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.
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Peter Voulkos 'Atlantis Codex Series II' Signed Limited Edition Print
By Peter Voulkos
Located in San Rafael, CA
Peter Voulkos (American, 1924-2002) Atlantis Codex Series II, 1984 Drypoint/etching Pencil signed lower right, edition 3/35 Image: 24in H x 17 3/4in L. Sheet: 30in H x 22 1/2 in L. ...
Etching, Drypoint
Untitled Dry Point Etching CR 313-PR
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Dimensions : Image 7 7/8” x 5 7/8”, Paper 16” x 12” Printed at Alfred University Press, Alfred, NY Chop mark: Alfred University Press Signed: Pencil 15/20 Voulkos ‘98 Peter Voulkos (popular name of Panagiotis Voulkos; January 29, 1924 – February 16, 2002) was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine art. While his early work was fired in electric and gas kilns, later in his career he primarily fired in the anagama kiln of Peter Callas...
Drypoint, Etching
Untitled Print CR203-Pr
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Monotype Dimensions : 44.5 x 30.75 inches image and paper Peter Voulkos (popular name of Panagiotis Voulkos; January 29, 1924 – February 16, 2002) was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine art. While his early work was fired in electric and gas kilns, later in his career he primarily fired in the anagama kiln of Peter Callas, who had helped to introduce Japanese wood firing aesthetics in the United States. After serving in the United States Army during the Second World War, Voulkos studied painting and printmaking at Montana State College, in Bozeman (now Montana State University), where he was also introduced to ceramics; Frances Senska...
Monotype
Untitled Print CR238-Pr
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Monotype Dimensions : 42 x 29 1/16 inches image and paper Peter Voulkos (popular name of Panagiotis Voulkos; January 29, 1924 – February 16, 2002) was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine art. While his early work was fired in electric and gas kilns, later in his career he primarily fired in the anagama kiln of Peter Callas, who had helped to introduce Japanese wood firing aesthetics in the United States. After serving in the United States Army during the Second World War, Voulkos studied painting and printmaking at Montana State College, in Bozeman (now Montana State University), where he was also introduced to ceramics; Frances Senska...
Monotype
Price Upon Request
Untitled (Monotype)
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Peter Voulkos Title: Untitled Print Year: 1984 Medium: Monotype Signed and Dated Size: 42″x 29″ A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) led in the development o...
Monoprint
Price Upon Request
Untitled (Monotype)
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Peter Voulkos Title: Untitled Print Year: 1984 Medium: Monotype Signed and Dated Size: 28″x 22″ A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) led in the development o...
Monoprint
Price Upon Request
Untitled (Monotype)
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Peter Voulkos Title: Untitled Print Year: 1984 Medium: Monotype Signed and Dated Size: 24 1/2” x 18 1/2” image 29 3/4” x 22” paper size A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voul...
Monoprint
Price Upon Request
Untitled (Monotype)
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Peter Voulkos Title: Untitled Print Year: 1984 Medium: Monotype Signed and Dated Size: 17 1/2” x 11 x 3/4” image 29 3/4” x 22” paper size A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Vo...
Monoprint
Price Upon Request
Untitled (Monotype)
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Peter Voulkos Title: Untitled Print Year: 1984 Medium: Monotype Signed and Dated Size: 23 1/2” x 17 3/4” image 29 3/4” x 22” paper size
Monoprint
Untitled 90-13
By Dale Chihuly
Located in Lyons, CO
Color monotype.
Monotype
$400
H 14.5 in W 9.5 in
"Portal I", Abstract Patterns, Geometric Abstraction, Woodcut Monoprint on Panel
By Alexis Nutini
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Portal I" is an original piece by Alexis Nutini and is made from a woodcut monoprint mounted on panel. This piece measures 14.5"h x 9.5"w. Born in Mexico City, A...
Panel, Monoprint, Woodcut, Paper
Sunflower Bouquet III
By Robert Kushner
Located in Lyons, CO
Color monotype with collage. Kushner recently completed a series of monotypes, many with collaged decorative papers. He worked from still-lives of flowers, fruits, pitchers and Bett...
