Skip to main content

Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

American, 1924-2002

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.

to
1
4
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
5
2
3
2
2
5
1
1
26
177
119
98
77
5
Artist: Peter Voulkos
Peter Voulkos - unique Ceramic Sculptural bowl hand signed by renowned sculptor
Peter Voulkos - unique Ceramic Sculptural bowl hand signed by renowned sculptor

Peter Voulkos - unique Ceramic Sculptural bowl hand signed by renowned sculptor

By Peter Voulkos

Located in New York, NY

Peter Voulkos Ceramic Sculptural Dish, ca. 1985 Sculpted ceramic Hand-signed by artist, Incised signature on the base. 1.5 x 11.5 inches This charger plate by Voulkos features a Gree...

Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Glaze, Mixed Media

Plate CR952-W
Plate CR952-W

Plate CR952-W

By Peter Voulkos

Located in Kansas City, MO

Peter Voulkos Title: Plate CR952-W Medium: Woodfired ceramic Year: 1989 Signed and dated by the artist Size: approx. 20.5 x 5 inches A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) led in the development of pottery as an art form. . With an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts (1952), he taught at Black Mountain College (1953) where he was exposed to the avant-garde. In 1954, Voulkos moved to Los Angeles to become the chairman of a newly established ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute (later renamed the Otis Art Institute) and soon assembled a remarkable group of students: Paul Soldner, Jerry Rothman, Kenneth Price, John Mason, Henry Takemoto...

Category

1980s Post-Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Plate CR1056-W
Plate CR1056-W

Plate CR1056-W

By Peter Voulkos

Located in Kansas City, MO

Peter Voulkos Title: Plate CR1056-W Medium: Woodfired ceramic Year: 1992 Signed and dated by the artist Size: approx. 24 x 4.5 inches A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) led in the development of pottery as an art form. . With an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts (1952), he taught at Black Mountain College (1953) where he was exposed to the avant-garde. In 1954, Voulkos moved to Los Angeles to become the chairman of a newly established ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute (later renamed the Otis Art Institute) and soon assembled a remarkable group of students: Paul Soldner, Jerry Rothman, Kenneth Price, John Mason, Henry Takemoto...

Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Plate 1329-W
Plate 1329-W

Plate 1329-W

By Peter Voulkos

Located in Kansas City, MO

Peter Voulkos Title: Plate 1329-W Medium: Woodfired ceramic Year: 1998 Signed and dated by the artist Size: approx. 20.5 x 21 x 5.25 inches A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter V...

Category

1990s American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Plate CR1190-W
Plate CR1190-W

Plate CR1190-W

By Peter Voulkos

Located in Kansas City, MO

Peter Voulkos Title: Plate CR1190-W Medium: Woodfired ceramic Year: 1995 Signed and dated by the artist Size: approx. 19.5 x 20.5 x 5.75 inches A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) led in the development of pottery as an art form. . With an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts (1952), he taught at Black Mountain College (1953) where he was exposed to the avant-garde. In 1954, Voulkos moved to Los Angeles to become the chairman of a newly established ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute (later renamed the Otis Art Institute) and soon assembled a remarkable group of students: Paul Soldner, Jerry Rothman, Kenneth Price, John Mason, Henry...

Category

1990s Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Related Items
Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium 2'
Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium 2'

Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium 2'

By Ak Jansen

Located in New York, NY

Ak Jansen was born in Dongen, The Netherlands, in 1988. He studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven focusing on textile design, material culture, and techniques of fabrication. He wor...

Category

2010s Abstract Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Clay, Glaze

Vintage Cortendorf Orange Black and Aqua Green Ceramic Vase, West Germany
Vintage Cortendorf Orange Black and Aqua Green Ceramic Vase, West Germany

Vintage Cortendorf Orange Black and Aqua Green Ceramic Vase, West Germany

Located in East Quogue, NY

Bright, boldly colored orange, black, and aqua green mid-century vase by Cortendorf. A beautiful, bold example of West German Art Pottery from the 1950s. It has its original maker's ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Edward Arcenio Chavez Mid-Century Modern Bronze Abstract Sculpture
Edward Arcenio Chavez Mid-Century Modern Bronze Abstract Sculpture

Edward Arcenio Chavez Mid-Century Modern Bronze Abstract Sculpture

By Edward Arcenio Chavez

Located in Denver, CO

This abstract bronze sculpture by Edward Arcenio Chavez embodies the refined organic forms and sculptural experimentation that define mid-century American modernism. Cast in bronze a...

