Talking Clay: Remembering Artist Toshiko Takaezu

December 27th, 2011 at 08:00am Erica

Not all of the artists in “Beauty in All Things” are Japanese: some are Americans of Japanese heritage. We chose them to show the continuation of interest in Japanese aesthetics that go beyond geography. One of the most important and famous of these artists is Toshiko Takaezu. Throughout her long and prolific career, she applied traditional Japanese aesthetics in unusual ways, altering form and scale, while retaining a spiritual connection with the clay and glazes. Broadly stated, Takaezu’s artistic process expresses a juxtaposition of form and feeling—the pieces themselves are painstakingly made through a combination of thrown-wheel and hand-crafted techniques, but the glaze is spontaneously applied and emotionally resonant.  

Born in Hawaii(b.1922) to Japanese immigrant parents, Toshiko Takaezu received degrees at Honolulu Academy of Arts and at theUniversityofHawaii. For 23 years, she taught ceramics atPrincetonUniversity, a long chapter in an artistic career that lasted over 40 years. Before she passed away, she was made a Living Treasure of Hawaii.

She first journeyed to Japan in 1955, to study pottery at a Zen monastery. This experience laid the foundation for her artistic philosophy, which emphasized the combination of energy, space and form.

Takaezu’s vision and techniques altered dramatically after returning from Japan, transforming her once utilitarian vessels into abstract ‘closed form’ works of art, for which she became famous. These pieces often have more verticals figures, and are capped by fine, nipple-like mouths. Despite their traditional shape, these ‘vessels’ are made by design to be impractical, and thus confuse traditional perceptions regarding form and function. Takaezu uses this technique in works that range in size from 5×3 inches to over six feet tall.

In the 1970s and 80s, Takaezu continued the ‘closed form’ technique with a series of globular pieces called ‘moon’ pots, which were immensely popular. Part of their allure came from the sense of potential energy existing within the vessel’s hollow form, instead of unusable space. According to the artist, this technique allows the pottery to speak to the viewer.  

 

 

   “The clay is alive and responsive to every touch and felling. When I make it into a form, it is alive, and even when it is dry, it is still breathing! I can feel the response in my hands, and I don’t have to force the clay. The whole process is an interplay between the clay and myself and often the clay has much to say.”  

These pots also act as canvasses for Takaezu’s approach to color glaze, which is often applied according to the whim of the artist. Yet there is a careful balance in the eye-catching color choices, displaying a Rothko-esque appreciation for tone and gradation.

 

Later in her career, Takaezu began creating giant, abstracted cylindrical forms (“tree forms”) which were often over six feet tall.  These works challenged the traditional approach to ceramic vessels, as either functional, everyday tools or compact, aesthetic complements to a room’s décor. Instead, these sculptural pieces dominate their space and seem most at home in an outdoor environment, rising from the landscape like the monoliths of Stonehenge orEaster Island statues. Indeed, Takaezu’s inspiration was the volcanically burned trees of Hawaii’s DevastationForest, a fact which reflects a sense of timelessness and austerity to these naturalistic forms.

 

 

Viewed within the context of her cultural background, Toshiko Takaezu’s works express the Japanese ideal of wabi-sabi, and aesthetic that stresses artistic imperfection and irregularity. Evidence of the crafting process is celebrated, along with the appearance of continuous usage, because it implies the piece has a spirit of its own. This individualistic spirit is well-evidenced by works of Takaezu in MAD’s permanent collection, which can be seen now in our show, Beauty in All Things.

 

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