Peter Voulkos

American, (1924–2002)
Peter Voulkos was an American sculptor of Greek heritage. His large clay sculptures, often took the form of ice buckets, plates, and stacks, which he then cast in bronze. A participant in the resurgence of American studio crafts, he helped change the viewpoint that ceramics were merely utilitarian objects. Through an active process of formal experimentation, he expanded the confluence of sculpture and pottery. He studied painting and ceramics at Montana State University. The artist went on to receive his MFA from the California College of the Arts in Oakland. In 1953, Voulkos taught a ceramics course at Black Mountain College, where he made connections with leading avant-garde artists of the time, including Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham, and John Cage.