Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within

 Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within

March 20 2024 - July 28 2024

Bill's ceramic mentor, professor at Princeton University for whom he apprenticed two years; introducing us and Bill continuing to fire her kilns and demonstrate coil building for university classes while our sons were small, is now having an astonishing exhibit at the Noguchi Museum featuring about 200 pieces of her art.

Last year, one of Toshiko Takaezu's Moon Pots sold for $541,800.

I remember handwashing the floor rug below when it first came back to the studio.

Bill & I brought back these Guatamalen hammocks in the 70's for Moon Pots to be displayed in.

The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum has assembled a major nationally touring retrospective and largest ceramic monograph (Yale University Press) centered on Toshiko Takaezu's life. It is organized by The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum with assistance from the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation and the Takaezu family with works from private and public collections around the country. 

The opening we attended was packed followed by a dinner for over 100 apprentices, artists, friends & family celebrating her consumate artistic lifestyle and ethics which were embraced by all and well ahead of her time. A concurrent dinner featuring her monograph for donors and organizers was also held.

A bronzed bell in the Noguchi Garden Museum. Princeton University has a large one on campus.

All astonishing! This exhibition is outrageously breaking attendance records.

Caryatid Sculptures

Bill has two new "Caryatid" Sculptures fired in a very hot glaze fire which gave them a tinge of warmer; deeper colors. These sculptures add to a series of seven. 

LED Lights

Leif has been switching all of his house lights and most recently old flourescent tube lights to LED lighting. He choose "toggled" 4' & 3' 3000K LED T8 strip lights ordered from Home Depot for $60 total, to cover 24' over 6 sliding glass doors. They are the warmest type and will have walnut board baffles remounted in front. Next will be a dimmer switch added and WAC track lights matching the kitchen, attached to large ceiling beams here.

Whitewashing A Butcher Block Countertop

This butcher block was white washed with one coat of thinned paint & sealed with poly.

To whitewash our butcher block I used half Benjamin Moore White Ceiling paint (has more white pigment) and half water applied in sections. It was lightly wiped off with a cotton cloth minutes after application. A piece of 1" X 4" clear pine board was also cut and whitewashed for the backsplash. Three coats of "Varathane Triple Thick Waterbased Polyurethane" in a clear matte finish was used to seal the counter on all sides, using a 320 grit hand block between coats. Finally Bill added 1/2" furring strips to the counter back to gain depth. A good studio counter. 

The faucet area of the counter was taped off and painted "White Dove" marine paint.

First, this birch butcher block was cut to 23" deep with a skill saw (new blade) and thin; long piece of finish-edged sheetrock clamped down as a "fence". The sink hole had 4; 1/2" holes drilled at the corners with skill saw cuts between, and a hand saw finished the cut-out. A plane and sandpaper were used on the edges to soften them and the counter sanded with 220 grit.

Leanne Ford "whitewashes" (like this) and anything with anything. Photo Amy Neunsinger.

Photos: pinterest.

The Hallway

We have lightened the vaulted hallway upstairs with a new light, all white doors, closet interiors with baseboard trim, and rug. We are deciding as we go, what needs to be white. The doors here needed repairs, the light was broken, the space was dark and the closets dim. 

George Kovaks Light. Safafieh Handmade Ivory Paris 2 1/2" Shag Runner.

Leif has decided that the studio sink & drain will be white (composite granite) made in Germany.

The screened-in porch new 24" white light...

 Anthropologie Freya Pendant. 

A February Firing

Bill has spent many freezing nights creating clay works in his basement studio, which were recently fired. Tiles, beautiful bowls, two tall sculptures, and some stools.

A stunning table/seat has gone to Alex & Nina in Dumbo, while red and gray clay was used...

 

Refurbishing MCM Hardware: Snow Day

Snow Day activities besides shoveling...

Leif has been removing and refurbishing his interior vintage door knobs as some doors are prepared for paint. They were disassembled, soaked in Acetone for a day, toothbrush cleaned and wiped with a soft cloth, to look new. The vintage door hinges however have all been replaced with matching new ones, bought by the dozen.

The desk chair in the living room is a vintage Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Ant Chair made in Denmark ($75 at Home Front), which had slight pitting marks on the metal lower legs. They were easily removed by rubbing wadded aluminum foil vertically, over them. I found new bottom black caps in a good hardware store and it is now refurbished. 

The Ant Chair was the first (1952) stackable chair Arne Jacobsen designed and originally had three legs. Vintage chairs in good condition can sell for hundreds while their flexible one piece plywood moulded design on a tubular steel base, is most comfortable.