An Isamu Tower – Spontaneous Intentionality

For years now, I’ve been stopped in my tracks by the many works of designer-artists, Isamu Noguchi. His play with lines, textures, and shapes capture my imagination like sitting in a Zen garden. I find myself staring endlessly in a blissful state of calm. There’s a whole canon of his work that seems to be purposefully experimental and organic. I believe it is one of the main inspirations for the ground-up approach I take in my making process.

Everything about this piece was done with intentional spontaneity. I loosely threw a thin slab and allowed some spots to crack. I quickly and imprecisely cut slabs and tore other pieces. I attached the sides without slip or scoring, uncertain if it would hold during drying or firing. I placed scraps when leather hard with as much slip as possible, but didn’t press them too firmly. I wanted to keep the fear of failure in the piece. I risked breaking by imposing textures on different parts after it was assembled. Then I let the whole thing dry, uncovered. When bone dry, some cracks and weaknesses appeared. I left them. I carved off some excess slip in places to emphasize the loose seams. Then I bisqued it. It came out rough, rustic, and gloriously imperfect! I used a white crawl glaze on the inside, some mossy green glaze on broken protrusions and legs. The rest was all multiple heavy coatings of oxides. It was electric fired to Cone 04. The end result is ultimately unique, Wabi-Sabi. It is currently on display in the lobby of the visual arts building at Concordia.

Dimensions (approx: H – 38cm x W – 12cm x D – 10cm

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