Category

20th Century American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Granite, Bronze

1980 Italy Late 20th Century Bronze Multiple Male Nude Bust by Roberto Nanut
1980 Italy Late 20th Century Bronze Multiple Male Nude Bust by Roberto Nanut

1980 Italy Late 20th Century Bronze Multiple Male Nude Bust by Roberto Nanut

By Roberto Nanut

Located in Brescia, IT

This engaging bronze sculpture on black wooden base, well represents a human bust, but for its expressive force, the bust turns into an abstract shape of it. The artist who created t...

Category

Late 20th Century Post-Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Eugene Caples "Bronze Sculpture II" Abstract Bronze Sculpture
Eugene Caples "Bronze Sculpture II" Abstract Bronze Sculpture

Eugene Caples "Bronze Sculpture II" Abstract Bronze Sculpture

By Eugene Caples

Located in Detroit, MI

This small exquisite "Bronze Sculpture II" is in excellent condition and a perfect example of Eugene Caples craftsmanship. This is mainly abstract with some graphic or architectural elements and is so delightful that mythical creatures demand to be considered. It cries out to be touched and held, looked at and caressed. The beautiful patina on the surface gives voice to the many hands that have done these things. Eugene Caples is a designer and craftsman who worked in Kansas City in the 1960s and later through the early 21st century. He attended the Kansas City Art Institute, earning his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Industrial Design in 1959. In 1963 he was accepted to Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The Cranbrook Academy of Art was designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. Numerous creative artists are alumni of Cranbrook and include: Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald...

Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Zofar" Boaz Vaadia, Human Body, Bronze and Stone, Anthropomorphic Sculpture
"Zofar" Boaz Vaadia, Human Body, Bronze and Stone, Anthropomorphic Sculpture

"Zofar" Boaz Vaadia, Human Body, Bronze and Stone, Anthropomorphic Sculpture

By Boaz Vaadia

Located in New York, NY

Boaz Vaadia Zofar, 1997 Bronze, bluestone, and boulder Overall 20 x 29 x 27 inches From the edition of 7 Provenance Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida Boaz Vaadia is the in...

Category

1990s American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Bluestone, Bronze

Tall Metallic Palladium Abstract Expressionist Brutalist Totem Sculpture
Tall Metallic Palladium Abstract Expressionist Brutalist Totem Sculpture

Tall Metallic Palladium Abstract Expressionist Brutalist Totem Sculpture

By Judy Engel

Located in Hudson, NY

Hand built heavily glazed solid ceramic structure by NY artist Judy Engel. Expressionist style hand built and heavily glazed in a high metallic palladium glaze. Judy's first introduction to this style was the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. "In the 1970s, upstate school kids...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Glaze

Ted Egri Taos Modernist Judaica Cubist Bronze Sculpture Rabbi & Torah WPA Artist
Ted Egri Taos Modernist Judaica Cubist Bronze Sculpture Rabbi & Torah WPA Artist

Ted Egri Taos Modernist Judaica Cubist Bronze Sculpture Rabbi & Torah WPA Artist

By Ted Egri

Located in Surfside, FL

Ted Egri (American, 1913-2010) Bronze sculpture Rabbi Signed Egri and numbered 4/30 on side. Dimensions: 12"L x 8.5"H x 6.75" D Born in New York city in 1913 to a Hungarian Jewish emigre family (both of his parents were born in Hungary), Egri was first exposed to music later dropping that for art. He studied with Howard Giles at the Master Institute of the Roerich Museum in New York where he was introduced to Oriental arts, Chinese and Japanese art forms, and later with Hans Hofmann. He worked for the Federal Arts Project, the WPA, making mural paintings and silkscreen prints as well as easel painting. Once WWII began, Egri signed up to serve as a map maker for the Navy, and was witness to some of the fiercest battles in the Pacific. As an artist, he painted many important depictions of his wartime experiences and these works have all be donated to the U.S. Naval Museum. Already a practicing painter and instructor at the Kansas City Art Institute, Ted Egri came to Taos, New Mexico with his wife Kit in 1950 to continue his study of painting at Ribak's Taos Valley Art School on the GI Bill. Louis Ribak quickly introduced Egri to Eulalia Emetaz, the owner of La Galleria Escondida, who gave him his first one-person show in 1951. A prolific and versatile artist, as well as arts organizer and advocate, Egri's contributions to underserved African American, Native American, Hispanic and women were honored by two Taos mayors, with no less than two Ted Egri days during his 50-year art career in Taos. Egri remained in Taos. He became widely known for his sculpture, influenced by cubism and painting, with his style ranging from abstract to realistic. Egri had incredible draftsmanship - charcoal, pencil, pastel, watercolor, oils, mixed media, pen and ink, acrylic, gouache Over time his work gradually shifted from its focus on human struggle to an exploration of natural elements and the changes that come about as a result of living in a physical environment like Taos. "The impact of the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range and the vast spaces of the mesas directed me toward space and form. I moved into sculpture," Egri said in a 1987 interview with ARTSPACE magazine. He was included in a show at Stables Gallery along with Emil Bisttram, Louis Catusco, Edward Corbett, Lawrence Calcagno, Keith Crown, Andrew Dasburg, John De...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Creation Myth Ceramic Vase Sculpture, Abstract Expressionist
Creation Myth Ceramic Vase Sculpture, Abstract Expressionist

