Peter Voulkos is a household name in ceramic art. This pioneer did for ceramics what Jackson Pollock did for painting, bringing the craft of ceramics into the realm of sculpture and expressionist art. His influences by artists such as Picasso, Miro or DeKooning had a profound effect on his clay work which spawned a whole new generation of expressionist ceramic artists.
In the 1950's, Voulkos, who initially studied painting, encouraged experimentation in clay at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, where he set up the ceramics department. 'Good craftsmanship' gave way to breaking the rules and making way for creativity to unfold. Eastern aesthetics, as propounded by Hamada and Leach giving way to West Coast Funk influences and expressionist ideas translated into clay.
Voulkos' work is thrown, slashed, assembled and torn. He has made woodfired work and discovered Anagama, as well as emulating the woodfired effect with the use of an overfired glaze.
Peter Voulkos' contemporary work has influenced diverse artists from Paul Soldner to Ken Price and remains a strong influence. If in today's ceramic art world 'anything goes', this is largely thanks to Voulkos' pioneering work.