Pettyjohn Pottery Part 1

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Harmony in Clay Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn are stoneware artists whose names have become synonymous with Philippine pottery. Often hailed as pioneers in this field, their designs and artistry have inspired the next generation of collectors and enthusiasts alike. As their style evolved through the years, they find themselves keenly focusing on using uniquely Filipino materials to further elevate the appreciation for the industry.

In an interview, Jon says "Stoneware is the name they give the clay we use. It comes from the erosion and decomposition of certain kinds of rock. The temperatures that we use to “fire” our work is almost identical to lava as it flows out of the volcano, as witnessed recently in the spectacular eruption of Mt. Mayon. In essence, we are duplicating the very same processes that form the surface of the planet. What better inspiration, how lucky are we, we get to use God’s own palette.

I like to drive -- commutes to the city, long drives, road trips, whatever -- because I get lost in the scenery, especially the horizon line of the distant hills and mountains. Often I’m looking across Laguna de Bay, Talim Island, and Jalajala towards the mysterious Sierra Madres. The Pacific Ocean is just behind the ridges of Caliraya. I like the way the sense of scale gets lost as I’m moving by; it is difficult to tell how large or small objects are. I like looking at satellite photos also. The International Space Station has a live feed app that I can watch on my phone anytime. Sunsets and rises are particularly interesting. Lately, these are the images I think of while working.

Sometimes as I drive I’m looking for clay, feldspar, or volcanic materials that we often see off to the side in the road cuts. I keep a rock hammer and plastic bags in the trunk, you never know what you might find. The Holy Grail would be a beautiful stoneware or porcelain that we could use straight from the ground; it’s rare but it happens. I haven’t found it yet, even after 40 years of looking, but I feel I’m getting closer."

The appeal of their creations is the sheer harmony one finds between the piece's delicate hues and textures that are often a feast both for the eyes and for the touch. Their fascination for nature is evident in their studio nestled in Mt. Makiling, their home since 1980. The graceful profile of the reclining woman, a description often attributed to the mountain, and the views of the vast landscape allow their different vantage points to draw daily inspiration from.

Form & Function Working passionately with high fire Asian style ceramics for over 40 years, Jon and his wife Tessy have mastered both sculptural and functional art. With the use of indegenous local clay, stones and ashes, their distinctive ceramic creations come alive .

From 2000 onwards Jon Pettyjohn primary use of cave kilns, known as Anagamas, to add more richness to the glazes. Infusing a multitude of influences from travels abroad and self experimentation, the Pettyjohns' pride themselves in being able to share their world, love for pottery and wisdom to the next generation of up and coming clay artists who have graced their workshops through the years.

Starting her foray into pottery in the late 1970s, Tessy Pettyjohn has exhibited both locally and internationally. Currently after years of teaching, one can always find her busy in Laguna as she focuses on her upcoming shows . Her experimentation of forms inspired by the lush nature which surrounds their home makes for her more organic and familiar shapes but with uniquely zen like attributes.

Jon Pettyjohn (b.1950, Okinawa, Japan) discovered his passion for pottery at age 22 when he lived in Barcelona, as a tourist, in the '70's. While exploring the Barrio Gotico, the gothic district, he stumbled upon an art school with students doing pottery, and in a heartbeat, he realized that he wanted to be a potter. The ambitious drive to be an artist was so strong that Jon even extended his stay for two years absorbing all the techniques and knowledge his instructors would teach.

After his trip, The youthful Pettyjohn came back to the Philippines and meets by chance at a gallery, the beautiful Tessy, who coincidentally was also a ceramic artist, and they married in 1979.

Anagama Jar 3 2005 Stoneware 16.943 cm x 28 cm

Ancient Arches Revived 5 2019 Stoneware and porcelain 20.32 cm x 27.94 cm x 10.16 cm

Tessy Pettyjohn (b.1948, Manila, Philippines) graduated BS Fine Arts, Painting Major, University of the Philippines in 1969. Being one of a handful of potters in the Philippines, and being female at that, Tessy showed her creative tenacity by becoming the 1st Prize Awardee Furniture Design Competition, Design Center of the Philippines in 1974. Since then she has had over 25 solo and group exhibitions while molding the next generation of stoneware artists in their studio.

