Paul Soldner American Raku Wood Fire Vase Expressionist Vintage Art Pottery Vessel Floor Pot Sculpture
Mid century modern, raku fired, and glazed; original stoneware pottery, by master ceramist, Paul Soldner. Technique is highly masterful, wonderful expressionism; many tiny variations within this vase, in the medium; reflect the artist's works when he worked in California. A beautiful, dark olive glaze, with a modernist patterned and multi-level abstract design. The top is beautiful; expressionist raku method within the body, and a soft, almost chalky type of white wash glaze look, (salt fired/salt fire residue), above various areas. Vase is very large, and heavy; measures approximately 14" from bottom floor, to top; (longer, around the body curves). It feels very heavy, like a stoneware mix; appears to be mixed with a red clay, as that is the primary color. A type of red ware; a technique used by Soldner in his low fire techniques; (low fired, then cooled in open air). I would estimate the age to have been created between 1974-1976; an early vase, by the artist. There is another vase in his series of Woodfire vases, at the Missoula Art Museum that is similar, in form and method. They are both excellent examples of the masterful expressionist technique of Paul Soldner. The vase appears to be in very good condition; there are no obvious flaws. In many areas, the red clay is bare, with only traces of olive green. The inside of the top rim may either have a couple of chips, or it may be technique. Due to the heavy Raku manner, it is not apparent. (May also have a little wear along bottom edge/rim; technique shows this to have been done at creation, however, due to the bilevel bottom.) (Along the side of the vase, there are several areas where the paint/body was pulled back, in an expressionist manner, or flattened, on the side). There are several areas along the bottom and edge, that the piece appears to be signed, as well as part of a fingerprint. Along the flat bottom, appears to be light wear, over the years. There does still appear to have the stamp, from Soldner, at the top edge of the bottom. (Same stamp shown on his website, as well). Paul Soldner became Peter Voulkos first student in the Nascent Ceramics Department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute; (more recently renamed Otis College of Art and Design). As Soldner helped Voulkos establish the program, he made several changes to the studio pottery equipment. These changes lead him to start the Soldner Pottery Equipment Corporation in 1955; of which he held several patents. Soldner's work is included in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum UK, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Arts and Design, New York. His works are in galleries in Pomona, California, Australia, Japan, Oakland, Claremount, Washington D.C., and Taiwan. His low fired salt technique in Raku, leading a highly inspired movement of artists in modernism form in pottery, from the 1970's, to today. Original American Raku pottery will be professionally packed, and sent with insurance, and online tracking included in shipping quote.
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