Donna Nicholas on tue 13 dec 05
Pete was one of many 1950's artists who lived hard and fast, and took big risks. Think of Abstract Expressionist painters, such as Jackson Pollock, poets like Dylan Thomas. What we view as 'self destructive behavior' these days was seen then as a creative person's norm. Some of the artists and musicians cleaned up as society's standards changed, but many didn't (or couldn't).
I have a bowl of Pete's that my Mother purchased at an Otis studio sale in the '50's. It's about 10" across, glazed in a greyish magnesia matt with some brushwork. It is lovely to look at and a real lesson when you hold it. It's beautifully thrown and trimmed. Many people don't know that, in the beginning, Pete was a prolific potter who made everyday pots.
I asked Pete to do a workshop for us at Flint Jr. College during the '60's. We were the epitome of nobodies in a nowhere place. He was sensitive to the students, and did a terrific teaching job about very basic art and clay stuff. It was a great experience for all of us, and his rough edges were nowhere to be seen.
Voulkos was a great artist. The volume and scope of his work is amazing. What will last is this work and what it teaches us, just like Dylan Thomas' poems and Jackson Pollock's paintings. Personal habits and struggles are just that and as transient as our lives.
Donna Nicholas
nicholas12@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You.
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