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Paul Soldner Sculptures

American, 1921-2011

After studying under Peter Voulkos at the Los Angeles County Art Institute, Denver native Paul Soldner (1921–2011) became a pottery professor there in the 1960s, when the revolutionary California Clay Movement took root.

Soldner pioneered American-style raku firing methods, experimental updates of the centuries-old Japanese process, which involve pulling red-hot sculptures out of the kiln to be bathed in smoke or dipped in cold water, resulting in beautifully frazzled glazes.

“These new firing and post-firing reduction methods often led to spontaneous, unpredictable and quite wonderful results,” says Greg Nielson, of Dwell Floor Five, in Studio City, California.

Soldner’s raku vases, for instance, with their charred surfaces, seem to smile humbly through the scars of their past adversity. 

Alongside the likes of Toshiko Takaezu, Soldner innovated chunky, funky ceramics in the mid-century and beyond. He is one Voulkos student at whom enthusiasts should take a serious look, advises dealer Jayson Lawfer.

The owner of The Nevica Project, a gallery with venues in Chicago and Kansas City, Lawfer explains that Soldner “was a master of raku and was credited with bringing the historic Asian technique to the U.S.” He adds that “Soldner used simple techniques of throwing pottery on the wheel, but to make his sculptural forms more interesting, he also pressed burlap into the clay and stepped on it to give it different textures."

Find Paul Soldner pottery for sale on 1stDibs. 

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Creator: Paul Soldner
Paul Soldner Signed Large Modern Pottery Raku Slab Charger Wall Relief Sculpture
By Paul Soldner
Located in Studio City, CA
An amazing and unique piece by renowned American pottery and ceramic master Paul Soldner who in the 1950s was Peter Voulkos' first student and who later became famed for developing the technique now known as "American Raku" - a practice of using low temperature salt firing...
Category

20th Century American Modern Paul Soldner Sculptures

Materials

Earthenware

Paul Soldner Large Mid-Century Pottery Raku Slab Charger Wall Relief Sculpture
By Paul Soldner
Located in Studio City, CA
An amazing and unique piece by renowned American pottery and ceramic master Paul Soldner who in the 1950s was Peter Voulkos' first student and who later became famed for developing the technique now known as "American Raku...
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20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Soldner Sculptures

Materials

Earthenware

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Paul Soldner sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Paul Soldner sculptures are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of earthenware and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Paul Soldner sculptures, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sculptures by Paul Soldner were created in the modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sculptures by Jerry Meatyard, Sy Rosenwasser, and Bob Bennett. Prices for Paul Soldner sculptures can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,995 and can go as high as $4,250, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,623.

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