Common ground: Adam Silverman + Sogetsu Ikebana Los Angeles

Abstract

In the fall of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, Silverman began a project to address the political and cultural divisions in America. Silverman collected materials (clay, wood ash and water) from every state and inhabited US territory and combined them into a single, new, fully integrated material. This material was then used to create 56 ceremonial vessels that celebrate the nation's radical inclusivity and diversity. A series of 56 Ikebana arrangements made by students at Sogetsu Ikebana Los Angeles are placed in Silverman's vessels, creating a pairing of American materials and symbols with Japanese traditions.

Contents

Ikebana works / Sogetsu Ikebana Los Angeles ; photographs by Joshua White -- Common ground / Adam Silverman -- Art of the ground / Ravi GuneWardena -- Akane Teshigahara / interview by Aya Muto -- Pottery is vital / Tony Marsh -- Common ground materials -- Ikebana materials.