Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos served in the US Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1946. He then started his college education at Montana State College earning a BS in 1951. The following year he got a MFA degree at California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures that crossed the traditional division between ceramic art and fine art. This image above is one of Voulkos pieces called "Vessel" crafted in 1955. I chose this image because I like he used calm colors, they're not too bright or dark. I also found it interesting how he tilted the middle face instead of making it straight like the others. 

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an American artist who was well known for his abstract ceramic sculptures. He crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine arts. An interesting fact about Peter is that he founded the UC Berkeley’s ceramics department. He has had a huge impact on the growing artistic field. I have chosen to share this particular vase that Peter made because it is very unique. It looks like a coil pot but may actually have been thrown on the wheel. I like how the colors/glaze is simple but gives it a lot of texture. 

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an American artist who was best known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures which crossed the traditional separation between ceramic crafts and fine art. Peter Voulkos was very memorable for the live ceramics- sculpting sessions he would lead in front of his students demonstrating his ceramic styles. I chose this sculpture because it reminds me of lions and there is something so eye catching and mighty about a lion in my eyes.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an American artist who paved the way for new American ceramics. His art was more expressive and broke the mold of traditional, historical sculptures. His influences were zen philosophy, American jazz, and Asian culture. His main focus was sculptural and not functional. Above is Voulkos "Siguirilla", which was a wood-fired stoneware. This work is supposed to show artistic intention with the possibility of accidents and chance. Just as all human's encounter failure and chance, but something beautiful can still arise.

Peter Voulkos

Voulkos studied painting and printmaking at Montana State College, in Bozeman where he was introduced to ceramics.   Ceramics quickly became a passion. His 25 pounds of clay allowed by semester by the school was not enough, so he managed to spot a source of quality clay from the tires of the trucks that would stop by the Burger Inn where he worked part-time I chose this one because i love how It looks like a pot but has so many different dimensions. 

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was a greek american artist. He was known for his abstract expressionist pottery and sculptures. His pieces combined pottery and fine arts. He established the ceramics department at IF Berkely. I chose this piece. Because it reminds me of an ancient artifact and has a rugged worn design to it.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an American potter that is best known for his abstract expression in ceramic sculptures.  While studying about ceramics he also studied painting and printmaking at Montana State College.  After college Voulkos founded the ceramics program at University of California, Berkeley.  Voulkos is most remembered for his sculptures and the styles that he used, their visual weight, their freely-formed construction, and their aggressive and energetic decoration.   Voulkos is also known for teaching live sessions to his students when he taught at the University of California, Berkeley.  I chose this piece because I like the design and how it has different levels to it.  I also like the different colors that are used in this piece and how well they go together.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos is most known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures. He felt contracted by the traditional form of pottery. Due to this he crossed the traditional separation between ceramic crafts and fine arts. He changed the view most had of ceramics being only functional pieces.  He expanded the view on what ceramics is. He launched and became the leader of the Los Angeles movement.  I like how his pieces are very unique, usually when you think of ceramics you think of a smooth, clean and functional piece.  This piece is unique because of it broken appearance yet you can still see that it is a vase and could be functional although it doesn't appear that way.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an American ceramic artist born on January 1924, who was known for his unique and abstract expressions through his pieces. He was born and raised in  Boseman, Montana and studied paintings and ceramics while attending college. He obtained his MFA in Ceramics and started his career in making dinnerware and pottery. He had his own ceramics department in USC Berkley, and then went on to create works in sculpture and stoneware. He has many products inducted into many museums and became popular for his style. He won 3 prizes over his lifetime for his works and had over 15 public collections along the United States, Australia, and Tokyo. Peter passed away on February 2002, and his legacy is still present.  Pictured above is one of his works called the "Early Peter Voulkos Stack" which was picked of its intricate designs and symbols. It gave me tribal vibes which is very appealing to the eye for me and also very popular among art in the 21st century. It was made in 1955 and there are no current sales for it in the market. 

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine art. He was an American sculptor of Greek heritage. His sculptures often were in the form of ice buckets, plates, and stacks which he would then cast in bronze. Many of his works are displayed in various art museums.

Peter Voulkos Blog #5

Hello everyone, today we are going to be talking about Peter Voulkos. Peter was born in Bozeman, Montana and was best known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures. When he was studying painting and print making at college Peter got introduced to ceramics. He was only allowed 25 pounds of clay per semester, but this was not enough for him. He managed to find a source of clay from tires of trucks that would come to the Burger Inn where he worked part time. Attached below is a cookie jar dated in 1950 that Peter Voulkos made. The method that he used to create this jar was throwing it on the wheel. I choose this cookie jar because I thought the lid was a unique shape that I have never seen before and I liked how the pictures on the side of the jar look like little chicks.  

