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| Sgraffito ('scratching' or carving through) technique used on the surfaces of these vases |
The black, white and bronze pots above make use of a decorative device called sgraffito. This involves brushing a layer of black slip onto the surface of a piece, then incising or scratching through this layer to reveal the contrasting white clay beneath. I do this on unfired (unbisqued) surfaces as this allows for more fluid and lively markings. The interiors are glazed with a functional food safe glaze and fired to a temperature between 2200 F and 2300 F.
A traditional technique called mishima (inlay) is used on the pot below. The surface of the unfired pot is marked (incised) with a sharp blade then a layer of black slip is brushed on. The exterior is then carefully scraped to remove the excess slip, which leaves a tracery of the inlayed black lines. The interiors are glazed with a functional glaze and the pots fired to a temperature between 2200 F and 2300 F.
“I think of clay as a touchstone, linking different worlds and traditions. Making pots is an encounter with these worlds and a way of connecting with areas of experience which are larger than oneself.
From the beginning of pot making, it seems to me that the potter’s task has been to find a unity between form and surface. My relationship to the integration of form and surface is the thread that binds the different aspects of my work together and continues to be my greatest pleasure and challenge as a potter.”
