Peter Pilven

Peter Pilven is a woodfired Ceramic Artist from Australia. He works primarily with vessel forms which he alters in an organic sense.  He is very interested in the uncontrolled aspects of the woodfired kiln.  One cannot use the ancient descriptive words such as yaki, shigaraki, wabi or sabi to describe current work but old words or not the layers of interest in Pilvens work is apparent.  Perhaps we need a new lexicon of terms (such as the Japanese use) in an attempt to accurately describe the plethora of marks, flashes, effects and subtleties that document and record the flow of fire and ash through a wood burning kiln. An indefinable proportion of woodfiring's unique qualities are due to the range and complexity of variables that only coalesce during a particular firing. Ash and flash, care and a prayer all contribute generously to the fired palette. Likewise, weather conditions and barometric pressure are often significant variables in the matrix of the equation.  All if these factors contribute to the end result which cannot be predicted.  Leaving ones work to the doings of the earth is a brave and exciting process, ancient and new at the same time.