Flask (tokkuri) c. 20th century

Editor: This is a ceramic flask, a 'tokkuri', by Hoshino Teisai, made around the 20th century. The textured surface is quite striking, almost geological. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Let's focus on the materiality. Look at the way the ceramic has been treated. The artist isn't just shaping clay, they're engaging with the very process of transformation. It speaks to the artist’s labor, the physical manipulation required to achieve this texture. Do you think that's intentional, or is it merely a byproduct of the firing process? Editor: I suspect that it is definitely intentional - it seems so carefully applied, the way it gathers near the base. How does that material process fit within the larger art world? Curator: It challenges the traditional hierarchy between art and craft. By foregrounding the 'making,' Hoshino forces us to reconsider the value we place on different kinds of labor. Are we appreciating it as a utilitarian object, or an expressive sculpture? Does that even matter here? Editor: So it's not just about aesthetics, but about drawing attention to the work itself, to the materials? Curator: Precisely. Think about where the materials come from. How were they sourced? What kind of labor extracted them? Who has access to this piece? Its meaning isn't confined to its visual form. The object is evidence of human action within a social context, a reminder that everything is made. Editor: I hadn't considered it in terms of labor and extraction before. I guess I was mostly taken by how it looked. Curator: That's perfectly natural. Art often draws us in through its aesthetic qualities. But once we’re engaged, we can start to ask more probing questions. Editor: This has given me a whole new way to see not just this flask, but other artworks, as well. Thanks! Curator: And it serves as a reminder: Art's inherent worth emerges from the artist's ingenuity and toil, intricately woven with materials that trace their origins back to nature.