Category Archives: Personally

Inspiration, Personally

Readymade ceramic art by Ai Weiwei; in search of humanity

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For me, Ai Weiwei is the Duchamp of the 21st century: a modern, provocative creator of readymade ceramic art. But Ai is much more than that. He is an artist, human rights activist, provocateur, writer, architect, filmmaker, blogger and dissident.

Until March 3, 2024, a large-scale exhibition of one of the leading artists of the moment can be seen at the Kunsthal Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

At the beginning of the new year, we had the chance to visit this exhibition, and it was definitely worth it. Not only to be able to see the objects live, but especially to be confronted with the (in)humanity in China, Europe and other parts of the world. These are issues that Ai has been looking for throughout his career.

Ai Weiwei exhibition "In Search of Humanity" Kunsthal Rotterdam 2023-2024
Ai Weiwei exhibition “In Search of Humanity” Kunsthal Rotterdam 2023-2024

It is not for nothing that the exhibition bears the name “In Search of Humanity”. A search that is always topical, especially now that inhumane measures seems to have become the norm in Dutch politics.

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Inspiration, Personally

What should a ceramics lover visit in Amsterdam? Ceramics in the Rijksmuseum!

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The collection of ceramics in the Rijksmuseum is somewhat underexposed. Everyone knows “het Rijks” of Rembrands “The Night Watch” and other paintings. But ceramics enthusiasts will also get their money’s worth! Men with beards, women in blue, white gold and much more…

How much more? 7,250 more to be exact… Because that’s how extensive the ceramics collection in the Rijksmuseum is. Reason enough to start this new year off right with a fresh dive into ceramics history.

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam 2 January 2023

Where do you dive in and what can you discover?

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Little Ceramics Thoughts

Ceraminations: Imaginations at Making Ceramics

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Imaginations come and go, the art is to recognize and preserve the Ceraminations . They are the ceramist’s treasure trove. Maybe not immediately, but after ripening they are worth their weight in gold, just like a good cheese…

Modern life is surrounded by all kinds of information flows. Books, social media, events and interactions: with Frodo (my parrot), my girlfriend, fellow ceramists and students. What happens to all that input?

With me it always comes out one way or another (rehashed). When I’m working, whether it’s preparing a (glaze) lesson, a ceramics blog or with my hands in the clay, small thoughts jumping around.

Sometimes everyday thoughts (is the garbage picked up today?), sometimes specific (making a series of pots in geometry of the molecules that clay is made up from?).

How do you keep all those references and perhaps (after maturation) valuable Ceraminations?

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Inspiration, Personally

Keramion in Frechen: When is a Potter’s Wheel a Pottery Museum?

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Keramion in Frechen celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. In all those years we still hadn’t visited this famous ceramics museum in Germany. But this summer we were in the area, so we could no longer resist the pottery sirens from Frechen.

Frechen, near Cologne, is one of the centers on the Lower Rhine where ceramics have been made since 1200. As in Raeren and the Westerwald, artisanal potters have fired “Rheinisch Steinzeug” (Rhine Stoneware) there from about 1400.

Keramion in Frechen, back
Keramion in Frechen, back

But at Keramion, the emphasis is on contemporary ceramic art. After all those historic pots, that’s exactly what we were looking for…

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Inspiration, Personally

Pottery museum Raeren, a Modern Pilgrimage for all Stoneware Potters

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In pottery museum Raeren (Belgium), you can feel the adventure, excitement and drama that has taken place beneath your feet. Stoneware has been fired in this border region near Aachen (Germany) and Vaals (the Netherlands), for 500 years, This stoneware pottery, “Rheinisch Steinzeug” was the first stoneware developed in Europe.

In the 16th century, this village grew into one of the largest stoneware centers in Europe. Raerens stoneware can be found all over the world. In museums and in private collections of ceramics connoisseurs.

Pottery museum Raeren , inside
Pottery Museum Raeren

Sometimes new finds surface. Literally from shipwrecks such as the “Vergulde Draeck” off the west coast of Australia. But mostly through excavations in Raeren itself.

If you want to feel the history of European stoneware down to your spine, you should visit the Raeren pottery museum. Even if it’s only once in your life… but more often is also allowed!

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Inspiration, Personally

The rise and fall of Raeren Stoneware

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Production Raeren Stoneware, circa 1550:

“Stop! No more wood, the white fire has been reached. Scoop the salt into the kiln.”

Men with faces covered in dirty rags, with blisters on their hands defying the caustic chlorine fumes that hang around the kiln like a white cloud. With tearful eyes they scoop kilos of salt into the kiln. Finally, the kilnmaster gives the signal: they can close the kiln.

