Why make marks 2. The Dialectic of Permanence/Impermanence.

You might want to settle down with a cup of tea (ideally in one of my mugs), it’s a long one…

 Let’s deal with a few definitions first. Dialectic means “a way of discovering what is true by considering opposite theories” (Cambridge Dictionary, online). This is another idea that has come from my background in psychology.

 A further concept that I relate to from my psychology days is that of Mindfulness. It’s a mainstream idea now, and I learnt that this is about bringing awareness to one thing in each moment of time, in a non judgemental manner. So, being accepting of things being the way that they are. This can be brought to small moments in time (I made that mark in the clay like that and now I can’t change it) or big existential concepts (life is a transient thing). Both scenarios require acceptance of the situation as it is, noticing when judgements are made in your mind, in order to try to give some space between you and your thoughts.

 And thirdly (stick with me here) there is Wabi Sabi. This is a Japanese concept where there is an acceptance of transience and imperfection, of our impermanence in the world because life is a transient thing. I believe that in Japan this concept relates very deeply to the Tea Ceremony, and I can’t say that I am an expert in this. I would refer you to those who know more than me, and the book by Andrew Juniper’s book about Wabi Sabi for more information¹. I loved reading this book, and understanding more about how this concept could relate to my mark making and pottery. 

 Reading about Wabi Sabi connected the concept of mindfulness with my ceramics in a new way. The marks that I make in the clay have meaning beyond accentuating the nature of the material itself. They are made in the clay as both a record of that particular moment in time, and a sign of the transience of life itself. In a sense, they are a sign of our fundamental humanity, and connect us deeply to the natural environment around us.

 I think that there would be some who say that the deliberate marking of something means that it can’t be an expression of Wabi Sabi as you cannot force this meaning on something. However, I am using these ideas to make beautiful pots and feel that the ideas of transience and imperfection in Wabi Sabi are informing my mark making.

 At times I have wondered whether creating pottery is mindful or not. People talk about making pots as being a mindful process, but I’m not so sure. There are times when I am indeed fully immersed in the making, aware of each movement of the hand, or each judgement, fully concentrating, and perhaps in that lovely flow state. This is particularly when I’m working at the wheel which is my favourite place to be.

There are also times in my studio when my thoughts are miles away, perhaps when I’m listening to the radio or a podcast, and my hands are just doing something.  And then there are times when I snap back into making judgements about what I am doing, feeling frustrated that I can’t get something or other as I intend it to be.

More recently I have used mindfulness to help me to be open to the creative process as a whole, rather than applying it to any particular aspect of the making. I love the idea of noticing the space between one’s thoughts, as a means of opening up the creative space.

¹ Juniper, A. (2003) Wabi Sabi; the Japanese Art of Impermanence. Boston: Tuttle Publishing