Anagama Wood Firing - Embracing Chance and the Controlled Accident.
Ice Bucket (1993) is a stacked ceramic form that was wood fired in an anagama kiln. At first glance, it is easy to compare the spontaneous, non-hierarchical effect of its surface coloration to his earlier, Abstract Expressionist inspired pieces, such as Untitled (1960). However, the processes behind both pieces are radically different. While the latter exhibits the notion of clay as a surface to be painted on with colored glazes, the streaks of brown on Ice Bucket’s clay body was not acquired via glazes. In this case, a natural glaze is created when ashes from the wood used to stoke the kiln fire spontaneously land on the ceramic piece and fuses onto its surface.
Accepting the lack of control over one’s creative process is a notion that goes against the working approach of Abstract Expressionist painters like Jackson Pollock. Unlike Voulkos’ wood fired pieces that relied largely upon chance to determine their surface coloration, Abstract Expressionist painters were able to choose the colors they wanted to work with, and thus exercise greater control over the visual outcome of their work. In other words, Abstract Expressionist painting may appear spontaneous and non-hierarchical, but it remains a product of the artist, who decisively imposes his or her will onto a blank canvas. On the other hand, because ash from the anagama kiln lands spontaneously onto a clay piece, the resultant colors do not directly reflect the will of the ceramist or that of the kiln manager.
In addition, wood firing is a collaborative effort between the ceramist and the kiln-manager, unlike Abstract Expressionist painting, which tends to be an individualized process. In other words, the wood firing technique can be read as the antithesis of Abstract Expressionist painting, where a highly-skilled so-called genius artist is solely responsible for the outcome of his work. By letting go of control, the ceramist was able to transcend his own ego and thus, open his mind to unforeseen possibilities.
This notion of transcending oneself draws parallels with the spiritual teachings of Zen Buddhist philosophy, such as detachment. For example, Japanese Zen tea masters would often compare the non-hierarchical surface coloration of wood firing to natural scenery. As Ice Bucket lacks obvious elements that draw the eye, the viewer is invited to allow his or her gaze to wander freely over the clay body, in a contemplative state of mind akin to meditation.
Although wood firing may be unpredictable in nature, a kiln manager is able to exert a measure of control over the process by monitoring multiple factors such as the temperature of the kiln or direction of the flames inside it. Despite this, is generally not the intention of the kiln manager to attain perfect control over the process. Instead, he or she often seeks to maximise the serendipitous effects offered by the firing process. This careful balance of chance and control resonates with Cage’s explorative approach towards his avant-garde music compositions, such as 4’ 33,” a performance that involves a singer at a piano, both of which remain silent. Instead, sounds from the audience comprise the piece. In this case, Cage had no control over the actions of the audience members, who are ultimately responsible for creating the “music” in the piece.
By applying the Zen notion of chance to his work, Voulkos, like Cage and Cunningham, grew to trust the unexpected pathways that his creative practice led him. Rather than be restricted by the fear of failing to meet a self-imposed set of restrictive expectations, Voulkos experienced a paradigm shift in his working approach that motivated him to explore the infinite alchemical possibilities offered by the clay medium.
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