For five days and nights they have fired a kiln with more than 2,000 pots. The work of many months is at stake. If this kiln fails, all will be in vain.

Not to mention the consequences for the pottery and the families who depend on it. Can the debt still be paid this month or will it be seized by the freelord?

Oil painting by André Blank: Raeren and the most important export areas (Pottery Museum Raeren)
Oil painting by André Blank: Raeren and the most important export areas (Pottery Museum Raeren)

How did a small village on the Lower Rhine develop into one of the largest producers of European stoneware in the 16th century? For that we have to go back to Roman times…

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Inspiration, Personally

Pottery Secrets Revealed: the Three Books of the Potter’s Art

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As the magician never betrays his tricks, so the potter guards his pottery secrets. The master whispers to his apprentice the necessary processing of raw materials. The ceramic alchemist keeps glaze recipes in secret writing.

More than once, pottery secrets have been lost in the grave . But mysteries have an unstoppable appeal. There are always researchers who unravel riddles and reveal secrets. This is also the case in ceramic art.

“Since I have set myself faithfully to show forth all the secrets of the art of the potter.” (Cipriano Piccolpasso “Li tre libri dell’arte del vasaio”1557)

Cipriano Piccolpasso "Li tre libri dell'arte del vasajo"1557

In this way Cipriano Piccolpasso still captivates the readers of his handwritten manuscript from 1557. In it he revealed the Italian majolica technique of the 16th century.

And by doing so, wrote the first ceramics manual in the world.

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Inspiration, Personally

Love and ceramics: Beatrice Wood shocks herself

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Beatrice Wood (1893 – 1998) taught me more about love. Not the love for ceramics (I already have that), but the loves in life…

“I never made love to the men I married, and I did not marry the men I loved. I do not know if that makes me a good girl gone bad, or a bad girl gone good” (Beatrice Wood, 1985)

Something that never ceases to amaze me is how my interest in handmade ceramics takes me to every nook and cranny of life.

Glaze theory leads to the hidden world of quantum mechanics and the beginning (and the end) of the universe. Clay to the origin of mankind, the mastery of fire and the origin of civilizations, culture and art in every corner of this planet.

And ceramic artist Beatrice Wood to love…

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Opinion, Personally

Handmade ceramics: Why are you doing this to yourself?

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Why do you start with handmade ceramics? What is handmade ceramics? When is something handmade? Is it art, is it design, is it craft?

Questions I had when I started making ceramics myself. But these are also the questions of the ceramics collector. And whoever has questions must look for answers!

It has been about 30 years since I took my first ceramics out of the kiln (burning my hands, because I couldn’t wait for it to cool down completely). Do I have all the answers by now?

Okay spoiler alert, I don’t … but I can give you my thoughts about it.

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Firing, Personally

My new Flame has arived: we now live together!

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We had long left the seven-year itch behind us, but after almost 20 years a new desire awoke in me. My old flame disappointed me again and again. Was I tired of her? Is it time for our paths to part?

And then I met her. More and more furtive glances in her direction. A “coincidental” meeting at Keramikos. An extra round to admire her. I enjoyed her shapes, her warmth, her fiery temperament. Was this love mutual?

I took the plunge about six months ago. We had to move on together. I gathered all my courage (and money)…. And I ordered my new ceramic kiln.

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Inspiration, Personally, Technique

Does your creativity need a boost? Go messing around with Clay Slip!

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Le jeu de la barbotine is the same as enjoying messing around with clay slip. And another example that French is a much more elegant language than English, but that is a matter for another blog. In this blog I’m going to talk about creativity and having fun by messing around with clay slip.

Anyone who works with clay knows that it takes no effort at all to make a mess with it. And if that makes you as happy as me, then keep going…

But this time I wanted to talk about stimulating your creativity. Well, that can be done in all kinds of ways, but if you have clay, or more accurately clay slip, try the technique of Daniel de Montmollin. Yep, a famous namesake of mine from France.

All you need is a colored board in, for example, red or black and white clay slip.

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Inspiration, Personally

Take a deep breath of Vitamin C From Ceramics, Creativity and Culture

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Everyone needs vitamin C from Ceramics, Creativity and Culture. Especially a ceramist like me. And what you get from afar is always better. That’s why, when we were in South Limburg (see previous blog), we also visited the Tiendschuur in Tegelen. We were just on time to see the exhibition “More Organics“.

But of course you don’t have to go far to soak up culture. Everywhere there are museums and galleries where you can score a vitamin shot.

Also in Purmerend where I fire my ceramics. We got back just in time to enjoy the “Ceramics from the Dutch National Art Collection” exhibition.

I’d love to tell you more about it, but let’s start this blog at the beginning…

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