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Video: Peter Voulkos
OUR FOUNDING MUDDER Who Art in Heaven: A Workshop with Peter Voulkos
It's really great to recall old Pete, and the Norway trip was a good one. Pete still had his peak vigor to command total attention from everybody and your film (video) captures that very well. ... This is a wonderful video! -- Rudy Autio
DVD, 2007, 60 minutes. $65 postpaid. Download order form.
Applying the revolutionary ideas of abstract expressionism to the medium of ceramics, Peter Voulkos was both a pioneer in the Clay as Art movement of the 1960s and a leading figure in ceramic art and sculpture during the late 20th century. Voulkos' transformation of our perception of conventional craftsmanship to the idea that art is defined more by intent than medium derives from an outstanding early career as a tranditional ceramist informed by ideas which germinated at Otis Art Institute and UC Berkeley as well as contact at Black Mountain College with Cage and Rauchenberg and meetings with DeKooning and Kline in New York.
This one-hour DVD presents an intimate look at Peter Voulkos' working technique at the 1993 Olympic Games of Clay in Ringebu, Norway. It demonstrates, in a candid and entertaining way the artist’s creation of a work of art formed by direct encounter with material, without preconception or contrivance. Excerpts from interviews and slide presentations with Voulkos provide a narrative framework for understanding the background, history and philosophy of this remarkable man. Artists, students and lay people alike will derive a living appreciation of this greatest of "mudders," an acknowledged giant of modern art at the peak of his luminous career.
EXCITING NEWS!
Our Founding Mudder was accepted at the ReelHeART International Film Festival (RHIFF) "The Filmmakers Film Festival" June 16-21, 2008, Toronto Canada in the SHORT OR LONG FORM DOCUMENTARY CATEGORY.
Production Credits
- Concept and execution by Martin Holt
- Post production at studios of Montana Art Works
- Final sound mix at Baran Productions
- Opening and closing classical guitar music by Doug Sternberg
- Music played live during the workshop was flamenco music from the personal collection of Peter Voulkos performed by various musicians, dancers, singers and groups
- Workshop initiator and organizer was Torbjørn Kvasbø
- Ceramic artists featured: Peter Voulkos and Peter Callas
- Videotaped on location at Folkehøgskole, Ringebu, Norway
STILLS & EXCERPTS
Peter Voulkos, the greatest of mudders muttering his way through half a ton of clay creating a "stack" to the tune of flamenco singers, dancers and musicians. No surprises here; just a stunning display of mind numbing virtuosity and power with insights into the quest for a workable head space.
Our Founding Mudder who art in heaven: a workshop with Peter Voulkos provides a unique view of this complex common man who changed the course of ceramics by introducing it to Abstract Impressionism. His approach to teaching a workshop shows he was an artist to the core and a teacher at heart. Voulkos’ workshops were chaotic, full of music and conversations and activity.
His teaching went the extra mile; he showed tricks and techniques without holding back. For him there was no proprietary information. Voulkos valued the fact that students asked questions that he might not ask himself, and he concluded, "I got more from my students than I ever gave back."
Our Founding Mudder documents Peter Voulkos (1924–2002) teaching a workshop organized by Torbjørn Kvasbø as part of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Norway. It is Voulkos at his best: confident and direct.
Voulkos followed his hunches, working freely until the piece looked done or he ran out of ideas. "The hardest thing is to get it to look like art," he admitted. "If I can get it to look like art then it’ll be alright."
Voulkos was an iconoclast, never inhibited by tradition.
LINKS
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/inmemoriam/PeterVoulkos.htmhttp://www.archiebray.org/aboutus.html (click on History link)
http://www.voulkos.com/core.html (Sam Jornlin, Berkeley, CA)
http://artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles1996/Articles0296/Voulkos.html
http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?ArtistID=34
http://www.artworksfoundry.com/clientshowcase/artists/voulkos/
