Plate c. 20th century

This plate, by Lee Eun-ku, lives here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The making of pottery is a deeply skilled practice, you need to know your materials and your method intimately to have control over the outcome. The pale celadon glaze that coats this plate gives it a luminous, almost ethereal quality. It is smooth and glossy, like light reflecting on water. The simple form of the plate, a shallow, squared-off bowl on a short pedestal, feels both modern and ancient, as if plucked from a minimalist future or an archaeological dig. The subtle variations in the glaze, a slight pooling here, a gentle thinning there, reveal the hand of the artist. It reminds me of Agnes Martin’s paintings, which are also about the delicate balance between control and chance. Both artists let the materials speak, embracing the inherent imperfections and celebrating the beauty of the handmade.