The Romance Of Clay

When The Earth Moved J: That’s a good story. (laughs) T: You tell the story. (laughs) J: In my first exhibition in Sining Kamalig, which is a very good art gallery in Taft Avenue in 1978.

My very first exhibition…

T: April.

J: It was in April. Tessy came because she had some interests in ceramics. I noticed her right away, but you know when you’re having your first exhibit, it’s like a nerve-wracking, horrible thing, but I managed to get her phone number. (smiles). But the funny thing was I lived in New York in 1972 before I came back to the Philippines, and Tessy also lived in New York in 1972 and we both went to the same school, which was the New School for Social Research.

It was kind of a hippie school.

T: I was taking pottery and he was taking music, so we didn’t meet right away.

J: I never became a musician, so I got it wrong!

It’s funny that we met 6 years later. The end of the story is we got married 6 months after. (laughs) T: It was fast. (laughs) *Source: www.murphyreport.com

“WHEN YOU MAKE SOMETHING, YOU’RE NEVER ENTIRELY HAPPY ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. YOU ALWAYS THINK THAT IT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER.” - Tessy Pettyjohn

What is the Difference Between Stoneware and Ceramic?

Source: www.pediaa.com

The main difference between stoneware and ceramic is that stoneware is made at very high firing temperatures while other ceramics are made at relatively low temperatures. This high firing temperature makes stoneware strong and durable.

The word ceramics refer to various items made from clay that have been heated to very high temperature and hardened. Ceramic is a broad category which includes earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Therefore, stoneware is a type of ceramic.

What is Stoneware?

Stoneware is a type of non-porous ceramic that has been fired at relatively high temperatures (usually between 2150 – 2330° Fahrenheit). It is more durable than earthenware since it goes through high temperatures and has vitreous material added. Stoneware dinnerware is typically thicker and opaquer than porcelain. Furthermore, it gets its name from its stone-like appearance and dense, stone-like quality.

Like other ceramics, we can glaze stoneware to give it a colorful matte or glossy finish. Before the glazing, stoneware will often have color patterns and variations similar to natural stone.

Generally, stoneware has a rustic and earthy appearance.

We can use stoneware items in ovens, microwaves, freezers, and dishwashers. However, it’s advisable to check the manufacturer’s information as well. Generally, stoneware retains as well as distributes heat more evenly than other types of ceramics.

What is Ceramic?

Ceramic is a general term that refers to various objects made from clay that have been heated to very high temperature and hardened. Ceramic has three basic categories as earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Since we already discussed stoneware in the above section, this section will look at earthenware and porcelain.

What is Earthenware?

Earthenware is pottery that has been fired at relatively low temperatures. Although earthenware has a thick and rustic look, it is not strong or durable stoneware. It is porous, absorbs water and is prone to chipping. However, it is not as expensive as porcelain.

Difference Between Stoneware and Ceramic

Definition Stoneware is a type of non-porous ceramic that has been fired at relatively high temperatures while ceramic is a general term that refers to various objects made from clay that have been heated to very high temperature and hardened.

Firing Temperature Stoneware involves very high firing temperatures while other ceramics involve relatively low firing temperatures.

Appearance Moreover, stoneware has a thick and opaque, stone-like look while most other ceramics (usual porcelain) have a translucent appearance.

Durability In addition to these, stoneware is more durable than earthenware and as durable as porcelain.

Conclusion Ceramic is a broad category which includes earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Stoneware is more durable than earthenware, and not as expensive as porcelain. Stoneware has a thick and opaque, stone-like look, unlike porcelain, which has a delicate and translucent look. Hence, this is the main difference between stoneware and ceramic.

"There’s really a pottery movement all over the world now.

It’s like everybody’s having residency and seminars. Potters are going around the world."

- Tessy Pettyjohn

"Because of social networking. We have a tight group on Facebook. It’s interesting that we all know each other now.

There’s a core group of, let’s say, 200 people around the world and we’re like family."

- Jon Pettyjohn

“We are proud of being craftsmen. We are passionate about functional pottery. But in the last 10 years there has been something else....This seeming current of change in the landscape brought about a new dimension in their craft. Apart from their more popular cups, teapots, and plates are these works that have gone beyond the utilitarian."

