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 Signed Early Mid-Century Modern Pottery Chawan Tea Bowl, 1950s
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic rare early footed stoneware Japanese style California studio pottery Chawan tea bowl (circa early 1950s) by Master Greek-American potter/artist Peter Voulkos featuring ha...
Pottery, Stoneware
Peter Voulkos Studio Vase
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) - Black Studio pot, circa 1953-1955. Signed “Voulkos” on the base. Voulkos, an American artist of Greek descent, was known for his Abstract Expressionist ceramic...
Clay
Peter Voulkos Signed Early Mid-Century Modern Stoneware Pottery Vase, 1950s
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic early stoneware California studio pottery vase (circa early 1950s) by Master Greek-American potter/artist Peter Voulkos featuring a ribbed design and dark, luminous glaze...
Pottery, Stoneware
Important Peter Voulkos 'Plate', 1981 – Wheel-Thrown Stoneware, Surface Drawing
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Chicago, IL
Important Peter Voulkos 'Untitled Plate', 1981 – Wheel-Thrown Stoneware with Surface Drawing Dimensions: 5¼ D × 21 W× 20 H in Signed: Voulkos 81, to reverse Catalog: Registered under...
Clay
Peter Voulkos Important Vase, 1957
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Chicago, IL
Peter Voulkos Important Vase, 1957 Glazed stoneware An exceptional early work by Peter Voulkos, this monumental 1957 vessel belongs to the crucial period in which the artist was radi...
Earthenware
Peter Voulkos Untitled (Ice Bucket), 1989
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Chicago, IL
Peter Voulkos Untitled (Ice Bucket), 1989 Glazed and anagama-fired stoneware A substantial sculptural stoneware work by Peter Voulkos, characterized by an irregular, heavily worked r...
Stoneware
$14,500
Peter Voulkos Vase
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Richmond, VA
Mid century vase by Peter H. Voulkos, circa early 1950's. This piece was made during Voulkos' time at the Archie Bray Foundation of the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana. Vase features...
Stoneware
Early Peter Voulkus Ceramic Vase
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Chicago, IL
Early Peter Voulkus ceramic vase early 1960'd [unsigned].
Ceramic
Important Stoneware Sculpture by Tim Orr, circa 1970-1980
By Tim Orr
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
An important stoneware sculpture by Tim Orr. Handwritten signature at the base. Circa 1970-1980. One pair is avaible.
Ceramic
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 7 in Dm 9 in
Large MCM Studio Pottery Lidded Stoneware Vessel by Joel Edwards
By Peter Voulkos, Joel Edwards
Located in San Diego, CA
Large MCM studio pottery lidded stoneware vessel by Joel Edwards, circa 1960s. The incised piece is in very good condition with no chips or cracks and measur...
Stoneware
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
H 16 in Dm 5.25 in
1950s Roger Corsaw Stoneware Vase Mid-0Century Studio Pottery
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Roger Corsaw, American, b. 1913. Corsaw earned his bachelor's degree at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He earned his Master of fine arts from the Institute of Design in Chicago. From 1936 until 1976, Corsaw taught at the University of Oklahoma where he became professor Emeritus of Art and instructed alongside notable artists Oscar Jacobson...
Ceramic
Vase Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1957
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Stockholm, SE
Vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Sweden, 1957. Sterling silver. Dimensions: H: 24 cm/ 9 3/8" W: 9 cm/ 3 1/2" D: 4 cm/ 1 1/2" Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) can be described as one of the icons of Finnish design and a symbol of the international success of post-war Finnish design. Tapio Wirkkala studied sculpture at the Helsinki Central School of Industrial Design from 1933 until 1936, but he was also a self-studied artist in many areas, including glass design. His success as a glass artist began in 1946 when he designed one of his most famous works, the Kantarelli vase, for Iittala. Wirkkala gained worldwide success in 1951 at the Milan Triennial, where he received three Grand Prix awards: for the exhibition architecture, glass design and wooden sculptures. Tapio Wirkkala felt a deep relationship with nature and his absolute favourite spot was located in Finland's deepest forests. From the beautiful landscape, Tapio Wirkkala could find inspiration for his works, often characterised by organic shapes. Leaves, birds, ice and water are recurring themes in his design. Tapio Wirkkala was also a furniture designer and a sculptor. He started his career as a sculptor in the 1930s but abandoned the traditional sculpture in the post-war years – in the early 1950s, alongside with other works, he started to develop an entirely new relationship with sculpture and a new technique to be used. The result was a series of unique plywood sculptures which combined form and movement in the vibrant, densely lineated surface of plywood. Wirkkala’s sculptures represented exceptional abstractism and gave Finnish sculpture...
Sterling Silver
$770 / item
H 19.69 in W 8.67 in D 11.03 in
Modern Cast Brass, Resewn Oak Timber & Resin Dawa Ice Bucket
By Egg Designs
Located in Bothas Hill, KZN
This modern ice bucket is part of the egg designs Dawa luxury bar collection and is a great addition to any home cocktail bar, or simply as a place t...
