Christopher Greenman, Potter Anagama Firing and “The Great Tradition” I make functional work in the Leach/ Hamada tradition. I began my journey in clay in Ken Beittel’s pottery class at The Pennsylvania State University. Beittel’s teaching incorporated Japanese stoneware and porcelain methods. We learned in a tradition that Beittel called the “Great Tradition” which was inclusive of all the great traditions of pottery East and West. This was my foundation and when I left Penn State to pursue my own direction I sought to continue this path. I have explored raku and other atmospheric firing methods, such as salt firing, soda firing and other types of wood firing kilns. When I have had access to an anagama kiln, I have taken advantage of the opportunity in order to absorb all I could from the experience. The process of preparing wood, a week long loading process, 100 hour firing process, a one week cool down period of waiting and the camaraderie of friends and students all contribute to the each firing of the anagama. Currently, I am on the fire team for Fat Bastard the anagama kiln at the University of Montevallo. It is a responsibility and honor that I take very seriously. As with all the processes of working in clay I want to learn as much as I can about the process. The anagama kiln and firing process holds for me a reverence. It is about tradition, process, and working with a community to create the river of flame and ash that will knowingly decorate the strategically placed ware inside the belly of Fat Bastard. Unloadings are times to share in discoveries and disappointments and to celebrate the successes of the community of potters and pots. Because of the strong beginnings of my pottery career, my pursuit is about a desire to follow a part of the “Great Tradition” which Ken Beittel speaks about in Zen and the Art of Pottery . A special bonus for me is to work along side my friend Scott Meyer. Scott built Fat Bastard in 1998 at the University of Montevallo with the help of his students and family. While we both formed our foundation in clay under Ken Beittel, since graduate school, we took very different aesthetic pathways. Process In the ceramic working process, pots change from raw clay sliding through the fingers as forms evolve from the dialog between potter and clay. Clay is chosen for its previous successful interaction with the effects of anagama firing; and forms are created for teasing the effects of the anagama firing process to come out and play. When each throwing session is over, I stand and look at freshly thrown ware, taking in the nuances of surface, textures, and marks of fingers, inviting light to play across their surfaces. Later when the pots have been trimmed and dried just to leather hard, they reveal a more finished relationship between surface and form. This state is lost again when the forms are dried to bone hard and further obscured when they are bisque fired. As I ready my work for a firing of Fat Bastard, I dream again of the potential of the impending intense dance that will commence between the clay forms and the affects of fire, atmosphere, heat, flame and ash flow. The process begins again when I take my pieces out of my packing boxes and prepare them for strategic placement in the belly of fat bastard and when I converse with the community of potters who range in experience. When I have unpacked the pots from the firing back in the crowded space of my studio, each Fat Bastard (anagama) fired piece speaks volumes of its experience with the firing, like students or children with as much to teach me, each one with its own special story beckoning me to explore its world. They are strangers as much as raku pots emerging from the raku process. Their skins reveal their experience and position in relation to flame and ash marks bestowed across their forms. I like to put my work in the kiln void of any glaze so that the work reveals as much of the process from forming to interaction with the flame and ash. Naked they reveal their birth and record their life experience. Clay in dialog with me; the process of forming; and the process of anagama firing now in dialog with you. Nuances of colors of reds, browns and greens on surfaces that range from satin, to buff, to rough, to smooth and slick. Textures formed from layers of ash give a depth to surfaces. Ash drips tell of gravity and long dialogs of heat and ash. Looking at the surface of a sushi plate is akin to looking into the depth of a Rothko painting. Textures left in the clay are bathed in an ash wash that has blown like snow across the surface of fauna. Marks left on pots surfaces that have the logic of melting snow on earth warmed by the suns glow. I still need and desire to explore the process of high fire reduction firing in the gas kiln. With these pieces I am using typical traditional glazes many from the syllabus given out in Beittel’s beginning clay class: Tenmoku, Celadon, and Troy’s Copper Red. I have been using a lot of a Shino glaze that I found on line. A Peach to Red Shino. The variations of surfaces and markings in dialog with various shinos, clay bodies, stains, and heavy reduction all relative to what I desire in the results of atmospheric firings. Many viewers, including potters, have likened these works to wood fired pots. The depth is there, but not the process of long heats, layers of ash, or even the process of community. It is important for me to question the aesthetics of both processes as they relate to my work and and my aesthetic journey Many of my woodfired pots are stored in my studio because of their remarkably strong differences to my high fired reduction work.or perhaps it is just because I need to interact with their dialog again. Brief Biography: My beginnings in art were influenced by my grandfather who bought and sold antiques, restored old houses and furniture; was a photographer who had his own darkroom in the house and who earned his living as an architectural engineer. I remember the days that my brother and I layed down on oriental rugs and poured through my gradfather's stacks of magazines from the fifties, Life, Antiques and Modern Photography. It is from this strong foundation that I grew to appreciate fine work done by hand and the importance of seeing. Upon graduating with an art history degree from Penn State in 1980, I worked at the Harkus Krakow gallery in Boston handing works by Hans Hoffman, Anthony Caro, Michael Mazer and Adolf Gottlieb. Before returning to graduate school in 1982, I worked restoring eighteenth century New England houses, taking them apart and rebuilding them. My career path was strongly influenced by the interaction of the graduate students, faculty and the program in Art Education in the early eighties at the Pennsylvania State University. A rich mixture of personalities was met with the spark of wisdom that eminated from the presence of Professor Ken Beittel. I had originally gone back to Penn State to pursue a Masters degree in Museum Education. The community of the grad program was so rich for me at that time that I decided to continue on and get my doctorate. It was at this time that I took my first clay class with Dr. “B” as my teacher. Beittel was in the process of getting the manuscript of Zen and the Art of Pottery published at that time. Within this grad school community we students shared our knowledge and dreams and supported one another in our pursuits. We learned about the “Great Tradition” of pottery and Zen while discussing Collingwood, Heidegger and Phenomenology and KenWilber. I learned about the Leach /Hamada tradition and influences of artists like Voulkos and other abstract expressionists on the studio craft movement. We were all greatly influenced by the studio craft movement of artists like Dale Chihuly, Albert Paley, Paula Winokur, and many others. After receiving my doctorate in 1990, I landed a position as Curator of the Kentucky Art and Craft Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky. This allowed me to explore the history of art, craft and folk art in the South including meeting the many good potters in that state. In fact, many comparisons could be made with the Tom and Ginny Marsh’s ceramic program at the University of Louisville and Ken Beittel’s program at Penn State. Both programs held a reverence for the Japanese pottery tradition. While being a curator put me in close contact with many artists it limited my time working in clay. In 1996, I left Louisville to look for a teaching position and found one in Montgomery, Alabama. I am now an Associate Professor at Alabama State University in Montgomery where I teach ceramics, art history, and art education. I built a studio and a small gas kiln behind my house in 2003, where I do high fire reduction work with Shino glazes. I have been using the craft fair circuit as my showcase. It is a lot of hard work, but I feel that it gets me and my work out to the community. Perhaps it is part of an old romanticization of sixties ideals and the example of my grandfathers” traveling to antique shows to show his work and connoisseurship. My better pieces are entered into Museum shows in the South and beyond. What has affected my art most since moving to Alabama is that I am about eighty miles away from my former Penn State art education classmate from my grad school days. “Our desks were inches a part.” His camaraderie has been a real inspiration to my work in clay, reinforcing the pursuit of the “Great Tradition.”

