vince pitelka on fri 3 may 02
> People describe him as working with a sensitivity, an eye for small
details,
> with every movement perfectly ochestrated and useful through decades of
> experience. Maybe he does attack the clay (as his pictures tend to show),
but
> even in his assaults, I've heard his movements described as being
sensitive
> to the clay and moving with it, not against it, working with it, not
> conquering it. Quibbles over word choice perhaps, but nevertheless thought
> I'd throw that in.
Jeff -
This really does get at the core of Voulkos's "way of working." He was the
first American potter to manipulate the clay in an Abstract Expressionist
fashion. As you probably know, Abstract Expressionist painting was also
called "Action Painting," because the imagery communicated the gestural
actions of the painter. That is what Voulkos did with clay, sculpturally in
three dimensions. I have never seen violence in Voulkos's work. It has an
aggressive immediacy and athletic vigor, but that does not have to imply
violence at all. As you say, he may "attack" the clay, but that description
is appropriate only because of the immediacy of his manipulation, and as you
say, he works with the clay, not against it.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Jeff Tsai on fri 3 may 02
bruce wrote:
"Voulko's conquered the clay, he owned it, mastered it.
He almost raped it...
certainly attacked and "killed" it.
Like a big game cat taking down an antelope.
I never seen him in action...
but the stills always show the weapens of his choice
impaled on the carcass of his prey."
I've only seen Voulkos in action via pictures and video, and heard several
people speak of him working with clay. However, I don't think this
description is too accurate, or at least, complete. From what I've seen in
on
video and heard, Voulkos' style isn't like an attack on the clay itself, but
more like a dance. He may be leading, but his partner in the action is
definitely directing his movements as well.
People describe him as working with a sensitivity, an eye for small details,
with every movement perfectly ochestrated and useful through decades of
experience. Maybe he does attack the clay (as his pictures tend to show),
but
even in his assaults, I've heard his movements described as being sensitive
to the clay and moving with it, not against it, working with it, not
conquering it. Quibbles over word choice perhaps, but nevertheless thought
I'd throw that in.
-jeff
Brooks Ratledge on sat 4 may 02
Actually, there were 2 limbs of abstract expressionism, gestural and
chromatic. Voulkos work is obviously gestural. The chromatic work focused
on color.
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-----Original Message-----
From: vince pitelka
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Saturday, May 04, 2002 8:24 AM
Subject: Re: Voulkos's rape of clay
>> People describe him as working with a sensitivity, an eye for small
>details,
>> with every movement perfectly ochestrated and useful through decades of
>> experience. Maybe he does attack the clay (as his pictures tend to show),
>but
>> even in his assaults, I've heard his movements described as being
>sensitive
>> to the clay and moving with it, not against it, working with it, not
>> conquering it. Quibbles over word choice perhaps, but nevertheless
thought
>> I'd throw that in.
>
>Jeff -
>This really does get at the core of Voulkos's "way of working." He was the
>first American potter to manipulate the clay in an Abstract Expressionist
>fashion. As you probably know, Abstract Expressionist painting was also
>called "Action Painting," because the imagery communicated the gestural
>actions of the painter. That is what Voulkos did with clay, sculpturally
in
>three dimensions. I have never seen violence in Voulkos's work. It has an
>aggressive immediacy and athletic vigor, but that does not have to imply
>violence at all. As you say, he may "attack" the clay, but that
description
>is appropriate only because of the immediacy of his manipulation, and as
you
>say, he works with the clay, not against it.
>Best wishes -
>- Vince
>
>Vince Pitelka
>Appalachian Center for Crafts
>Tennessee Technological University
>1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
>Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
>615/597-5376
>Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
>615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
>http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
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