PLEASE NOTE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES WILL BE ADDED AFTER PURCHASE DUE TO THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE PIECE
Dimensions: ⌀ 52cm x H 52cm
Materials: Wild and foraged clay + kaolin, almond wood ash glaze, reduction fired
Method: The work is made by one of the three "onggi" methods from Korea used to make traditionally large fermentation jars. Long coils of clay are prepared and transformed from a long serpent of clay balanced on a shoulder into the wall of the pot in one movement known as "Taryeom-jil" The form is then paddled from inside and out simultaneously, creating volume and movement.
Care instructions: Watertight, though caution is recommended as this piece is kintsugi-repaired. Indoor use is recommended for longevity.
Description:
Formed on a Korean kickwheel, this piece was created using the onggi techniques Marco studied in Korea. The combination of coiling and paddling without the use of water honors the vitality in the wild clay during the making and contributes a graceful asymmetry to the form. The iron-rich clay is then bathed in a layer of kaolin slip, also foraged by hand. Known as 'buncheong' in Korea, the complete coating of the piece in slip rewets it, testing its integrity. The form sags just slightly from its own weight, softening the line and firming up just shy of collapse. In the kiln, the jar is pushed further still, carving a space in the tension between permanent existence and collapse. This piece has a kinstugi* filled area on the interior which does not compromise its integrity or watertightness. *Occasionally small repairs are made using lacquer and gold in the Asian tradition honoring and acknowledging our impermanence while trying to prevent it for as long as possible.
A subtle jade green hue originates from the iron and other trace minerals present in the almond wood ash used for the glaze.
About the Artist
Having travelled through Asia searching in the hopes of finding a more ancient way of learning, living, and thinking, Marco Minetti quickly became inspired by the austerity and timeless warmth of Korean art, and found a corner of the world where ceramic tradition dates back 5000+ years yet is still alive and well in terms of technique. Marco moved to Korea in 2015 where he lived and studied in Seoul, travelling to the countryside every weekend to begin studying clay. After six months Marco moved permanently to live and work with master Kwak Kyungtae, who had been introduced to him by famed master potter Lee Kang Hyo, in his country studio, where after two years of practice he began to learn the Onggi method that had been his focus and goal to learn. During his apprenticeship Marco also went to work and live for a period in Jingdezhen, the ancient porcelain capital of China, as well as travel regularly to Japan.
In 2018 Marco co-created Ceramic Masterclass: workshops in Korea tailored to foreign artists and students of clay. Then in early 2020 moved to California, where he is now building a studio, harvesting wild clay and using natural materials in his own evolving body of work. Influences include antique Chinese/Korean/Japanese works from the 14th Century to present day.