Tried to post this a few days ago. Below is a mail reply to Mike who was asking about the "spirituall in art". I have not been good at this blog thang but here goes:

This has been a good year for me I just finisished an article for Ceramics Technical entitled: Creating Community to Sign the Great Tradition. Its about the community that comes together to fire Fat Bastard the anagama kiln at University of Montevallo. and talks about the continuance of such pottery firing (wood fire)communities that come together all over searching for what Ken Beittel called "The Great Tradition" of pottery.

Will have to continue this latter...

here is my mail response to Mike


Mike,

Thanks for your interest. I have been interested in the spiritual in art since undergraduate school in art history. This was more sharply focused in grad school when I was doing my disertation using Ken Wilbers levels of consciousness development as a metaphor for levels of critiqueing art. This was before the quadrants and AQAL. This is a constant search for me. I need to know what about what I do is spiritual or not. So I question my own work and seek out the spiritual in others work. I look at a lot of Japanese potters ,Zen influenced potters and painters.

There is of course The catalogue for the show “The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Art from 1890-1985” Great book great art–then look at Wilbers' writing about art -with a grain of salt-Then look at Roger Lipsey's “An Art of our Own” Then look at Brother Thomas's ceramic work and writing- America's (Canada's) Living Treasure-arcticle in current Ceramics Monthly. You are asking intersting questions on your blog . Can someone create spiritual art without being spiritual or at a spiritual level?? Think about Wilber's states of consciousness and about interpretation. Look also at the current show (and past shows at Turning Stone Gallery - on line. Look at Ken Beittel's writings.

And if you can find it see my article in Ceramics Technical current issue-very hard to find unfortunately.

I am going to post this reply to you on my blog.

Thanks,

Chris

Just found a link to Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson singing Pauncho and Lefty on YOUTUBE. I have had a recording of this for about six years. It is not marked well on my ipod. But it comes up once in a while. What a great duet! After seeing this this morning I found another snipit of something that I have had a recording of - Van Morison and Dylan singing From a Foriegn Window and Irish Rover. agin vieo on YOUTUBE. Just makes the goose bumps crawl. I used to love these cuts. Just ramdom samplings that I somehow managed to get off the internet years ago. Rare jems. And now they are on you tube. Now if this kiln firing (fired yesterday)goes the way of these great soundings...