- Jon Pettyjohn

Though associated with playfulness, pottery is fragile by nature. In one of the Pettyjohn's exhibitions titled: "Touch Me Not" , they successfully created 20 pieces of intriguingly curious sculptural creations that had spikes and other textures left best to the imagination.

Using clays from the provinces of Bicol, Quezon, and Iloilo, these works baked in a wood kiln were baked for over three days in 1400 degrees Celcius. .

"Our techniques are based on traditional Asian techniques from China, Korea, and Japan, but we try to adapt it to contemporary style. We also have western influences. I went to school in Barcelona and Tessy went to New York for some time. And then we both love functional works. We think it is very important, but we also do sculptures. In the past years, we’ve done a lot of sculptural works." - Jon Pettyjohn

"We were doing our pottery on our own before. And then there were probably two or three people doing pottery like Jaime de Guzman and Nelfa Querubin. In the early 80s they started the Crafts Council in Design Center so we have the “Potters Guild”. And then we met other potters and then there was a whole movement of pottery at that time. At crafts, it was headed by Arturo Luz of the Design Center Philippines. People kept on asking us to teach them how to do pottery and we were busy just doing our own work and then finally we said, “Okay we’ll teach”. We started teaching in the mid-80s. We started here, so people came here just from nearby places then suddenly people from Manila heard about it and they come all the way from Manila to learn pottery. Suddenly there were too many people we didn’t have any more space and so we moved to Alabang. After that, we moved to Makati. We were teaching for maybe 18 years? " - Tessy Pettyjohn

"More than 20 years. There were a few potters when we started but it was always interesting because there were a few galleries where we can exhibit in those days. But we had very successful exhibits.

There were many collectors even then. But now, people are really exploring the whole thing. There are many young ceramic sculptors and potters nowadays. There are many exhibits. We get a lot of attention. There’s also a Southeast Asian group of potters who are very close. We have a lot of friends from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It’s really an exciting time, especially for the young ones. " - Jon Pettyjohn

“Pottery is all about anticipation because you will never see the final result until you unload the kiln...

...It’s often disappointing to see the final result but once in a while the work is blessed by the kiln fire and gives back more than we dreamed. [You] need to keep an open mind though to see that — sometimes expectations cloud the vision."

- Jon Pettyjohn

“These are the high-fired types of ceramics with origins in Asia, having long traditions in China, Korea and Japan,” he says. Besides plates, bowls and tea sets, He also makes sculptural and wall works as well. “For me, there is no boundary between art and ‘craft’. I feel a strong connection with the ancient potters and ceramic traditions...

I have seen, touched and used pots hundreds of years old that moved and affected me as much as any painting or sculpture. Pottery has the lucky reputation of being a ‘people’s’ art, not confined to walls and museums. I love that.”

- Jon Pettyjohn

Let’s just say the aesthetics of pottery, or of any visual arts, is that we have the added dimension of function. Not only do you have to drink or eat from it, all the principles of design and composition, they’re also there. And you also have to put some feeling or emotion to it, that’s the hard part.

- Jon Pettyjohn

"I make all kinds of pottery. We do a lot of functional works. Jon likes functional things. But lately I’ve been doing flowers, cactus and corals."

- Tessy Pettyjohn

“Many have become professional potters and trained others themselves.

We are lucky to see a thirdgeneration emerging. This is what I mean by tradition.

We are links in this ancient chain that goes back thousands of years, [and] it’s an honour to be part of it. When the pandemic ends, we hope to do more teaching again at our Laguna workshop,” - Jon Pettyjohn

“A big part of the excitement we get from our work is finding and testing these materials. Being a potter is very much like being a chef. We must first find and identify locally sourced materials and figure out how to use them in the best and most interesting way,” he shares, adding that the actual production period takes about a month, a laborious process that has its own challenges along the way. “What you see is not what you get. Something white might later turn blue or red and the high temperature we fire at (1300C or 2372F) can make unexpected changes. There is a lot of intuition in the process. Pottery is the art of anticipation.”

- Jon Pettyjohn