EMILY SHUR, one of my favorite contemporary photographers, returned from Japan a couple of weeks ago with a new group of photographs. And Andy Adams, one of my favorite photography colleagues, posted an early view of this work on his site Flak Photo. You can view rough scans of Emily's recent trip on her BLOG here and here, view Emily's Website and sign up for your Daily Flak Photo here
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
11.13.2009
EMILY SHUR: Flak Photo Today
EMILY SHUR, one of my favorite contemporary photographers, returned from Japan a couple of weeks ago with a new group of photographs. And Andy Adams, one of my favorite photography colleagues, posted an early view of this work on his site Flak Photo. You can view rough scans of Emily's recent trip on her BLOG here and here, view Emily's Website and sign up for your Daily Flak Photo here
10.30.2009
10.10.2009
ANDREW PHELPS: Cross–Cultural
From the series "Not Niigata" 2009Photograph (c) Andrew Phelps/All rights reserved
From the series "Not Niigata" 2009Photograph (c) Andrew Phelps/All rights reserved
From the series "Not Niigata" 2009Photograph (c) Andrew Phelps/All rights reserved
Austria, 2004Photograph (c) Andrew Phelps/All rights reserved
From the series "Not Niigata" 2009Photograph (c) Andrew Phelps/All rights reserved
When traveling in a foreign place, I tend to be fascinated with both the exotic and the mundane. The two are often one and the same, especially in a place where the gap between old and new is astronomical. In most modern societies, tradition, history, and religion have etched a deep set of rituals and codes which are being tested and expanded as cultural homogenization begins to question set systems and ideologies. My interests in Niigata, and Japan in general, lie within documenting this gap.
ANDREW PHELPS is an American photographer living in Austria. I discovered his work through his blog BUFFET. There's a great INTERVIEW with Andrew Phelps by Daniel Augschöll and Anya Jasbär in Ahorn Magazine here. Andrew Phelps WEBSITE
10.04.2009
KIYOHARU ICHINO: Land of Red Waves
Wood-fired Ceramic BowlContemporary Tanba Pottery by Kiyoharu Ichino
Wood-fired Ceramic Vase, Two ViewsContemporary Tanba Pottery by Kiyoharu Ichino
Wood-fired Ceramic BowlContemporary Tanba Pottery by Kiyoharu Ichino
"Nestled in a beautiful valley along the Shitodani River among towering mountains northwest of Kyoto is the picturesque village Tachikui, the historic center of Tanba pottery. The rich ferrous soil in this area has supported generations of farmers and artisans since the early Kamakura period (1180-1230). The oldest existing noborigama (climbing kiln) in Japan is here. This serene locale is home of some of the most beautiful ceramics that have influenced aesthetic development in Japan and the western world. Tanba, Tan meaning red and Ba meaning waves, or Land of Red Waves, got its name from a red rice grown in ancient time which turned the fields into seas of red.
Because of its relative isolation, Tanba is less influenced by outside commercial trends than some other more accessible pottery towns in Japan. Old Tanba pottery had a restrained dignified appearance, exuding quiet confidence that reflected its proud heritage. This unique quality is evident in the works of contemporary Tanba ceramist Kiyoharu Ichino above.
KIYOHARU ICHINO was born in 1957 in Tachikui into a family of traditional pottery-makers. He learned all aspects of Tanba pottery since childhood. His works have been selected repeatedly by the prestigious juried Japan Crafts Association. Traditional Tanba pottery is fired unglazed at very high temperature in large wood-fueled kilns. Ichino uses both an anagama (hole kiln) and a noborigama (climbing kiln), burning almost a thousand bundles of wood over several days to bring out the unique personalities of Tanba clay, which is renowned for its rich texture and deep purplish brown colors. Many of his pieces show silvery fire-marks left by the wood fire. To show the unique clay texture, he often includes seemingly unfinished edges in his designs, exposing the rough clay body. Despite the high level of sophistication and innovation, Ichino's works maintain a strong connection with the ancient Tanba pottery tradition." (from Touching Stone Gallery)
Also View Yoshitaka Hasu Masterworks
Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Because of its relative isolation, Tanba is less influenced by outside commercial trends than some other more accessible pottery towns in Japan. Old Tanba pottery had a restrained dignified appearance, exuding quiet confidence that reflected its proud heritage. This unique quality is evident in the works of contemporary Tanba ceramist Kiyoharu Ichino above.
KIYOHARU ICHINO was born in 1957 in Tachikui into a family of traditional pottery-makers. He learned all aspects of Tanba pottery since childhood. His works have been selected repeatedly by the prestigious juried Japan Crafts Association. Traditional Tanba pottery is fired unglazed at very high temperature in large wood-fueled kilns. Ichino uses both an anagama (hole kiln) and a noborigama (climbing kiln), burning almost a thousand bundles of wood over several days to bring out the unique personalities of Tanba clay, which is renowned for its rich texture and deep purplish brown colors. Many of his pieces show silvery fire-marks left by the wood fire. To show the unique clay texture, he often includes seemingly unfinished edges in his designs, exposing the rough clay body. Despite the high level of sophistication and innovation, Ichino's works maintain a strong connection with the ancient Tanba pottery tradition." (from Touching Stone Gallery)
Also View Yoshitaka Hasu Masterworks
Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
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