Reflection of the Flame

Ceramic artist and instructor, John Balistreri discovered along with his students that when the wooden arch supports from the interior of the kiln were removed the space left behind resembled a piece of sculpture. This discovery inspired Balistreri to attempt to record an entire firing. Reflection of the Flame is the result of this discovery by Balistreri and his students. It is the actual physical documentation of a wood-firing event which took place in the artist?s kiln in Denver, Colorado. Combining an ancient Chinese and Japanese wood-firing technique called anagama with contemporary sculpture, Balistreri successfully fulfilled his goal of recording a firing in its entirety. The resulting 60-foot stone-colored sculpture consists of 16 individual ceramic pieces. This work represents a rare accomplishment in uniting the old with the new on a grand scale.