Agnes that WayiWayi studios did not have this kind of kiln that I would bring the supplies to make one, since it can be done with some basic materials and common items. My goal is to leave a functioning kiln and some practical know-how behind that future artists-in-residence or visiting artists may use. The decision to pack a kiln sent me on a quest to find more information about the process, the kilnmaking and the feasability of transporting the equipment.

Here I need to thank some folks that took the time to walk me through possible scenerios. Joe at Tacoma Clay Art embraced the project and spent hours plying me with helpful information and a sense of what would be essential. Bob at Georgie's in Portland has been on board with this from the beginning and whose assistance and support have been vital. And Bonnie and Dave Deal, who allowed me to invade their studio space and took the time to talk me through the raku part of the adventure.

I have noticed a general trend with ceramic artists: they typically possess a tolerance, if not a preference for, solitude, especially during the firing process. Raku can go from magical to butt ugly in a matter of inattentive seconds and requires a lot of direct observation and decision-making that is best suited to the personality that thrives on uninterrupted timespace. Knowing this personally, I was somewhat shy about asking  Bonnie and Dave Deal, our regional experts on all things Raku to invite me to their  home/studio in the hills above Camus to observe their process.

I arrived just in time to see the kiln reaching the desired temperature and was able to watch and film Dave operate in the last critical stages. I have come to agree with the research that suggests that 80-90% of what we learn is from non-verbal sources. Especially body language. I was able to pay close attention and learn from every move that Dave made until the last of the wares were safely "tucked" into a bed of combustibles (secret formula) to smoke, cool and mature.

Then, over cookies and tea, I was invited to pick the brains of these two special artists for any bits of wisdom they could offer that might help me succeed in bringing the craft to students in Africa. I learned that as an art team, Bonnie is more comfortable working the two-dimensional (brushwork, design) side of the equation, and Dave is all about the production and the fire. They live and work together in the woods without many of the benefits/trappings (like electricity) of society.  That they thrive on the space they have created for their process is clearly evident in the remarkable work that they produce. Thank you Dave and Bonnie!

You can see their work in public spaces around the region and they will be on sale this weekend (April 29-30, May 1) at the Oregon Pottery Association's Ceramic Showcase at the Veterans Coliseum.