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos is an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist styled ceramics sculptures. He developed works not with the traditional craft foundation of ceramics, but rather in an experimental way that lead him to treat the medium as pure sculpture. This piece of art is a lidded vessel, created in 1952. I like this vessel because of the designs and texture.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos was an American artist who was known for abstract expressionism ceramics and sculptures. He made a lot of vases of different shapes and sizes and different geometric sculptures. Most of his vases are wide and then have a very narrow opening at the top. This one stood out to me due to the design on the vase. The pattern plus the gloss of the glaze on top really makes it different from his other ones.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos, born in 1924, was apart of the U.S. Army Air Force during the second World War. He later achieved an M.F. A.  at California State College of Arts & Crafts. Afterwards, he opened up his own pottery shop and started teaching pottery classes. He was very expressive with the use of clay and launched the Los Angeles Clay Movement. Voulkos past away in 2002. I am interested in this piece of his artwork because it is not traditional pottery. I like the the instability illusion it gives and use of colors, especially the blue. I can definetly see his abstract expression style in this piece as well as his inspiration from mountains.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos launched the Los Angeles clay movement and went on to create even larger objects that would project into space. I chose this piece however because I liked the fact that it was a set. It wasn't a stand alone teapot or cup it was a full set such as ones I used to beg for as a kid. Not only is it a beautiful set but the glaze, design, and color used to emphasize its beauty stood out to me because it makes each piece connected to the others in a slight form.

Peter Voulkos

This is a Ceramic plate made by Peter Voulkos called the Untitled Plate, made in 1973. Peter Voulkos studied painting and ceramics at Montana State University which lead to a MFA from California College of the Arts Degree in Oakland. He began in 1930 to make some very famous bowls, plates and vases. In 1953 Peter was teaching at Black Mountain College and has influenced many in his amazing abilities. I have chosen this piece made by Peter Voulkos because it was very different from the rest of his ceramics he had made. It caught my eye right away and looked like there was a lot of detail put into making this beautiful piece.

Peter Voulkos

This ceramic piece is called the Rocking Pot. It was created by Peter Voulkos in 1956. It is made out of stoneware and can be located at the Smithsonian America Art Museum. Voulkos actually helped out with the clay movement in Los Angeles. It was assembled through the slab technique. I chose this sculpture because it reminds me of something that was created in the caveman years. I think it reminds me of that era of time because of the color and the structure. Furthermore, it gives me an uneasy feeling with the sticks poking out of the holes. Additionally, I like how the sticks are curved and not straight through.

Peter Voulkos Blog

Peter Voulkos is one of America's most significant sculptors of the 20th century. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures. He had read Bernard Leach's A Potter's Book and had also met Shoji Hamada during Leach's lecture tour. We have blogged about Leach and Hamada. I chose Voulkos' Rocking Pot. I find this piece of sculpture very interesting, because it isn't your typical "pot." I like how the structure looks like its able to rock back and forth and that it is super abstract. It also looks like there is some sort of wooden approach to the piece of artwork. At first glance, I thought it was a bird house, but reading the description I stand corrected! 

Blog #5: Peter Voulkous

After serving for his country in the 1940's Peter returned back to the states and began his career in pottery.  He was founded as a chairman at Otis Art Institute and soon began his pottery shop, which then launched the Los Angeles clay movement. He soon got tired of doing the traditional designs with clay and began doing more abstract work on a larger scale. Below is an example of one of his abstract pots.  In my opinion, all of Peter's work looks like he is trying too hard...trying to be different.  If we are being honest it took me many pictures to find something that I actually didn't think was an eyesore.  His work is messy, and not messy in a imperfect perfect way...its just messy and way too busy.  I can honestly say I would not want one of his pots on my kitchen counter.

Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos
American Potter

Rose Cabat

Rose had a background in clay, she had come childhood experiences and she even took a few classes in glazing and throwing at Greenwich House Pottery in NYC. She always had an interest in art, she was married to an artist, Ernest Cabat in 1936. Rose began working in ceramics at the age of 42, in 1940 after her husband brought home clay from his job as an assistant to Valley Wiselthier, an art deco ceramicst. Her husband was very supportive, he often worked alongside her and did everything possible to support her creativity.

