For my research I decided to discover what it felt like to play with clay, and Nanaimo Ceramic Arts provided that opportunity. I rolled a handful of blueish-gray clay into a ball. Using my fingers, I pinched it to form a small pot. Playing with clay was a freeing experience because I enjoyed letting my hands and the clay decide how the pot would be shaped. After the pot was formed, it was dried, fired, glazed yellow, and fired again. My pot now sits on my desk at Nanaimo Art Gallery.

In my understanding, the firing process can be both a serious and playful aspect of the pottery- making process. Artists can choose different types of firings. One method is low temperature atmospheric firing, defined as “…an organic process in ceramics that refers to firing methods where the kiln’s atmosphere itself plays a significant role in creating surface decoration.”  Low temperature atmospheric firing can include pit, raku, or sawdust firing techniques.

Potters can play with colour through atmospheric firing instead of glazing. Two artists that played with this technique to create black-on-black pottery were the Native American Potters –  Maria Martinez and her daughter-in-law Santana Martinez –  both from San IIdefonso, Pueblo, New Mexico. A black bowl by Maria Martinez and Santana Martinez in Nanaimo Art Gallery’s collection features a repeating feather motif, made through burnishing. In the 1950s, Maria Martinez revived the black-on-black pottery technique with her husband Julian Martinez. After his death, Maria continued making pottery with her daughter-in-law, Santana. The pot was formed from red clay coiled and shaped by the hands of Maria Martinez. The burnishing was done by Santana Martinez, using a stone before firing.’ “Burnishing is a finishing technique that produces a shine on the surface with the appearance of glazing without having to use a glaze. It involves the rubbing of a stone against leather-hard clay to modify the texture and light reflecting qualities of the surface.”  Santana Martinez would paint the feather motif with red clay slip using a yucca brush. ‘ Slip is a very fluid mixture of clay and water, sometimes with colour oxides added. It is used for decorating pottery before firing .” The Martinez’s used a pit firing method. The pots would be placed face down on a metal grate underneath where the fire would be built. Then cow dung would be placed on the fire and covered with metal sheets, to reduce the oxygen turning the clay black. The potters would watch the fire smoke. When they felt it had been long enough (several hours) the pots would be removed. Maria Martinez inspired many potters including Laura Wee Lay Laq. I chose to learn about the black-on-black pottery because I was intrigued by the burnished finish on the work.

Based on my research, one of the more playful firing techniques is raku because potters can’t predict the final appearance of the work. This technique was developed by American Potter Paul Solder in the 1960s. “Raku” is achieved by removing pots from the kiln when they are red hot, placing them in a lidded trash can with highly combustible materials such as sawdust or newspaper. The atmosphere’s lack of oxygen, combined with the glazes creates the metallic colours and crackle designs on the surfaces of the pots.

An artist who was known to play with clay on the potters wheel and experiment with raku firings was Wayne Ngan. He was one of Canada’s most celebrated potters. Ngan immigrated to  Canada from China and eventually built his life and artistic practice on Hornby Island, B.C. Through the raku process, Ngan created many beautiful pots including a stunning tea bowl that is covered in a turquoise blue glaze with a contrasting brown and purple crackle pattern. This piece is part of the Gallery’s permanent collection. When it comes to playing with clay and the creative process, Ngan had an interesting perspective: “Man works with earth, water, air, fire, and man brings it back together to make pots to be used by man.” He had a very playful relationship when it came to fire. When I emailed his studio to ask about his process, I was told that, “How he conducted the fires was very active and immediate! It wasn’t uncommon for him to singe off his eyebrows during raku firings.  I chose Ngan because after watching documentaries about his ceramics, I felt I could see his playfulness when I looked at his work. Another playful artist who had a passion for clay is Walter Dexter. He was the first Canadian ceramic artist to achieve recognition as an Abstract Expressionist. He was part of the development of raku in Canada and known to participate in Fired Up exhibitions on Vancouver Island. Later in his career the ceramics would become sculptural rather than functional stoneware.  He would paint his vases like…”the Action Painters who developed characteristic methods of applying paint. They dripped, splattered, sprayed, rolled,  and threw onto their canvas, with the result that the final image reflects the artist’s activity in the creative process.”  This can be seen on the vase which is part of the Gallery’s permanent collection. In contrast to the solid orange and gray glazes, there are light orange gestural marks, black brush strokes, and sgraffito marks around the vase. Sgraffito is a decorative technique that involves scratching the surface of the slip that covers the clay to expose the colour underneath before firing. Dexter said “I like the canvas the vases give me and I like the element that the kiln introduces”. I think what makes Dexter’s work playful is that he treats the ceramics like an abstract painting.

An artist that creates ceramic sculpture by playing with earth and fire is Samantha Dickie. She  currently lives and works on Vancouver Island. Dickie is also involved in the Fired Up exhibitions. Her work highlights natural materials:“My intention is to preserve the natural qualities of clay in the finished piece.” This can be seen in her 2005 exhibition, Elusive Containment, “…which consisted of fifty-six works that were hand built and thrown.” This exhibition included  untitled – a tall abstract sculptural vase that Dickie gifted to the Gallery’s collection. This vase has a round opening on the top and two tiny holes in the front. The surface has a smoke-like finish, which has tones of grey in contrast to the light pink created by the fire. This is achieved by playing with “atmospheric firing.” She “…wrapped the work in steel wool, then placed it in a barrel with sawdust and wood chips to achieve the smoked finish.” Dickie explains that the work considers “…the notion of the vessel as a body, as a place of containment”. This sculpture reminds me of a feminine figure.

Playing with earth and fire is a personal experience for Laura Wee Láy Láq. She currently resides in Chilliwack B.C. at Ch’íyaqtel-Tzeachten, her father’s ancestral homeland.

She employs hand building, coiling, and two types of “primitive-firing techniques, sawdust-firing and pit-firing” to create vessels. Her olla – “big round vessel” forms – are coiled in bands of glacier clay, burnished with a polishing stone, and then sawdust fired at a low temperature, resulting in different variations in colour from white, to light brown to black, a burnished surface that was influenced by Maria Martinez. Wee  Láy Láq was taught the ceramic practices of San Ildefonso, including “the pit-firing and the burnishing technique by the artist Blue Corn.” I had the opportunity to speak with Wee  Láy Láq During our conversation, I learned that she has a strong awareness of the earth and the “nature of fire” through her creative process. 

Placing clay forms in contact with natural combustibles, clay is transformed by low temperature atmospheric firing into ceramic pots and sculptures. Maria and Santana Martinez, Ngan, Dexter, Dickie, and  Láy Láq know how to play with earth and fire.

Afterward

It is fun to think back to a Wednesday in July, when Birch invited me to spend time with Wee  Láy Láq work. It was surprising how light her pot felt in my hands with Birch supporting the base. It was amazing to see the burnish and how it resembles glazing and to feel the smooth surface. At the beginning of this project, I didn’t expect my feelings about ceramics to change. After months of researching, my perspective has shifted. I have become especially more curious and excited to learn about the firing process. I am fascinated by how combining the elements of earth and fire can create something beautiful. Now that I have spent some time with ceramics and had the opportunity to speak with Wee  Láy Láq I feel a deeper appreciation and respect for ceramics. Even with this newfound appreciation, however, I’m not sure that I’m ready to return to the gallery where I had my “shattering” experience with ceramics.