Sarmiento' Anagama's photostream

TO MY BROTHER: José Antonio, an artist-potter working in Spain.


«It's vitally important for me to be committed, as an artist, to those natural elements which also contribute to the final appearance of my work, even though this necessarily implies taking risks to the limit. This approach comes from my need to find the authentic essence of the vessel».
JA. Sarmiento In San Cibrián de Ardón, October 1999

Biography, perspectives, work :

As an artist, José Antonio Sarmiento is committed to pottery, in particular, to studio pottery and wood firing. It could be said that his interest in art is innate, because it exists even in his earliest memories, probably because of his natural artistic gift (for drawing, painting, clay modelling); thus he was apprenticed and trained in drawing and painting at De la Puente Studio with his mother, and also at Academia Vargas with the abstract painter Alejandro Vargas.

Since 1980, he has worked full time in ceramics: from 1984 to 1995 he undertook large scale murals, as well as producing functional pots on the potter’s wheel. Since
1995, however, in a quest for the authentic essence of pots, he has preferred to concentrate on the latter, inspired by the landscape, in which he lives and works, and always questioning and eliminating the boundaries of artistic disciplines through his heterodox artistic vision. It is precisely through the forms in pottery that he has found a total freedom in his work. And he feels this implicitly, an independent art with purely abstract content, free from any desire to imitate other forms; as a natural medium through which to explore and work with fire, raw materials and minerals.

A self-taught potter, the works of Josep Llorens Artigas, Joan Miró, Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, the Mingey movement, Raku potters hand made tea bowls (Raku Museum, Kyoto), Ryoji Koie, works from six historic Japanese kilns, Primitive Art, Abstract Expressionism and Spanish Informalism, Old Spanish masters (especially the Old Masters Velázquez and Goya), jazz music, landscapes and real life, plus Bernard Leach's book "A potter's book" (Faber & Faber, London 1973) have all been some of the most important points of reference for him. Throughout these years, he has always been interested in those methods of firing which reveal the presence of flames and the effects of natural processes; and he has specialized in the effects produced by removing wares red-hot at both low and high temperatures, in salt and soda firing, and in wood firing at high temperatures.

"Amongst others, there are two main reasons for preferring to employ these firing methods. One, because I want to be actively involved in all parts of the process, not to 'abandon' my work at the last minute. And second, because I enjoy the part luck plays in my work through the action of natural elements which can never be entirely controlled, such as fire, air, water, ash, smoke…There is a dialogue created, whereby craftsmanship and experience confront and complement chance and nature.”

José Antonio has lived and worked in San Cibrián de Ardón (León, Spain) since 1988. The first kiln he constructed there was a noborigama style kiln with two chambers, onto which he later added a Bourry-style firebox after visiting John Leach's studio in England in 1990. The second wood-firing kiln –of oriental design–, which he built in San Cibrián, was a three-chambered Noborigama with a large additional fore-chamber (dôgima), which functions as an Anagama. This was built on returning from a three month stay in Japan (1999 – 2000); a trip he undertook after the prestigious potter Ryoji Koie became his mentor following their meeting when both where exhibiting their work in an exhibition in Cordoba. The prestigious artist became his teacher, opening his Kamiyahagi studio in Japan to José Antonio. With Koie-sensei, José Antonio was reaffirmed in his approach, with both artists sharing the same liberating understanding of ceramics.

In Japan, José Antonio worked with Shigaraki clay, and travelled throughout the country visiting those places traditionally associated with, and famous for, wood-firing kilns (known as the 'six ancient centres of pottery'). In addition, he visited a considerable number of working Anagama and Noborigama kilns, such as that of Charlie Odum, Masaho Ono, among others. He also made his first visits to renowned artists specializing in this style of firing: Shinsaku Hamada (son of Shoji Hamada), Tatsuzo Shimaoka, and Shiro Tsujimura.

The use of both modelling and the potter's wheel – sometimes in the same piece - are evident in José Antonio's work. He likes to leave marks whilst throwing pots, or to change their form whilst they are still pliable, fresh: to give them more movement, a touch of spontaneity. Then, through the marks left by the firing, the natural wood-ash converted into glaze, the movement and licks of flames, he incorporates elements of nature and chance into his work. His aim is for each piece to retain the same freshness that it had when still damp and newly made. Conceptually, he produces individual wares which are both functional and contemplative, and whose artistic content palpably manifests his desire for interaction between 'daily' life and the 'spectator-user'.

Technical Information :

The works are hand-thrown or hand made using West and North Country clays and wood-fired at 1300º C, firing for four to seven days and nights (one or two assistants usually help on shifts), in an anagama (tunnel kiln) + noborigama (3 chambered sloping kiln). A kiln designed and built by him, basing his ideas on the Japanese anagama and noborigama wood fired kilns. Other works are Hikidashi (where pots are taken out of the kiln while they are still glowing red hot), using either wood firing or gas firing. He also has some experience with salt and soda glaze.