Peter Voulkos is the undisputed creative force behind the American Clay Revolution that began in the 1950s and continues today. His energy and charisma are legendary. Peter Voulkos Working offers a window into three distinct chapters of his prodigious career. It features newly re-mastered films available digitally for the first tim
WORKING IN CLAY (26 min, 1992, filmed by Ann Voulkos)
Working in Clay intimately observes the artist in his Oakland studio as he creates plates, tea bowls and a large stack. What's captured is an intuitive process. The surface of a plate comes alive with a range of gestures from delicate lines to violent slashes. The quiet handling of a Japanese tea bowl is suddenly interrupted, revealing beauty in the accidental. While creating a large stack (Kings Chamber) Voulkos composes as he works, improvising like a jazz musician who has deep trust in both his instincts and his technical control. In these filmed moments, we see him alive in his work, powerfully present.