Bruce Johnson Pottery
I was at The Village Frame Shop picking up some artwork and spied this beautiful pottery called Copper Flash Raku crafted by Master Potter, Bruce Johnson. I don’t own a lot of ceramics. I suppose it’s because I’m not a collector kind of person. But whenever I’m at a gallery, it’s the pottery that catches my eye. It’s a miracle I don’t own ten thousand sets of dishes.
According to Wikipedia, “The term Raku is derived from the site from which clay was dug in Kyoto in the late sixteenth century, and is found in the Kanji character meaning “enjoyment” or “ease”. Raku is considered the traditional method for creating bowls for the Japanese tea ceremony.”
The first, called Copper Flash is created by applying a copper matte glaze to the bisque-fired clay. Each glazed piece is returned to the kiln until the proper temperature is reached. One by one, each pot is removed from the kiln with tongs and immediately submerged in a container filled with combustible materials (such as sawdust and/or shredded paper.) The materials ignite, and something magical occurs. As the flames lick up against the pots, they react with the copper matte glaze, producing colors that are nearly impossible to achieve with standard glazes. The process is ended by putting a lid over the container at the proper time to extinguish the flames.
His second is called simply Black and White. Here, the vessels are achieved by polishing the clay surface, and applying strands of carbonous material to the surface to create the patterns.
You can find Bruce’s work at Village Framing & Art Gallery. Most items sell for just over $100.
One Response to “Bruce Johnson Pottery”
Avatars are randomly assigned unless you get your own
These are beautiful. I love pottery and yes I am one of those people with multiple sets of dishes, not to mention art pieces like this. Raku is a very tricky process and to get this kind of quality is a real skill.
I’ll be looking these up.