Peter Voulkos - A Revolution in Clay (Part 2)

In the second of two episodes, Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh follow Peter Voulkos through the explosive years that transformed him from master potter into one of the most radical figures in modern ceramics.

From the experimental studios of Otis and Berkeley to his monumental Blackwares, stacks and platters, Voulkos tears, cuts, pounds and rebuilds clay, pushing it far beyond the traditional vessel. His performances become legendary, while a generation of students go on to reshape American ceramics themselves.

But behind the charismatic “wild man” lies a more complicated story of addiction, recovery and relentless creativity. Stephanie and Paul explore Voulkos’s later years and the extraordinary legacy of an artist who changed not simply how ceramics looked, but what clay could be.

Featured Images:

Rocking Pot, 1956, Peter Voulkos.

Pot Shop, UC Berkeley, c. 1960s, Jim Melchert.

Last Temptation of Ming, 2015, Ron Nagle.

Blue Face with White Stripe, 1971, Stephen De Staebler.

Looking at Pictures, 2016, Mary Heilmann.

Installation View of “New Talent XIII”, 1960, Peter Voulkos.

Peter Voulkos at Work in the Faith and Charity in Hope Gallery, 1984, Peter Voulkos.

Sunset Rip, 2008, Mary Heilmann.

Paul Soldner’s MFA Show, 1956, Paul Soldner, Peter Voulkos and John Mason.

Arlene Schechet in the Jewish Museum, 2018, Sara Wasserman.

Peter Voulkos at Work, by Stephanie Rozene

Installation View of Voulkos: The Breakthrough Years, [date unknown], Butcher Walsh.

Untitled Chicken Pot, 1958, Peter Voulkos. The New York Times, 2021.

Little Big Horn, 1959, Peter Voulkos.

ientos, 1959, Peter Voulkos.

Sitting Bull, 1959, Peter Voulkos.

Annon, 1959, Peter Voulkos. Photograph by E. G. Schempf, Museum of Arts and Design.

Pauline Annon,  circa 1950, Estate of Pauline Anon  

Peter Voulkos at Work, c. 1960s, 

Pinatubo, 1994, Peter Voulkos.

Ice Bucket, [date unknown], Peter Voulkos.

Bronze Ice Bucket, 1986, Peter Voulkos.

Iron Head, 1979, Peter Voulkos.

Selfies at the V and A, Stephanie Rosine and Paul Greenhalgh

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Peter Voulkos - A Revolution in Clay Part 2
• 00:00:59 Otis College and Building the Studio from Scratch
• 00:03:46 Industrial Scale: Dough Mixers, Modified Wheels, and Forklift Kilns
• 00:05:34 The Roll Call: Students Who Became Titans
• 00:07:26 New York Connections: MoMA and Abstract Expressionism
• 00:08:31 Berkeley Years: Founding a Program and Pure Theater
• 00:12:26 The Female Legacy: Mary Heilman and Breaking Boundaries
• 00:18:07 The Blackwares: Breakthrough Pieces and New Language
• 00:18:52 The Breakthrough Years: 15 Years of Frantic Experimentation
• 00:27:23 Settling Into Iconic Forms: Stacks, Ice Buckets, and Platters
• 00:28:06 Struggles and Redemption: The 1970s and 1980s
• 00:32:34 Recognition and Retrospective: The 1978 SFMOMA Show
• 00:34:02 Legacy: The Man Who Changed Everything

Credits:
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Editor: Sam Bond
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac