Subdeacon Joe Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Shaping History with Southern Pottery It’s a cool night, but Matt Jones is sweating. That has something to do with nerves, and something to do with fire: Before him, in a 600-cubic-foot kiln the ceramist built himself, many months’ labor is cooking. Shelves upon shelves of pots—some 1,200 pieces, from six-inch soap dishes to 200-pound planters—pulse white-hot as flames tear past and leap from the chimney stack. “A river of fire,” Jones says as he feeds another poplar slab into the blaze. In increments of one hundred degrees per hour, he is pushing toward 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, when the glaze will vitrify to seal his pots in a skin of glass. He doesn’t have to do it this way. An electric kiln would accomplish the work in a fraction of the time, with far more predictable results. But to opt for the easier way now would dishonor the work that has come before: the digging of the alluvial clay; the preparing of the traditional glazes; the careful slip trailing, texturing, and painting. It would be like surrendering homegrown heirloom tomatoes to a bottle of Prego. “The onslaught of industry has put cheap, largely impersonal objects into our hands,” Jones says. “I want something ragged and soulful.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Wish I had one of those pots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 S'pose he cut his wood with a chainsaw? Reckon that would be dishonoring the traditional way to cut wood? Boy's looney-tunes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I was always amazed by Jerry Brown's work. http://www.jerrybrownpottery.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I always appreciate seeing artisans using old methods of creating their pieces. The article reminded me of a show I saw a number of years ago about a sword maker who started with chunks of iron, made the steel, then crafted the blades. It was amazing stuff. I hope he has or finds apprentices to keep up the tradition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Doc, are you talking about the secrets of the Viking Sword? http://youtu.be/nXbLyVpWsVM youtu.be/nXbLyVpWsVM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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