Rose Cabat

This ceramic vase is part of Rose Cabat's collection of 'Feelies'. Her 'Feelies' collection broke many standard rules such as, 'look but don't touch'. Her vases and other ceramics were on display and were no protected by glass, so the viewer could witness all the beauty of the pots she created. This is a lavender squat 'feelie', and is a part of LA's "Memorial Exhibit" to show all of Cabat's beautiful colors and craftsmanship.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was an American studio ceramicist, she was best known for her glazes upon small porcelain pots called "feelies" which are often shaped as onions and figs, and bowls. She was the oldest known person who actively practices pottery in the untied states. I chose this one because I think it has a very earthy feel to it. It looks very natural and subtle.

Cabat

Cabat created small porcelain vessels: delicate, rounded vase forms with tiny, narrow necks and jewel-like color. Every aspect of these vessels, titled Feelies, worked toward creating an object that asked to be held. The Feelies are sophisticated, non-utilitarian, purely sculptural objects. When one observer objected that the vases’ necks were so narrow she couldn’t insert a single stem, Cabat replied, “A vase can hold weeds or flowers, but can’t it just be a spot of beauty?” 

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat had so many beautiful pieces that involved bright colors and patterns. This one stood out to be with the tie-dye effect that appears to be happening on this vase. The blend of the soft colors was catching to the eye and made me wonder how its done. It looks so simple but I know for someone like me who is not artistic at all this would be quite the task. I also love the shape of the vase so that it is something practical to buy. Overall I loved Rose's use of color her pieces were all eye catching.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was an American studio artist who was part of the mid-century modern movement. She was best known for her glazes on her small pots that were often in the shape of onions and figs. She was the oldest known practicing artist and lived to be 100 years old. I chose this piece made by Cabat made with pink and lavender glazes. She made this in the 1960s. I really enjoy her work because her glazes are very unique and so are the shapes of her pottery. These colors just really caught my attention and the pattern on the pottery is also very different that I have not seen before.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was born in 1914 in the Bronx. Her work in ceramics began after her husband brought clay home from his job. She was best known for her innovative glazes upon ceramics called "feelies" often in the shape of onions and figs. She was the oldest known actively practicing pottery artist in the U.S. Feelies are described as onion, fig, cucumber and saucer-shape ceramic vases terminating in an upward closed neck.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was an American ceramics who was popular for her unique glazes on pots that often took the shape of onions, bowls, and figs. She was born in the Bronx, New York in the year of 1914, and started making art in ceramics in the year of 1940. She received a membership at the Greenwich House in West Village, New York for her pottery skills. Later in her life she began taking glaze calculation classes with her husband in order to expand her knowledge on glaze and started developing a glaze called "feelie", which is applied to most of her pieces. Pictured above is her Feelie Art Pottery Vase in the colors tan and turquoise blue. I picked this one simply for the shape and the color. It almost reminds me of the Disney movie Aladdin and the genie's lamp. It is currently on sale for 375 dollars in the United States.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat became a famous potter in her 40's. However, she did have some background in ceramics in her childhood. She is most known for her small porcelain vessels known as "Feelies". Cabat was inspired to use porcelain because she took a five week glaze class, which ended with Cabat only using porcelain. An interesting fact about her is that her husband was also an artist and supported her tremendously throughout her career in ceramics. Most of her work resembles an aspect of nature. For instance, the form of the ceramic pieces can mimic fruit/vegetables. I chose this picture because the glaze stood out to me and I really enjoy the colors. It reminds me of the ocean and seaweed floating around. I could see these pieces in a beach home.

Blog #4: Rose Cabat

I chose this piece because it's so cute; its yellow and short and round. This piece is part of Rose Cabat's "Feelies" vases, which were her signature form.  These vases brought her major success.  She would make them to resemble various fruits, vegetables, and/or flowers found in her garden.  Rose's love for clay started when her husband brought it home for her after work.  She began with coiling, but then as electric wheels became more popular, she began throwing pottery.  In the 1950's, Rose made a collection of windbells and other forms based on insects and animals. 

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was a self taught studio ceramicist who was part of the Mid-Century movement.  She was best known for her unique glazes on pots called feelies which were in the shape of onions, figs and bowls.  She was the oldest known actively practicing pottery in the United States. The feelie vases were often jewel toned and seen to be iconic to her.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was an American potter who was well known for her work. She is best known for her innovative glazes on pots, vases and bowls. She was the oldest known actively practicing pottery artist in the United States! The reason why I picked this vase was because it is so unique. Rose made her own silky glazes which are beautiful. I really enjoy the colors of this glaze. It has a mixture of light and dark colors which gives it some texture. 

