Wright Auction

In 1974 I traveled to Japan and while staying with Goro Suzuki in Seto, he suggested I visit the historic village of Shigaraki. It was there that I grasped an opportunity to assist in constructing a traditional Anagama wood-fired kiln. An unknown technique in the United States, this serendipitous week-long event changed the trajectory of my career. Highly motivated, I returned to the New York area determined to establish the first Anagama in North America and the first Anagama kiln outside of Asia. The kiln was operative by 1976, and this pioneering achievement became my creative cornerstone for the past fifty years.

During our following twenty-three-year collaboration we created some of the most impactful and innovative contemporary ceramics in the later part of the 20th century.

In 1979 I began a partnership with Peter Voulkos, a twentieth-century abstract expressionist sculptor who redefined modern ceramics. I had met Voulkos in Berkeley in 1973 and was fascinated with his new “plate” series and his surface patinas. When I got to Japan, I connected the creative dots realizing Voulkos was emulating wood-fired surfaces. This was the impetus to reach out and try to convince him to wood-fire. When I reconnected with him at his NYC retrospective exhibition I walked up and confidently said, “I have this wood-fired kiln and can fire anything of yours and make it more beautiful.” During our following 23-year collaboration we created some of the most impactful and innovative contemporary ceramics in the later part of the 20th century.

This 1994 Peter Voulkos charger has been in my collection since it came out of the kiln that same year. As per our agreement, Voulkos would choose a plate for his collection and then I would get the next pick, which continued for the entirety of our work together. Often, we would go back and forth as to who got the better piece, but the decision had to be made within hours of the unloading. Having fired Voulkos’ work since 1979 and logging 15 years of the wood-fire process, this firebox charger represents one of his most masterful achievements.

Having fired Voulkos’ work since 1979 and logging 15 years of the wood-fire process, this firebox charger represents one of his most masterful achievements.

In any given 7-day Anagama wood firing, the firebox was always the most prized space for placing work. This was largely due to the combination of prolonged high heat, the massive charcoal base, and its unique atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the kiln. There were two special spots which I reserved for the best pieces, located on the immediate left and right side of the door, where I was able to produce the highest quality patinas. It was only there where I could achieve greens, purples, reds, and blues, sometimes on the same piece.

Melding our considerable experience both in the making and firing yielded exceptional results that exhibited Voulkos’ astute understanding of the wood-fire vocabulary.

Voulkos was never in attendance for the stacking, so I had autonomy when selecting the firebox work. It was an integral part of the process that was thoughtful and intuitive dealing with one-of-a-kind pieces. The 1979 chargers were rather simple in comparison with his later ceramics. The intricate abstract drawings were much more complex and required special patinas to complement each specific piece and not overpower them with heavy ash deposits. Voulkos preferred the high-temperature patinas exhibited on this piece over shiny surfaces. By 1994 we had been collaborating for over a decade and completed 60 Anagama firings. Melding our considerable experience both in the making and firing yielded exceptional results that exhibited Voulkos’ astute understanding of the wood-fire vocabulary. 1994 was also the last year that Voulkos incorporated his signature holes or as he liked to call them “pass-throughs,” as his quest for new imagery evolved into storytelling landscapes.

Over the years, I amassed some 36 plates. This is the last one in my collection and I can only remember two others of comparable quality that I regrettably parted with through the years. 

Peter Callas is a pioneering figure in the field of ceramics and built the first Anagama in North America in 1976. He has since become America’s preeminent authority on the Japanese wood-firing technique. An internationally acclaimed ceramist, he combines this ancient firing technique with the wabi-sabi aesthetic of imperfection and abstraction, resulting in energetic, dramatic works that pulse with life and appear to have been born straight from the fires of the earth.

An Anagama, in Japanese “cave kiln,” is a type of kiln that was brought to Japan from China via Korea in the 5th century AD, consisting of a single-chamber kiln built in a sloping tunnel shape with a firebox at one end and flue at the other. In an Anagama there is no physical barrier between the stoking space and the pottery space, allowing flame and ash to interact with the surface of the clay and, in contrast to electric or gas-fueled kilns, they are fueled solely by a continuous supply of firewood. The length of a firing depends on the size of the kiln and can vary anywhere from two to twelve days and the fire must be fed and stoked around the clock. The final appearance of pots depends on many factors including both the reached and sustained temperatures, the amount of ash, and the wetness of the walls and the pots themselves. It takes a vast amount of knowledge and skill to utilize the Anagama’s effects on pottery to their fullest potential: Peter Callas is one such master.

We sat down with Callas to discuss his life, work, and connection with the late, great Peter Voulkos.

Can you describe your artistic background, what drew you to ceramics, and why you decided to make it your life’s work?

My career in art began in college when I took a ceramics course in Nebraska. After transferring to The University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA in my sophomore year I became an art major and graduated in 1973. As an artist in resident at The Archie Bray Foundation I fell in love with the material and the process and decided to make it my life’s work. 

Do you come from a creative background? How did your family and the place that you come from shape you?

My parents were very inspirational to my interest in the arts. My stepfather was a Hot Jazz aficionado, so music was always in the background. Both my parents shared a passion for collecting fine art, especially French antiques, so growing up there was a treasure trove of art in our home.

How would you define the style of your work and its development? 

From the time I spent in the Pacific Northwest I grew to love nature’s rugged beauty. The Pacific Rim exposed me to Asian ceramics, especially Japanese ceramics, which help mold my style of abstract art in the wabi-sabi style.