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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by debunix » Jun 26th, '13, 02:49

Chip wrote:Petr is holding some pieces for me til he finishes a few other special order pieces.
His & Mirka's special order pieces for me have all been well worth the wait....

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by iGo » Jun 26th, '13, 03:14

+1

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Petr Novák » Jun 27th, '13, 13:39

Playing with new texture-surface...it still needs some finishing. If the kyusu will survive the firing it will hold around 130-140ml. Curious by myself...
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Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Jspigs » Jun 27th, '13, 23:02

Petr Novák wrote:Playing with new texture-surface...it still needs some finishing. If the kyusu will survive the firing it will hold around 130-140ml. Curious by myself...
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I have been awe of your teaware for some time now, but this takes things to a whole new level in my mind! It looks like (in terms of texture) a stone teapot that has been left in a forest and started to grow mushrooms on it. I really need to place an order one of these days.

EDIT: Changed wooden to stone.

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Seeker » Jun 27th, '13, 23:31

That is a really great looking texture!
I hope it survives the fire - and I look forward to seeing it's return.

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by 茶藝-TeaArt08 » Jun 28th, '13, 01:09

Looking through Taiwan Tea Crafts I came across a teapot by Wang Weilong that reminds me of the direction Petr's work is pursuing with "barky" textures on the teapots.

http://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/product/ ... se-teapot/

Wang Weilong's pot has a very fluid integration of both smooth and organic, bark-like textures. While in Taiwan searching out artisan teaware, I never came across anything like this, something so "barky". Then again, Taiwanese tea cultural aesthetics are deeply influenced by Japanese forms/perspective and have their very own, not China, not exactly Japan, approaches. In Taiwan I did find some amazing stone teapots (something I don't see often here on Tea Chat; I had the best tea prepared for me of my entire trip in Taiwan by a stone teapot master, in a stone teapot, at his studio) and other teapots as well by Zhang Geming (here is an example of his work (http://www.ibuyla.com/Product/997230852 ... er_TC0243/)), Xu De Jia, Qiu Dengfeng (Scroll through here. There's some wonderful work here and a movie at the bottom of the page for those whom speak Mandarin. (http://www.wretch.cc/blog/cdkiln)), and many others. Qiu Dengfeng's work above, and in The Art Of Tea no.13 do have some branch-like and organic qualities to their forms. A few of his pieces have barky quality to them. I have seen other Qiu Dengfeng work in Taizhong at a teashop there. The owners of the teashop are friends of Qiu Dengfeng and I was surprised at the creativity of his work.

This gallery in Ying Ge has amazing work by multiple artists. My tea teacher took me there on a field trip to visit friends and source tea ware. If anyone is ever in Ying Ge I recommend stopping in this gallery (http://www.thz-art.com). This is where I first saw Zhang Geming's work.

I have noticed here on Tea Chat that people really respond to the charred and barky textures of some of Petr's work. While I have great respect for the skill of Petr's work and his creative journey, personally I don't feel a resonance with these barky, more charred forms/pieces; I enjoy a cleaner, more subtle, "empty" aesthetic (簡單的茶壺)and am curious if somebody whom is drawn to this more woody and barky aesthetic would be willing to express what it is they are drawn to in the rougher forms of these barky pots.

I am also curious Petr if you'd be willing to provide some perspective for where your work is taking you and why creatively you have found yourself in this more deconstructed, barky form of teapot. Does this for you have to do with the deconstruction of traditional or cleaner forms? Is it merely an expression of a personal disposition and curiosity? Is this direction something thought out or is it a merely a creative intuition that you are following? Is this direction less about the pot form and more about an attraction to playing with the way mind and hand respond to rich, rough, organic textures and glazes?

Recently when I spoke with Yixing master Tang Zhaoxia about her work she told me she prefers the simple shapes; this is, generally speaking, in line with a more Chan Buddhist, clean, but simple form/aesthetic. For her, she mentioned that simple and clean forms are the hardest to do well, their "flaws" cannot be hidden easily. But then again, I know this from wood working and creative writing, some of the best directions taken are the directions that unintended "mistakes" or impulses take us towards.

I remain grateful for all of Petr's and Mirka's work and their ongoing creative tea and ceramic passions. I recently purchased a set of Petr's work from Darjeeling.cz, though not a barky one. :D

Blessings!
Last edited by 茶藝-TeaArt08 on Jun 28th, '13, 01:23, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Chip » Jun 28th, '13, 01:18

茶藝-TeaArt08 wrote:I enjoy a cleaner, more subtle, "empty" aesthetic (簡單的茶壺)and am curious if somebody whom is drawn to this more woody and barky aesthetic would be willing to express what it is they are drawn to in the rougher forms of these barky pots.
Good question. But looking through all our various teaware collections, very few pots (and cups) have a smooth, simple texture. Hagi, Bizen, even Tokoname I have chosen, etc.

However's Petr's works go beyond just being textural, there is a "nature" to them. I am a tree hugger and I think the treebark was an instant draw for me.

Hm, but I am not a snake lover ... but I really like them too.