Monotype
$1,350
H 32 in W 26 in D 0.25 in
Deadpan Pink Monoprint on Paper, Abstract Expressionist, 1990s, Signed
By Heather Speck
Located in Soquel, CA
Deadpan Pink - Monoprint EV on Paper Original transfer monotype painting by California artist Heather Speck (American, 20th C). Heavily textured in hues...
Paper, Monotype
$200
H 7.25 in W 9 in
"Half and Half", Abstract Patterns, Geometric Abstraction, Woodcut Monoprints
By Alexis Nutini
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Half and Half" is an original piece by Alexis Nutini and is made from a woodcut monoprint mounted on panel. This piece measures 7.25"h...
Panel, Monoprint, Woodcut
$1,858
H 18.12 in W 11.42 in D 0.04 in
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) - Love's Labour's Lost - Drypoint etching - 1970
By Salvador Dalí
Located in Varese, IT
Drypoint etching on paper on Rives paper, edited in 1970. Limited edition, numbered as 157/250 in lower left corner. Signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner. Plate size: 17...
Drypoint, Etching
Balustrade Vase C
By Betty Woodman
Located in Lyons, CO
Color monotype collage/woodcut. Since 1985, Woodman collaborated with Master printer Bud Shark to produce monotypes, woodcuts and lithographs with the same inventiveness and exubera...
Monotype
Pink Plumeria IV
By Robert Kushner
Located in Lyons, CO
Color monotype with collaged antique paper. Robert Kushner is a painter and a sculptor. He gained attention in the early seventies as a performance ar...
Monotype
$2,671
H 34.26 in W 26.38 in
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) - La Béquille -Colour drypoint etching on Arches paper
By Salvador Dalí
Located in Varese, IT
Colour drypoint etching on Arches paper, edited in 1973. Limited edition of 190 copies, numbered as 16/190 in lower left corner. Hand-signed by artist in pencil in the lower right ...
Drypoint, Etching
$225
H 4 in W 5.25 in
Nocturno — Abstract Drypoint and Aquatint in Deep Blue by Christian Bozon
By Christian Bozon
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Signed and numbered from the edition of 50. Nocturno is an abstract drypoint and aquatint by Christian Bozon, characterized by a dramatic contrast between a dense field of deep blue...
Drypoint, Aquatint
$400
H 9.5 in W 14.5 in
"Follow Me", Abstract Patterns, Geometric Abstraction, Woodcut Monotype on Panel
By Alexis Nutini
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Follow Me" is an original piece by Alexis Nutini and is made from a woodcut monoprint mounted on panel. This piece measures 9.5"h x 14.5"w. Born in Mexico City, ...
Panel, Monoprint, Woodcut
$1,350
H 32 in W 26 in D 0.25 in
Orange Deadpan Monoprint EV on Paper, Abstract Expressionist, 1990s
By Heather Speck
Located in Soquel, CA
Orange Deadpan - Monoprint EV on Paper Original transfer monotype painting by California artist Heather Speck (American, 20th C), heavily textured in hu...
Paper, Monotype
Untitled (Color Lithograph)
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Peter Voulkos Title: Untitled Print Year: Circa 1979 Medium: Color Lithograph Signed Size: 29 3/4” x 23 1/2” *this print has a small tear upper right and wear on upper left corner ...
Lithograph
Untitled
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Morton Grove, IL
monoprint very rare provenance: The Nevica Project
Monoprint
Untitled Dry Point Etching CR 299-PR
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Kansas City, MO
Dimensions : Image 12” x 19”, Paper 20” x 15” Printed at Anderson Ranch, Aspen, CO Printmaker: Robert Brinker Chop mark: Manose Studios Signed: Pencil 3...
Drypoint, Etching
untitled monoprint
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Morton Grove, IL
monoprint 1/1 signed "VOULKOS 85" paper
Paper
untitled monoprint
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Morton Grove, IL
monoprint on paper 1/1 signed "VOULKOS 85"