Marcia Selsor Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 This is a video of production techniques from Agost/Alicante, Spain. I spents several summers there and an entire year on a Fulbright. I published a book on the different forms they made there. There were 21 potteries there when I first visited. Now there are about 4 or 5. Centro Agost was started by Ilse Schutz who purchased La Nava's 1820 factory and set it up as a studio study center. Here is La Navas video 17+ minutes They produce botijos..water jugs. They say adding salt to the clay makes the clay white and the water taste better.I have a photo of this potter from 1985.This the the modern las Navas with a four story wood fired kiln with a freight elevator to get the pots to the upper levels. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantay Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Super cool. Wish I could of kept up with the narration. So the vessels are sold unglazed? How many times a year do they fire the kiln? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted September 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Monthly. The pots are water coolers. Except there are winter notions that are glazed. They are made in Liria up towards Valencia. marrcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 What an amazing video ... Thanks for posting it Marcia. I love how he always moves at about the same speed no matter what he is doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted September 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 I watched a very old potter, Evaristo, make those loop handles in 2 moves. Amazing. Made this guy look like a beginner. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 That is some tough clay! I loved how he was loading the jugs into the kiln only holding onto the ring on top, and they didn't just snap off. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 Truly mesmerizing! Thank you Marcia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted September 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 Also no shelves in the kilns. Stacked sometimes 12 feet tall in the 4 different chambers. Most of the wood kiln were three chambers. La Nava went to 4 when it moved from the 1820 facility to a more modern one on the outskirts of town in the 1980s. I have watched gypsy load the bottom chamber carrying 10 botijos at a time across the fire pit on a plank. An amazing tradition in this town. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David F. Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 He did not learn the score and slip for attachments mantra ; so he must not have learned at a universary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted September 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 It is very different clay and very plastic due to how it is mixed.The potters don't consider themselves as artisans but rather factory workers.They apprentice for years. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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