Unloading the pots out of the firing is a journey of discovery. Initially, the markings, color tone, and hardness of the pots has a lot of variability. In a couple of the firings the wood thrown in from above caused the bag wall protecting the pots to fall and the pots rolled into the bottom of the kiln in the ash pile causing a dark brown and blackened surface. In other firings the pots remained protected and had a more orangey oxidized color.
I washed the pots and dried them. Are these pots finished? Are they enough? Some of the pots have more variation, some are darker. Do they need to be sealed so they can hold water? Are there other ways to engage these pots further to continue the exploration of the forms and surfaces?
I started experimenting by rubbing charcoal from the fire on the pots and waxing them with furniture wax. I am currently experimenting with a variety of waxes such as bees wax and cutting board waxes. I am also experimenting with wax based pencils and even oil based paint sticks to explore the surface and the spontaneous gesture of the hand further. This exploration grates a little against the tradition of the fired surface. Is it going to be acceptable? Did I push the piece over the edge of good taste and beyond acceptable craft practice in a way that is simply trite and crude?
So far, the physical standard is that the surface must not wipe off after it has cured even when using soap and water with a light abrasive. As for the aesthetic standard, I want to develop enough density and repetition with the charcoal and pencil marks to create some energy and a sense of exploration on the surface without loosing track of the volume and shape in the process.
In the meantime, I strapped a couple of the pots to bricks with pink zip ties, trying to recontextualize them and connect them to my previous sculptural work. Maybe the pots should be enough by themselves, maybe they are, but I am still drawn to explore some “what ifs” in search of something more fresh, or more connected to the lineage of assemblage that has meant so much to me these past years.
