Description
In 2003, State of the Arts filmed Alan Willoughby and a group of other artists over three weekends as they inaugurated a Noborigama Kiln on the Appel Farm Arts & Music campus in Elmer, NJ. This type of kiln was developed in Japan in the 17th century. It’s a multi-chambered, wood-burning kiln originally built into the side of a hill. Alan declares, “It’s a lot of work, there are much easier ways to do this. It’s a lot of work to keep a wood fire stoked to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit for the hours it takes to fire clay.” Alan, however, loves the primal, spiritual process and the results he can achieve as flames from a wood fire create patterns and archeological textures on the clay.