I just got back from unloading the anagama kiln belonging to John Rezner in Fairhope Alabama. We started at 4 p.m yesterday and finished about 2:30 in the morning. It was slow going because John wanted to see how each peice recieved flame and ash from the from the 72 hour firing. We all got amazing pieces. I did not use any glazes so my pieces (some will be posted later) are a bit subtle. We had a great time. Its a little like Christmas when you open any kiln firing. You never know what to expect. This kiln firng was pretty amazing. Nice flame flashing; nice shino glazes and nice crystals forming on some of the glazes. I got some real nice tea bowls, saki cups; larger vases, a box vase; and some paddled forms. I learned alot from the others from talking, seeing and reflecting.

On the way down, I listened to the Zaadz interview with the author of the Peacefull Warrior - good stuff; and Bob Dylan's new album- its a good sign when it sounds great first itme out and you know it will stand many more listenings.

Very tired...   

Labor day holiday. Its about labor. I traveled down to Fairhope to join other potters in firing a smaller anagama kiln. John Rezner owns the kiln and fires it with Mark Rigsby formerly from Al; Peg Udahl an older potter who had her catanary arch kiln drawings in Jack Tropy's book; Wade Oliver who graduated from Univ. of Montevallo with Scott Meyer; Marty Stokes a 30 year pottery vetran production potter and Alabama's clay guru Larry Manning. What a ride. It was great to be in the company of these good folks. We worked hard firing the kiln. The plan was for a four day firing. I came down on Friday and stayed till 3 p.m. on Sunday. doing at least ten to twelve hour shifts a day. They fired the kiln off on Monday. Everyone brought their own energy and personality to the firing. Marty brough fried fish Sunday morning -great stuff! Larry brought some of his collection of Japanese pots. Mark brought extra slats of hardwood from Mississippi. I brought music and wine. One of John's students brought biscuits Saturday and Sunday morning. Wade cooked up a shrimp boil on Saturday night.  John's wife also cooked for the stokers Sunday night/ afternoon. And of course a good flow of  conversation went along with the stoking of the kiln. Ihad also brought along the article that I am working on about the kiln at the University of Montevallo. It will be published in Ceamics Technical magazine in November. At Montevallo the Fat Bastard kiln is about three times the size of John Rezner's kiln. Each kiln and each firing brings unique variables  such as size of group of potters, mix of personalities , mix of  aesthetics  different  ideas about firing, different wood used, all of these go into each firing. Much of what I wrote about in the article could apply to the firing of either kiln. each is unique and offers unique experiences.

I downloaded Hot Tuna and David Bromberg concerts from the Merle festival this spring. I had not heard them until I played them in the car on the way down. What  great shows!! They had so much fun playnig its such a pleasure hearing it. I also listened to Ken WIlber address a question on the pre trans falacy which was very interesting. I guess i recorded it from Integral naked pod cast -there are many free pod casts that they are offering-it fills my podcast menu on i-tunes. You can just select the ones you want to hear. Sometimes between the music and the podcasts that are available these days I am overwhelmed with joy so much at our fingertips so much to explore.

With any firing I am always anxious to find out what happened to the pots. What treasures, surprizes or  aesthetic challanges await us in the belly of the kiln? We will unload on Tuesday.

Perhaps my dream was was a good omen. When we unloaded the kiln last Saturday the results of that firing were mindblowing. Great ash and great flashing from the river of flame.  We tried many things new in the firing process and all of them paid off. The new photos I put on the photos page give an indcation of how well the firing went for me. It is rare when a anagama firing lets you have so many good pieces. Jack Troy the elder statesman of woodfiring in this country used to say he kept 10-15 percent  of his kiln load or something to that effect. Well in this last firing most of the people probably had well over 60% success. I had serious reservations right before the firing, when we loaded. I was worried that I had risked to much by not using any slips or stains or glazes on my work but now i am happy with the variety of effects on my work. But next time I will be more diverse in my pallette.   Of course all frings such as this one can be very humbling and challenging. I remember my teacher telling me when I got a good piece out of the kiln--"well to bad you got a good one" . Yes a there is a lot to digest. A lot of questions to be answered and a  lot of things to ponder.  Each fring is a trial by fire a testing of your aesthetic metal. Now I have to wait until fall for the next anagama firing.

This is my first blog entry. I just took part in an anagama firing-a five day wood firing of about 300-400 pottery pieces. The kiln design is an ancient Japanese design. Wood ash flows through the kiln and falls like rain throughout the firing coating the works.  This ash will melt at the high temperatures achieved in the last days of the firing. Flame flows trough the kiln and leaves its mark on the wares.  Think of loading the kiln placing each piece thoughtfully or mindful of the river of ash and flame that will "decorate" the work. The whole process necessitates forming a community of potters who gather together to participates in the firing and keep the fire going for these five days.  Each participant learns about each others work in this communal atmosphere and each persons work grows through the experience. We will open the kiln on Saturday. In my dream last night I saw many pieces covered with melted as intermixed well with flashing from the flames. 

 

I am really excited about Ken Wilber's new website and dedication to advancing the integral theory. This is it kids...the real stuff. You can't sit back and lounge through this one. It is a great time to be alive....as I sit here listening to live Ratdog  recorded on the occasion of Jerry Garcias' birthday celebration -8/6/2005. Getting ready to out to the studio to sign pieces and start new ones.