Three Sided Voulkos Vase

Whenever I have access to clay and a kiln I love to make things. Sometimes I will make non-functional things, sometimes I will make kitty banks, and I love making odd statues or figurines. When I was in college (2000-2004) I experimented with very thin slab build cups and vases, although it was always I side project. This year I had a few minutes to make a new vase, this time it comes after being influences by Peter Voulkos, the great ceramic artist. I saw two of his grand sculptures at the Walker Art Center, and his works were true abstract genius. They seemed to be paintings merged with three dimensional forms; I loved them.

Here's the actual 5 foot sculpture I feel in love with:



While I know I cannot replicate the genius that is Voulkos, I did try use a similar raw abstract approach to the design of my little vase. I can tell that I could love the process of creating abstract ceramic works, and have applied this approach to drawing as well. I did only create this one Voulkos study and the result is this blog. The actual vase is sold on my etsy shop like most of my little creations.

The pictures below show all three sides of the vase (each side is very different) and also the top opening, and in my hand. The hand photo is to help represent size, as the actual vase is about 6 inches tall. It has a sturdy bottom and stands very well, although cats will easily knock this down. It was build with thin slabs and fired, then glaze fired. The designs on the sides are lose and abstract.

Make sure to check out my other ceramic works