If you're going to build a wall make it out of clay. We visited Faenza yesterday to visit the museums there. I fell in love with the work of Carlo Zauli. In his workshop he threw clay on the wall and then created these amazing murals. It was interesting how he had attached the cutting wires to the wall so that he could remove the pieces to fit into the kiln.
Here also was his wheel of the throwing sideways variety. I think it interesting that many of my favourite clay artists start out as really decent throwers. Pete Voulkos made very nice jars and teapots in the late fifties. Zauli and Voulkos work seem to have that same kind of power for me. Zauli's work had this frosty white glaze that looked like it was actually trapping carbon. The big circle piece I am standing beside referenced a car wheel rim. It cracked in the firing which to me added so much more interest to the piece.
Voulko's non PC remarks have fallen out of favour in this time. I
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| Zauli visioning his mural |
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| Cutting wires on the wall |
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| Zauli's wheel |
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| A beautiful rim |
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| Love at first sight |
t came to mind " I have never seen a crack I didn't like!" This crack I liked very much.
Perhaps it was put better by Canadian poet, singer songwriter Leonard Cohen " There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
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A feature that seems to have been forgotten with modern electric wheels and the stools we sit on.