Ideology:Glass and plastics are increasingly favoured for bottle-making - their transparency enabling stored contents to be made visible compared with the opacity of ceramic bottles. Dr Iskandar’s Tall Bottle is the anti-thesis of the uniform, clear bottles that proliferate in modern households. It is instead, a singular flask that is hefty, organic and rugged – appearing as if it has withstood the rigours of use over time. Its extraordinary surface is uneven, tactile and full of expressive movement. This vessel exemplifies the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi that Dr Iskandar strongly identifies with. It is a philosophy that embraces beauty in imperfections, irregularities and the natural marks of aging. Tall Bottle has a tall cylindrical body with a short, straight neck. A lug handle enjoins its neck to its shoulder. Its surface has been embellished with kushime - expressive comb-wave patterns - created by Dr Iskandar using a blunt-tooth comb.
Detail of Work:Year created : 2015-16 Weight : 11 kg Dimension : H 55.5 x 20 x 20 cm Technical Info:The neck is wheel thrown and joined to the coil built vessel High-fired at 1300ºC, reduction gas-firing Material:Stoneware (mixed clay) Glaze:Semi-matt glaze, slip decoration Lip, neck, hip and handle: ‘Iskandar Blue’, white slip, iron oxide and transparent glaze Body: White slip and iron oxide, with combed to create patterns Bottom: ‘Iskandar Blue’, white slip, iron oxide and black stain Seal:2 sakura motif, c.1990s (1 at lower body and 1 at handle joint)