I guess this is not a simple question to answer as I look deeper into it ... so I will just say I enjoy texture. :mrgreen:

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Chip » Jun 28th, '13, 01:25

Maybe it is the call of the wabi-sabi!!! :idea:

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by NPE » Jun 28th, '13, 01:32

Well, what draws me to this pot is simple: I look at it and immediately my brain wants to come up with a story surrounding it - like the story of a cunning mythological hero who managed to steal the secret of tea together with the very first teapot ever from a mighty spirit of nature. Or short: it IS inspiring! :D

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Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Jspigs » Jun 28th, '13, 03:43

Chip wrote:
茶藝-TeaArt08 wrote:I enjoy a cleaner, more subtle, "empty" aesthetic (簡單的茶壺)and am curious if somebody whom is drawn to this more woody and barky aesthetic would be willing to express what it is they are drawn to in the rougher forms of these barky pots.
(Snip)

However's Petr's works go beyond just being textural, there is a "nature" to them. I am a tree hugger and I think the treebark was an instant draw for me.
( snip)
This. I too am a tree hugger and his pots look like he just walked to the forest and found them growing. To me they don't look like they are mimicking something living, but rather they are living. I think that I love all things nature might have something to do with it too.

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Lionel » Jun 28th, '13, 07:41

For me things are contradictory...I like nature very much, tree hugging :P , walking trough the fields and forests around my home...I have woodfired cups, yunomi or chawan, with ash and fire effects, rugged surface etc. But I must say I have difficulties to use them in my everyday tea (almost japanese greens). I prefer to use glazed teaware, or teaware with thin glaze. I only use clay teapots and kyusu, no porcelain (gaiwan or teapot), but as far as cup are concerned, it is the opposite...
I can hardly say why... :idea:

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by hopeofdawn » Jun 28th, '13, 10:43

Speaking only for myself, I think Petr's work represents a 'natural' kind of artifice. It may be similar to working with bonsai, in a way. You're using unnatural techniques--putting a plant in a small pot, trimming the roots and the top, wiring and bending limbs, sometimes even scraping off bark and bleaching wood--in order to make it look like a tree in miniature, often styled so that it appears old and beautifully weathered. For me, Petr's pots resonate the same way--handmade, yes, but not obviously so. They don't feel intricately sculpted, the way yixing bamboo or bark pots do to me. They feel natural--round and full and full of lovely textures of both bark and clay.

I do love clean lines too, especially in celadon and porcelain--but I think often in the modern age, where mass produced perfection is everywhere, having pieces that show their individuality in addition to the artisan's skill often speak more loudly.

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Seeker » Jun 28th, '13, 11:46

For me, I have always been drawn to artistic work that gives an appearance or stimulates the fantasy that the artist might have found the piece in nature - guinomi that look like earth-wrought stones with a hollow for holding liquid to drink, or in this case - a chunk of tree where perhaps Treebeard and the ents sang to a tree and it then sprouted this pot or cup.
Also, I've liked the esthetic of bringing nature to the tea room and tea to nature - joining them, intermingling them by our human hands and minds and hearts, inviting them to dance together, communicate one with the other.

ps - I too am a tree hugger. I think a tea room with a tree growing thru it would be amazing - where indoors and outdoors co-mingle.

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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by Petr Novák » Jun 28th, '13, 13:15

Thank you all for your comments. I really appreciate it.
茶藝-TeaArt08 wrote:I am also curious Petr if you'd be willing to provide some perspective for where your work is taking you and why creatively you have found yourself in this more deconstructed, barky form of teapot.
Thank you for those links and your reflection. Your question(s) provokes a bit of brainstorming in my mind:) I am not sure if I will able to put down clear answer, but let me try. When I make a teapot, there are usually two streams-flows. One is more “artificial”- some inspiration and/or idea based on what I would like to make. Image of future thing going out of my table or kiln. Sometime that image is more concrete sometime is it just feeling I would like to put there. Another stream we can call “natural”. I let my mind-hands-clay flow, based on my potter’s-man’s-tea lover's experiences I let pieces grow. Mostly those two ways plays together. Sometime I have precise idea and at some point I let it be or I work “unrestrainedly” and at the end, during finishing I make some “artificial” or human touch. And this was also the case of this particular teapot- the body-structure come up as almost accident during playing with clay and then I push it a bit to make it more subtle and, of course, funcional.

And as answer to your “what do you see on tree bark surface anyway?” question I have to admit there are two points of view for me.
As potter, I like clay, natural structures and forces of nature combine with soft feeling, delicate details and functionality. When those attributes are there after fire, I am happy, still learning how to make it work. But maybe some owners of such teapots can confirm, that especially with small 80-120ml teapots, the three bark surface is more like natural detail than overwhelming and distinct decor..
And as tea lover (ok, tea addict) I love to combine different pieces, I like to use different clays, shapes, glazes or surfaces as far as it works with my tea session. For example, I mostly use seven teapots (not at ones!)- two Yixings, one tree bark, two shino-unglazed inside, two small fine, high iron unglazed stoneware(maybe I would use your words for those: more subtle, "empty" aesthetic (簡單的茶壺)). I like create some contrast on my chaxi- fine porcelain cups+fair cup with three bark teapot. Almost like wood, MIrka’s teaboat with small fine black teapot and shiny celadon cup and so on...I would probably never go for just three bark or just yixing or just whatever:)

just for a curiosity, here is my this morning outdoor chaxi, with banzang in my pot. I like the footprint on my cushion...:)
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Re: Petr Novák - Pots under influence of tea

by 茶藝-TeaArt08 » Jun 28th, '13, 15:24

Petr, and everyone else, thanks for the replies. I want to do the various replies all justice and I have some responses in mind and some other questions, as well as some viewpoints but don't have the space to prepare it all properly at the moment. I'll get back soon. But in the meantime, thanks again for all the thoughtful expressions in answer to my query. :D

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