Chicago Exhibit, May 2006

CHICAGO 2006
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Freeform ("Rotated Blowfish") Cavalier:
The aesthetic of stone takes hold of the new shape

Craggy and elemental, this direct descendent of the Rotated Blowfish seems to represent as bold a leap into a new compositional style as did the pair of Snails when they appeared in 2003. I am still learning about this brand-new piece, but I marvel at how rough-hewn and stone-like the carving can feel while it simultaneously expresses grace, elegance, and Toku’s characteristic sense of whimsy.

The Apotheosis of the Blowfish Cavalier
(at least for now …)

At the same time as he made his Rotated-Blowfish variation, Toku produced what I believe he considers his most refined and elegant Cavalier in the original Blowfish design. What marks this piece as an outstanding example of the "clay-like" aesthetic can be seen particularly above the bowl where, for the first time, Toku widens and twists the upper part of the shank as it rises towards the stem ... which itself has asymmetrical panels that flow in many directions before narrowing and focusing on the mouthpiece. The composition feels extraordinarily fluid and flexible. The wavy, undulating lines are innovative, surprising -- and, once accomplished, seem utterly inevitable.

Though far larger and heavier than the slender bamboo Blowfish Cavalier, all the supple contours and juxtapositions make this composition rival that earlier pipe for gracefulness of form and evanescence of spirit.

Preliminary Thoughts:
Some Characteristics of Clay and Stone

PLEASE NOTE: This list is highly tentative as I have only recently begun to look at Tokutomi’s work using these metaphors. I welcome your responses and suggestions.

Clay-like Carvings Usually ARE...

fluid,

flowing,

continuous,

always in motion.

THEY HAVE ...

soft shapes,

many supple echoes,

rounded edges.

Their asymmetries generate visual and tactile energy that produces a sense of flexibility and change.

Stone-like Carvings USUALLY have ...

craggy and angular lines,

rough-hewn and edgy forms,

large and chunky shapes,

fragmentation between (and within) the elements.

Compositions are not static, but some lines are intermittent or cut short. Our eyes and fingers start and stop as they feel their way around the composition.

Rather than "supple echoes," there are more dramatic contrasts between elements of the pipe.

Asymmetries may sometimes produce a sense of genuine imbalance – but such threat is counterpoised and eliminated by the tension sustained between chunks of form … which then provides the energy (the visual and tactile "glue") necessary hold the composition together.