Rose Cabat Blog

Rose Katz Cabat was born in 1914 in The Bronx, New York and lived to be 100 years old until her death in 2015. Cabat was most well known for her "Feelies" which are onion or fig shaped ceramic vases with terminating closed necks. Rose and her husband, Erni ran a business together where she continued to make feelies and Erni was in charge of the business. Cabat's style was very unique compared to most styles of pottery where she was predominantly focused on the beauty of the vases rather than being a container to hold items. I chose this specific piece because I enjoy the wide shape and it reminds me of an exotic melon or fruit of some sort.

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was born June 27, 1914 and later past way on January 25, 2015.  She became well known for her porcelain Feelies, which are narrow necked vases with Cabot's own signature matte glazes. The shapes of her creations resembled the plants and vegetables found in her garden like onions, tomatoes and figs. She has acquired both a national reputation and international exhibition credits, which is rare for studio potters. I choose this piece of art work made by Rose Cabat because of the colors of the glazes used as well as the dripping technique. I think the design and the Feelie shape compliment each other well. Overall, I really liked looking through her pottery because they are very different from past potters we have looked at.   

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat was a studio ceramicist and she was best known for her innovative glazes on small porcelain pots called "feelies", they were often in the shape of onions or figs.  Cabat got her start in pottery when her husband brought home a piece of clay one day from his job.  Cabat first started off making different types of coil vases and later attended the Greenwich House Pottery in New York where she learned wheel throwing.  In 1957 Cabat attended a five-week glaze course where she learned modern day ceramics and this inspired her to work in porcelain.  Cabat is most famous for her "feelies", she calls them feelies because unlike most other vases they emphasize the tactile experience above all else. 

I chose this piece because I really liked the shape of the vase.  I also really liked the colors that are used in this piece.  I think that the colors blend really nicely together and it reminds me of the ocean.

Rose Cabat Blog #4

Rose Cabat was basically self taught in pottery but her work looks like she had years of training.  She was alway fascinated in art, she even married an artist, but life got in the way and she was not able to pursue her dreams until much later in life.  Her husband played a large role in her career, he was very supportive and assisted her with all her projects.  For a decade she made stoneware clay bells, wind chimes, casserole dishes, bowls, planters, and other function ware she would sell at craft fairs.  I like the pot below because the color is absolutely stunning, it reminds me of marble.  I also really like the shape of it, even though I'm not sure what it is used for it is a stunning decorative piece.  I wonder how she mad this and if it was two pieces put together.  Most of her work had this interesting marble design but the pink is unlike other colors I've seen! It's definitely extremely unique. 

Rose Cabat

Rose Cabat found her passion at age 42. Her husband was very supportive. Her husband made her wheel out of a junked-washing machine motor. For over a decade, she made earthenware or stoneware clay bells, wind chimes, casserole dishes, bowls, planters, and other functional ware she sold at craft fairs. Rose and her husband eventually experimented with crystalline glazes, and together created "feelie glaze", known for its silky smoothness. For the next 40 years, she created small porcelain vessels: delicate, rounded vase forms with tiny, narrow necks with jewel-like colors. I love the use of the "feelie glaze" in the above picture. The colors flow very nicely together, and the bottom reminds me of a geode, a type of rock. 

Rose Cabat

This is a Cobalt Pear Feelie made in the 1960's. Cabat was excellent with clay and had made lots of ceramics in her day. She was born June 27, 1914 and died on January 25, 2015. She had made many ceramics like this one which include various colors and designs. This one Cobalt Pear Feelie, went for a good amount of money and took her a long time to make. She has been doing ceramics and working with clay for most of her life. I have picked this particular piece of hers because of how beautiful and well made it is. I also like the greenish/ yellowish type of glaze she used to make it this color.

Rose Cabat

Hey everyone! I hope the start of your week is going well. This Wednesday we are going to be talking about Rose Cabat. Rose Cabat was born in the Bronx and began working in ceramics in 1940. She began working in ceramics because her husband Erni Cabat brought home some clay from his job as an assistant to Vally Wiselthier. Rose was known for the glazes she used on small porcelain pots called feelies which were often in the shape of onions, figs, and bowls. I chose the vase below because the fig shape and color caught my eye. Also, I like the flowers that look to be incised on the outside. 

Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada was a Japanese ceramicist and an important part of the mingei folk-art movement. He once said “Even a bad pot has some use, but with a bad painting there is nothing you can do with it except throw it away." He trained in pottery at Tokyo Technical College, while in school he viewed exhibitions of ceramic art that impressed him, some of the work he saw included some of Bernard Leach. Hamada befriended Leach and moved to St. Ives. After three years he found a studio home in Mashiko, Japan. He used locally sourced clay and to make his glazing brushed he used hair from the neighborhood dogs. Attached above is Hamada's "Thrown, Combed tea bowl," I chose this image because of the way it's shaped, you don't necessarily see bowls this shaped. The colors is interesting also, how it's brown on the inside and like an off green on the inside.

Blog #3: Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada is a Japanese ceramicist.  He was trained in pottery at Tokyo Technical College. He opened his own studio in Japan where he only used locally sourced clay and glaze brushes from the hair of neighborhood dogs.  I chose this piece because its different from all his others.  It looks as if the paint is melting or dripping whereas his other pieces are symbols.

Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada was one of the most influential potters of the 20th century. He travelled often to learn about ceramic and folk craft traditions and built a climbing kiln. His works were not copies of the styles he studied, but were products of his own creativity. 

Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada was a Japanese potter born on December 9, 1894. He has been a great influence and inspiration in studio pottery during the twentieth century as well as an important figure in the mingei folk- art movement. In addition, he worked with Bernard Leach another famous studio potter. He was delegated a "Living National Treasure" in 1955. This is one of his pieces of art work that caught my eye. I like the simplicity of the design as well as the colors. The vase was probably made from a slab and then molded into its current shape and finished off with a glaze adding the beautiful colors.

Shoji Hamada

Throughout a lifetime dedicated to making pottery he achieved international recognition and his works have been collected by museums across the world. Hamada influence was felt not only in his native Japan, particularly in Mashiko, but also in the West. In the United Kingdom and the US his style and philosophy became well known amongst potters and he was revered as the archetypal "Oriental" potter.I like these two pots beaqcuse i like how they are square and aren't like other normal pots.

Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada was one of the most influential potters of the 20th century. He traveled a lot to learn about diverse ceramics and folk craft traditions. He also build a climbing kiln in England at St. Ives with Bernard Leach through the USA to give ceramic demonstration and workshops.Years later after receiving the Tochigi Prefecture Culture Award and Minister of Education Award for Art, and also won several other awards in Japan. I picked this piece I like the texture of the vase towards the bottom, the curvy lines and also how the colors blend.  The bottle is made out of stoneware with wooden box.

Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada is considered to be one of the most influential potters of the 20th century.  He traveled to learn about the diverse ceramic techniques and folk craft traditions.  He has received international recognition as well as the honor of his wolfs being collected by the worlds greatest museums.  Hamada and Leach started the folk art movement. He has a relaxed style and is said to have a lot of creative energy and although his designs seem visually complicated they were usually born in the moment.  I picked this piece because the shape is a twist on a traditional bottle or vase.  I like how the piece is square including the vase and the opening.  I can see the connection to Bernard Leach in the similar style.  I like how the colors are natural but the design makes it interesting to look at. 

Shoji Hamada

Shoji Hamada was a Japanese potter who had a major influence in the twentieth century of ceramics. He has very simple but detailed pots, especially slab pots. This piece, called the Pourer, tetsue brushwork, was made in 1960. I liked this piece because its one of his most simple and elegant works. It looks like it was made on a wheel and the the pouring part was attached after. The brown details look like a design done by a different color glaze with fine detail.

Shoji Hamada

Flat Vase, Khaki Glaze, Green-Drop Type

Shoji Hamada was born in Tokyo, Japan and died in Mashiko, Japan. He was an importantn member of the mingei folk art movement. He was trained in pottery at Tokyo Technical College. While he was in school, he went to an exhibition of ceramic art that impressed him. The show he saw was  the work of Bernard Leach. Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach became friends and went back to St. Ives, United Kingdom. Hamada lived in the United Kingdom for 3 years and soon after returned to Japan to create his own studio.

Shoji

Shoji Hamada was at one point known as a living national treasure. His work influenced studio pottery immensely and was a major figure in the mingei folk-art movement. I chose this piece because the pop of color on it stood out to me, due to the use of similar darker colors in his other works. I also am intrigued by the thinness and size of the bottom of the bowl despite how it wide the bowl amounts up to be.