The one thing I can tell you about me is I like things simple. The world has become so complex that I think sometimes it is needless complexity. For example, I would rather double dig the garden than get the tiller going. I know it is more work, but it is quiet and physically satisfying. I know this sounds as if I’m off the path of pottery, but it is this basic philosophy that draws me to the 19th c. Harmonist potter, Christoph Weber. His forms are simple, quiet and physically satisfying. I just unloaded from the kiln some pots inspired by Harmonist pieces and thought I would share them.
As one can see, the redware grabs your attention in an unassuming warm way. Kind of like the colors coming from the warmth of the hearth. Both, I believe, do something to calm the human spirit. Weber’s use of slip squiggles is playful and not overdone; teaming them with black or brown banding is just the right touch for quiet, balanced and simple decoration.
The large bowl above is grounded with brown clay on the interior that gives it depth and a physically strong appearance. I am told that the Harmonists would use these bowls as solar collectors to proof the bread dough. Does it get any more simple than that? As I review Weber’s pieces, I am always reminded to not forget the beauty of harmony, simplicity and how it effects me. I wish you harmony in all you do today.