Untitled 1967

Curator: This is an untitled print by Peter Voulkos. The sheet measures approximately 76 by 56 centimeters. Editor: It strikes me as surprisingly playful given Voulkos's background in ceramics. The bright red and bold shapes create a sense of buoyant energy. Curator: Voulkos, though renowned for his sculptural ceramics, consistently challenged artistic conventions through printmaking, pushing the medium towards gestural abstraction, reflecting the broader climate of mid-century experimentation. Editor: The layering of shapes – the angular red forms above, balanced by the more fluid black shapes below – creates a fascinating tension, almost like a dialogue between order and chaos. Curator: Indeed, the composition embodies a certain visual syntax. The strategic arrangement of these forms within the pictorial space directs the viewer's gaze and activates the surrounding negative space. Editor: It's interesting to consider how Voulkos, rooted in craft, explored printmaking as a means to subvert artistic hierarchies, questioning what constitutes "high" art versus "low." A rebellious act in itself! Curator: Precisely. This print serves as a testament to Voulkos’s relentless pursuit of artistic innovation across diverse media. Editor: It leaves you pondering the relationship between material and mark making, doesn't it?