Brass
Saint-Clement Huge Mid-Century Stoneware Vase, 1950s
By Saint-Clément
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Large Saint-Clément Stoneware Vase, France, 1950s. This impressive and rare stoneware vase from Saint-Clément, France dates to the 1950s and is distinguished by its exceptional size ...
Stoneware
Important Stoneware Sculpture by Tim Orr, circa 1970-1980
By Tim Orr
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
An important stoneware sculpture by Tim Orr. Handwritten signature at the base " Tim Orr ". Circa 1970- 1980. One pair is available.
Ceramic
$795
H 8.25 in W 20 in D 12.5 in
Victorian Style Pink Transferware Footbath / Cachepot / Planter / Ice Bucket
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a large scale Victorian style pink transferware footbath or planter. It is a heavy ceramic piece. It has English victorian styling, and the transferware seems to depict an It...
Ceramic
$315Sale Price|50% Off
H 4.73 in W 8.27 in D 5.91 in
Deruta Italy 1950s bowl - Mid-Century Modern - Geometric Designer Ceramics
Located in Manzano, IT
Gorgeous Italian artistic ceramic bowl (emptying bowl) made in the 1950s in Deruta. An iconic piece of Mid-Century Modern style, featuring a vibrant geometric pattern that echoes t...
Ceramic
$974Sale Price / set|35% Off
H 6.5 in W 12.25 in D 5 in
Important Prototype Vases by Winslow Anderson, 1952
By Blenko Glass, Winslow Anderson
Located in South Charleston, WV
Signed by the Artist 1952, Winslow Anderson. When Winslow designed the vase model 961 he produced prototypes, and he kept these 2 handblown prototypes with him until his death in 20...
Blown Glass
Unique Ceramic Vase by Peter Beard
By Peter Beard
Located in New York, NY
Peter Beard vase Impressed artist's signature to underside. Unique
Ceramic
$395
H 2.25 in W 4 in D 6.25 in
Mid-Century Modern Murano Glass Bowl by Archimede Seguso, Italy, 1950s
By Archimede Seguso
Located in Warrenton, OR
Mid-Century Modern Murano Glass Bowl by Archimede Seguso, Italy, 1950s. Pink & Green 1950s Archimede Seguso Murano Glass Bowl with Gold Leaf/Polveri . This rare, mid-century mode...
Gold Leaf
Sold
H 9.5 in W 5.5 in D 2 in
Peter Voulkos Signed Rare Abstract California Studio Pottery Art Doll Sculpture
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic, quite engaging Anagama art sculpture by American master potter/artist Peter Voulkos who is universally known for his abstract expressionist ceramic pottery pieces and sculptures. Voulkos often referred to these few, rare creations as his "dolls". They were typically constructed from scraps of clay cut from larger sculptures and combined into abstract expressionist figures loosely based on Japanese Haniwa figures...
Pottery, Stoneware
Peter Voulkos Stoneware Tea Bowl, United States, 1964
By Peter Voulkos
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Exceptional Peter Voulkos Stoneware Tea Bowl, United States, 1964. Signed & dated to the bottom.
Ceramic, Stoneware
Large Ceramic Wall Mount Sculptural Platter Peter Voulkos
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Atlanta, GA
A large woodfired stoneware wall hanging sculptural platter by American potter Peter Voulkos (1924-2002). The glazed piece was organic and irregular...
Stoneware
Peter Voulkos Stoneware Pottery Vase, 1950s
By Peter Voulkos
Located in San Diego, CA
An early studio work by Peter Voulkos. Glazed stoneware. Signed. C. 1950.
Ceramic
Peter Voulkos Signed Large Heavy Modern Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic, freeform, heavy chawan teabowl by American master potter Peter Voulkos. Very unique and scarce work with rare use of color. One of our personal favorites. Signed ...
Earthenware
Peter Voulkos Bottle Form Stoneware Vase
By Peter Voulkos
Located in San Mateo, CA
Early ceramic vase by Peter Voulkos. This vase has a black glaze with brown undertones. Four sides of the vase are slightly flattened. The top portion is unglazed. There is a firing ...
Stoneware
Peter Voulkos Signed Mid-Century Modern Stoneware Pottery Vase, circa 1950s
By Peter Voulkos
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic early work (circa early 1950s) by Master Greek-American potter Peter Voulkos. Signed on base with incised signature by Voulkos. Voulkos is widely considered to be the most important and impactful ceramists of the modern era. He won the Rodin Museum prize at the first Paris Biennale in 1959 and was the winner of a Guggenheim fellowship in 1984. Voulkos received the College Art Association’s Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1997. He was made an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 2001. He also received six honorary. Doctorate degrees as well as three National Endowment for the Arts awards. His work can be found in many prominent collections and museums including: Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, Nagoya, Japan Albany Mall, Albany, New York American Museum of Ceramic Art...
Stoneware