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| Paul Soldner |
{Ceramics 2}
10/3/13 and 10/4/13
(Please summarize information in your sketchbooks.)
AMERICAN RAKU
"Chojiro probably glaze-fired his Raku ware in a coal or
wood-burning muffle kiln and watched the firing through a hole in the
lid. (The muffle kiln is a thin-walled cylinder protecting the ware
from direct contact with flames; it is like a protective box or
saggar, but is permanently part of the kiln structure.) When the color
of the kiln’s interior was right, the ware would be removed red-hot
from the kiln with long-handled tongs and would be quenched by
immersing it in a concentrated solution of green tea.
The American method of glaze firing Raku ware differs from the
Japanese method in that after the red-hot piece is removed from the
kiln, instead of quenching it, the piece is placed in a metal can with
a combustible material, like paper. The combustible material ignites,
and the fire and smoke reacts with the glaze to create a very unique
and unpredictable effect on the surface of the pottery. This process
is called post-fire reduction. After about 20 minutes, when the can
has cooled down, the piece is cooled quickly with water mist to freeze
the colors.
Using a combustible material in a metal can was discovered by
accident in 1960 by American professor Paul Soldner during a
demonstration of the Raku process. The piece he was moving from the
kiln to the quenching bath fell into some dried leaves and ignited
them. He liked the results, so the post-reduction process was born."
Website for Ceramic artist, Paul Soldner: http://www.paulsoldner.com/
