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POETRY BOWLS Poetry is the art of language; The creative act of combining poetry and pottery unites the power of words with the presence of the physical form. For example: Thoreau Poetry Bowl
Poetry Bowl-111 11 1/2" x 5 1/4" - $79 "What lies before us or behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen." -Henry David Thoreau I have loved poetry and pottery all my adult life, but it wasn't until recently that I saw the possibility for combining the two. I began embossing some of my favorite poetic lines directly onto the broader rims of my pottery bowls. The result, to me, was profound. The bowls, which have always offered challenges for creative glazing and a myriad of subtle forms, suddenly achieved a new level of meaning. The words and form together are powerful. I made these “poetry bowls" for about a year before trying to analyze why I liked the combination of poetry and bowls. Poetry is the art of language. It can convey cultural, emotional and spiritual messages. Poetry has the capacity to supply the heart and imagination with validation, clarification and value. Poetry, as Robert Bly points out, is "therapy of the culture at its psychic roots." Pottery, too, has the ability to speak universally and profoundly to one's aesthetic sensibility. In a bowl form in particular is a symbol of receptivity but can have many other attributes: boldness, delicacy, solidity or humor and can be perceived as energetic and dynamic. The creative act of combining poetry and pottery unites the power of words with the presence of the physical form. The result can be transformative. It is as if the words are given us since the caliphate so we can appreciate them in a new subtle way. In retrospect I realize that what I thought was a discovery was, in fact, I've re-discovery. Majestic words have for ages adorned the freezes of important government buildings, churches and educational buildings. And the pharaohs of each at any ancient Greeks adorned their temples was soul inspiring lines. And perhaps even more immediately and personally, carefully selected words are frequently chosen for tombstones and monuments. More basically still, there is a transfer of energy for the Potter to the clay in much the same manner as the poets deftly crafted words can speak volumes. It both pottery in poetry must be relatively clean and staring to allow the recipient to find his or herself in relation to these art forms. Poetry bowls are assessable yet open-ended expressions of potential, hope, ideas industry. They are passive, waiting for the viewer to find and resonate to their quiet messages, and yet active because their form, color, Hughes and chiseled words are themselves compelling. Jim Young - January 27, 2009
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