Creation Myth Ceramic Vase Sculpture, Abstract Expressionist

By Alex Hodge 1

Located in Miami Beach, FL

This vessel was built using the traditional and ancient methods of coil building. Through this meditative process, ancestral connections are drawn. The composition wraps around the f...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain, Paint

The Test, Assembled Kinetic Modernist Sculpture Puzzle Construction
The Test, Assembled Kinetic Modernist Sculpture Puzzle Construction

The Test, Assembled Kinetic Modernist Sculpture Puzzle Construction

By William King (b.1925)

Located in Surfside, FL

"The Test," 1970 Aluminum sculpture in 5 parts. Artist's cipher and AP stamped into male figure, front, 20 5/16" x 12 1/2" x 6 5/7" (approx.) American sculptor King is most noted fo...

Category

1970s American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Huge Dorothy Gillespie Colorful Abstract Expressionist Enamel Painted Sculpture
Huge Dorothy Gillespie Colorful Abstract Expressionist Enamel Painted Sculpture

Huge Dorothy Gillespie Colorful Abstract Expressionist Enamel Painted Sculpture

By Dorothy Gillespie

Located in Surfside, FL

Dorothy Gillespie (1920 – 2012) Ribboned Image X 2001 Metal Ribbon Sculpture, Enamel on Aluminum with colorful striped green ribbons. Dimensions...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Expressionist Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Enamel

Zephyr Green Macchia with Blue Lip Wrap
Zephyr Green Macchia with Blue Lip Wrap

Zephyr Green Macchia with Blue Lip Wrap

By Dale Chihuly

Located in Missouri, MO

Zephyr Green Macchia with Blue Lip Wrap, 1996 Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941) 8 x 10 x 10 inches Signed and Dated on Bottom Born in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly became the most...

Category

1990s American Modern Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Previously Available Items
Clay Charger
Clay Charger

Clay Charger

By Peter Voulkos

Located in Missouri, MO

Claycharger, 1980 By Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) Diameter: 21" Height: 5" Signed and Dated on the Bottom Few artists can revolutionize an ancient medium, but Peter Voulkos did just th...

Category

20th Century Abstract Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Clay

Untitled Charger (Gas Fired)
Untitled Charger (Gas Fired)

Untitled Charger (Gas Fired)

By Peter Voulkos

Located in Kansas City, MO

Peter Voulkos Untitled Charger Gas Fired Year: 1973 Size: 20" diameter 4 1/2"deep Signed and dated by the artist A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Vou...

Category

1970s Abstract Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Peter Voulkos abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Peter Voulkos abstract sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Peter Voulkos in ceramic, glaze, mixed media and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Peter Voulkos abstract sculptures, so small editions measuring 21 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Varujan Boghosian, Liz Sweibel, and Louise Nevelson. Peter Voulkos abstract sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $7,500 and tops out at $40,000, while the average work can sell for $40,000.
Questions About Peter Voulkos Abstract Sculptures
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Peter Voulkos created large sculptures from clay, which he then cast in bronze. He was also known for creating intricate vases and plates. Shop a selection of Peter Voulkos pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    For his bronze-casted work, Peter Voulkos used the assemblage technique to create a sort of 3-D collage. He would also gouge and pinch his ceramic works to manipulate their traditional shape. On 1stDibs, you can shop a selection of Peter Voulkos pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers from the comfort of your home.