American Ceramics: Voulkos, Reitz, Soldner. 

Influenced by the Abstract Expressionist Movement, Peter Voulkos (19924-2002),  Paul Soldner (1921-2011), and Don Reitz, revolutionized the art of American Ceramics. 




Don Reitz

Don Reitz is one of the most important and influential ceramic artists of the 20th century and one of the most important living ceramist today. Born in 1929, he was trained at Alfred University in the early 1960s.  He is represented in numerous museum collections. Click here to see his work at the Gallery.

 Reitz has pursued a life-long investigation of salt and wood firing preserving the energy and freshness of his artistic marks and gestures. Reitz is credited with almost single-handedly reviving the technique of salt firing, and through long experimentation developed a range of colors and surface effects previously unknown.  His passionate approach to salt and wood firing has been widely influential over the past fifty years.  

Here are some images Reitz sent us of him making beautiful work in his studio!

Paul Soldner:


Paul Soldner has made numerous invaluable contributions to the field of ceramics, including developing what has been come to be known as "American Raku", and a technique known as "low-temperature salt firing". His involvement with raku, for which he is now internationally known, came by chance.


  Soldner in the Gallery:

Paul Soldner

Ceramic Raku Platter 

19"w x 4"h

Click here to see Soldner's work. 

Peter Voulkos:

Voulkos started his career making large vessels until he encountered the work of Abstract Expressionist painters.  They inspired him to reinvent ceramics as he knew it, a decision that yielded a lifetime of monumental and bold sculpture that had tremendous influence on the field of ceramic art worldwide.

Voulkos and Reitz currently have work in The Arvada Center: Uncommon Ground, Impact and Influence. The show will be up until November 13th! 


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