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“Meditation, Autumn IV,” 10 in. (25 cm) in height, stoneware with white slip.
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October 22, 2007
New Traditions in Korean Ceramics
by Phil Rogers | Read Comments (0)
In today’s Ceramic Arts Daily, we look at
Choi Sung-Jae’s approach to traditional Korean ceramics, as he revitalizes and
infuses it with excitement and new traditions. BackgroundInfluencesBody of WorkProcessesBACKGROUNDThe indigenous clays of Korea tend to
be rich in iron. The often-large, country-made Ongii storage jars, so prized by
Korean households, are made from clay of this type. They are decorated with a
glaze made from clay mixed with wood ash and a little raw lead. The effect is a
rich chestnut brown on dark chocolate. The decoration is often made with
fingers through the wet glaze to represent a plant or a fish that envelope the
form. Potters also would draw through the slip with a sharp point to reveal the
dark body beneath. This style of pottery making is known as Punchong, and it is
revered among Koreans who are justly proud of a style that is uniquely theirs.
INFLUENCESChoi Sung-Jae is among a small number of younger
potters who have embraced Punchong in a new and exciting way, extending and
revitalizing a tradition by choosing to approach the technique from a modern
viewpoint. He uses traditional materials but, by extending his making
repertoire and incorporating the influences of nineteenth- and
twentieth-century art, both Oriental and occidental, Choi is making a new
statement of strength and vitality.
BODY OF WORK“Meditation, Autumn IV” and “Meditation, Dream
III” are fine examples of Choi’s organization of space and line. In Meditation,
Autumn IV, the bird is on one visible face and the sweeping lines suggesting
hanging branches or the tall blades of an Iris spread across two faces. The
device of creating an image that incorporates two faces, thereby breaking the
form, extends the frame beyond that which we were expecting and encourages the
viewer to see the object fully as a three-dimensional piece. The elongated
proportion of Meditation, Dream III provides a panorama. The two birds oppose
each other, the space between is self explanatory—it is water—it is not drawn,
not even suggested, but we know it is water. Choi hasn’t drawn water, yet we
feel its wetness. The mallet form of “Meditation, Dawn V,” is an illustration
of a playful sense of form and proportion, and a move away from narrative
drawing to a pure form of abstraction.
PROCESS
Choi uses form to carry the narrative of his
paintings in a very skillful but deceptively simple way. As a Korean, he
instinctively understands Asian minimalist composition and uses the proportions
of each piece to emphasize distance and space with perfect placement within his
three-dimensional frame. FOR MORE INFORMATIONSee a term you weren’t quite sure of? Then visit
the Ceramic Arts Daily Glossary. To see more of Choi’s work, visit www.puckergallery.com/choi.html.ON WEDNESDAY
Read about Choi’s highly involved technique of making large molds from slab-constructed originals, and
then playing with variations in a shape's decoration.
Read more about these related topics:
Functional Ceramics Functional Pottery Ceramic Art Techniques Ceramic Artists
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