Tatsuzō Shimaoka

Seven Junipers has just introduced me
to Tatsuzō Shimaoka

a ceramicist

renowned in the Mingei
Japanese folk-art movement of the early 20th C.

I think the idea here --
is to have a sturdy, simple style

appropriate for a humble
peasant life style.

Sort of like the pieces shown above


simplicity can be a virtue,

and actually,
Japan was a rather poor country
until recent times
so this is something they perfected






like this piece,
where the simple
can become meditative


but what I like about Tatsuzo,
is that
there seems to be a restless


maybe even a whacky
spirit underneath that calm exterior







What was he thinking
when he made
this strange piece?




and he has more than one way
to be strange









this piece seems to be so illusional






and maybe this one is prophetic ?





I feel like I've entered the set
of a science fiction movie









birth of a universe ?



what a pleasure
when something feels
both
strange and pleasant



And this has to be

one of the most spectacular


slide shows


available on the internet.


There's got to be about 50 pieces there.

A wonderful exploration
of one man's aesthetic life