pots by Mateusz Grobelny

Rob Addonizio wrote:Ok Rob, out with it...where is this photo taken???

I would like to know more about this display and the artist that created it.

Very interesting I must say

tim stubbs wrote:

Rob Addonizio wrote:Ok Rob, out with it...where is this photo taken???

I would like to know more about this display and the artist that created it.

Very interesting I must say

his name is Han Xue Nian .

fiona wrote:

Rob Kempinski wrote:
Did anyone watch the video of him making the wood fired kiln?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qhVcy82ZMs&NR=1

I can't speak Polish so I don't fully understand what he was doing but it appears he welds a new kiln for each firing and he does it in the courtyard of an apartment complex. The kiln design shown in the video is a work of art itself.
Any additional explanation would be appreciated.

It certainly would. Such sharing of information and insight would be a proper use of the forum.

giomach wrote:

fiona wrote:

Rob Kempinski wrote:
Did anyone watch the video of him making the wood fired kiln?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qhVcy82ZMs&NR=1

I can't speak Polish so I don't fully understand what he was doing but it appears he welds a new kiln for each firing and he does it in the courtyard of an apartment complex. The kiln design shown in the video is a work of art itself.
Any additional explanation would be appreciated.

It certainly would. Such sharing of information and insight would be a proper use of the forum.

Rob,
thanks for posting the link. It's a very interesting video.

Fiona and Rob,
I'll try and offer a short account of what Mateusz says in the video.
It's his own project and it's called 'Aquarium of fire'. The idea was to break free from the concept of traditional, heavy looking, block shape kilns. So to construct a kiln, instead of traditional kiln materials he uses modern ones, i.e. silicon mats rather than fireclay bricks. The advantage of the silicon mat is also the light effect it produces.
The kiln design was inspired by the industrial cart (the idea of raising the construction above the ground) and the chimney, which wasn't meant to be vertical nor straight though, it would rather have a 'biological' shape. The contorted shape of the chimney helps keeping high temperature inside too.
Each kiln has a unique design however. He starts off with an idea and a drawing, then he welds the construction together and fits the silicon mats.
The unique design serves two purposes: 1) It's a way of expressing himself as a sculptor as each kiln is a sculpture in itself and 2) each firing is also unique: unique kiln means unique air circulation, plus there's the kind of wood he uses for firing, the weather factors like wind and humidity "and many more". As a result, and this is the reward, he can't predict exactly what the ceramics will look like, what the colour and even shape will be like, etc.
The technology of ceramics has to be followed. So it takes about 6 or 7 hours to raise the tempretature to ca. 300C (to get rid of the moisture in the clay), then you raise it again to around 600C (to get rid of the soot) and finally to around 1200-1250C. He says he likes to give the ceramics more time in the lower temperatures as it gives better colour effects (the fire smothers ceramics longer). Cooling down takes around 12 hours (it depends on the the thickness of the kiln walls). The whole process of firing takes about 48 hours.

Sin agad 'e. Hope it does the job like.

Attention please! That’s what strikes me most in this discussion. The need of some artists to seek attention more than anything. I really see no other reason to create “bonsai” that are so far away from the essence of bonsai. If you really are an artist, you cope with the quality needed and work dedicated to achieve your goal. Or you choose to express yourself using an art form that fits your goal.

I actually do not believe that Walther e.g. does not know the bonsai art and culture in its original state, but I do think Walter (correct me if I am wrong Walter), do reject the traditional bonsai art in its true nature.
Either this or a strong need to seek attention. This is seen in many other art forms too. The lack of talent can cause this, or simply a need of drawing attention in order to be known and sell the product. The latter is often the case.

Bonsai is an art form that demands skills and long termed dedicated and detailed work.
If you do not want to go that path, you can try making a shortcut. You can use odd material, style it lightly or in a provocative manner, and next calling it something. Naturalistic for example. And say it is art.
Next, when someone like me say “look twice at this and use your sound judgment”, the answer is always calling me/us for “traditionalist” or “stuck in the mud”. Another label put on “explaining” why we are wrong or dull.
I assume this will go to for Kimura, Kato, Yamada, Kobayashi and more?

I do see some of this bonsai work, and others for that sake, called naturalistic, because then you have an explanation of why it is so. Typical for bonsai artists that do not cope, or don’t have the patience to finish the work. They put a label on explaining why it is so, and it is then accepted as (good) art. Seen in te art world in general too.

“Western bonsai” is also a label put on unfinished bonsai lacking quality and refinement. Another way to get around it, still believing it is bonsai art. We just don’t want to do it the Japanese way because it is boring (or too demanding perhaps?).

What strikes me most is the artist that seeks attention this easy way. Their works, in my opinion, are short cuts and easy attention trackers. Pop-bonsai or kitsch-bonsai I could label them. As it goes on in the art world in general. But I´m sure it will be defended as progressive and forward looking evolution of the art so it doesn’t stagnate and die? Right or wrong? Good or bad art?

I am just happy that I am in no need of seeking attention and being popular, because I do not need to sell anything. I just pay attention to doing bonsai the old fashioned boring way with details and dedicated work, trying to cope with the beauty of bonsai and come as far as I manage to do the classic bonsai. Bonsai that might also keep their artistic value on a long termed basis. That’s art for me.




Best regards
Morten Albek

Pawel P wrote:Hi Mambo,
for some time, you and all of bonsai people will see the harmony in pots by Mateusz Grobelny. We work on it