Peter Callas Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Abstract Sculptures
Ceramic
1990s Modern Sculptures
Stoneware, Glaze
1990s Modern Sculptures
Stoneware, Glaze
1980s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Monotype
1980s Abstract More Prints
Monotype
1990s Contemporary More Prints
Drypoint, Etching
1990s Abstract Abstract Prints
Drypoint, Etching
People Also Browsed
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Earthenware
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
Vintage 1950s American Modern Vases
Clay
Antique 19th Century American Ceramics
Ceramic, Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Earthenware
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Earthenware
20th Century English Modern Pottery
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Vases
Clay
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Vases
Stoneware
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Stoneware
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Pottery
Recent Sales
1990s Abstract Abstract Prints
Drypoint, Etching
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Ceramics
Stoneware
Peter Voulkos for sale on 1stDibs
Peter Voulkos was a West Coast sculptor known for incorporating an array of modernist influences into his ceramics practice. Widely acknowledged as the progenitor of a profound transformation in American ceramics known variously as American Clay Revolution or the California Clay Movement, Voulkos is considered the seminal figure in the development of contemporary ceramic art in America.
As both a working artist and educator, Voulkos was instrumental in unleashing a transformative wave of creativity in clay. As the originating force behind a novel, uniquely American movement in ceramics, Voulkos’ legacy and present-day influence on the medium cannot be overstated.
Voulkos studied painting and printmaking under the GI Bill at Montana State College after serving as an airplane gunner in the US Army in World War II. He soon discovered a passion for sculpture, graduating with an MFA in 1952.
An influential educator with a lengthy career at various institutions, Voulkos established the ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute (now the Otis College of Art and Design), where he taught from 1954–59, and at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught from 1959 until his retirement in 1985. He also taught at Black Mountain College and the Archie Bray Foundation.
Voulkos toured universities throughout the United States conducting live ceramic workshops to audiences until his death. Notable students of his include Paul Soldner, John Mason, Ken Price, Billy Al Bengston, Ron Nagle, Stephen de Staebler and James Melchert.
Voulkos was the recipient of many awards throughout his career, including the Gold Medal at the International Exposition of Ceramics (1995, Cannes, France); the Rodin Museum Prize at the First Paris Biennale (1955, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France); a Guggenheim Fellowship (1984); a Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement (1997, College Art Association); and honorary doctorates from four American art schools.
Artworks by Voulkos have been exhibited at major institutions around the world, including at the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY); the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY); the Museum of Art and Design (New York, NY); the Smithsonian Museum of American Art (Washington, D.C.); the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA); the San Francisco Museum of Art (San Francisco, CA); the Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA); the American Craft Museum (New York, NY) and the National Museum of Modern Art (Tokyo, Japan).
Voulkos has artworks in in the permanent collections of many major international institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY); the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY); the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC); the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA); the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA); the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA); and many more.
Find authentic Peter Voulkos art today on 1stDibs.