Deconstructing Failure: The Ceramic Works of Peter Voulkos

Deconstructing Classical Western Traditions


A lesser-known fact about Voulkos is that he was inspired by avant-garde music and dance. In this section, I propose that the ceramist's deconstructive approach towards clay draws close parallels with the experimental music of the avant-garde composer, John Cage. The term “deconstruction” comes from French literary theorist and post-structuralist, Jacques Derrida, who wrote about how the basic building blocks of French vocabulary can be used as a means of self-examination and critique.

​Gallas Rock (1960) is a large ceramic sculpture that would have been structurally impossible without Voulkos’ deconstructive, experimental approach towards the ceramic medium. In fact, the ceramist's innovative reconfiguration of basic elements drawn from the clay medium, such as wheel-thrown forms and slabs, all strongly echo Derrida’s notion of deconstruction. Unlike potters who allowed their works to be guided by the symmetrical tendencies of the pottery wheel, Voulkos took a tool that is unique to the ceramic medium and saw it as a point of departure. By treating the wheel as an effective means of throwing multiple clay cylinders of a consistent strength and thickness, Voulkos was able to conjoin them and thus, create a tree-like, internal armature. He also used clay slabs, another basic element, as a means to construct an “external skin” that he affixed over the internal framework of his sculpture.



The deconstructive approach behind Gallas Rock also reflects one of the broader principles of post-structuralism: critiquing both binary forms of thinking as well as the idea that particular binary oppositions are inherently more “valuable” or “superior” to others. This inversion of hierarchical values ties in with Voulkos’ critical engagement with clay’s historical context, specifically ideals of beauty associated with classical western European ceramics. For example, the classical Greek vase tends to reflect symmetry versus asymmetry, perfection versus imperfection and harmony versus disharmony. Voulkos, on the other hand, refused to be constrained by the restrictive aesthetics of ancient Greek pottery. This rebellious attitude can be seen in the many ways that Gallas Rock embraces “failure.” Instead of being perfectly smooth and streamlined, the surface of Gallas Rock is rough in terms of texture. Rather than aiming to achieving symmetry, Gallas Rock is composed of a tight cluster of asymmetrical, voluminous forms that create a vertical tower. Instead of wholeness, the sculpture sports holes and cracks that expose its inner workings and how it was constructed. As seen from a post-structuralist perspective, Voulkos’ decision to hide Gallas Rock’s smooth wheel thrown cylinders under its rough outer skin can be read as an inversion of traditional western European ideals. In other words, it is precisely by “failing” to achieve traditional western European ideals of beauty that Voulkos was able to create his own distinctive aesthetic.

Another reading of Gallas Rock that corresponds more specifically to Derrida’s theory of deconstruction can be seen from examining the cross-section of another similar ceramic sculpture, where smooth clay cylinders and rough clay slabs can be seen working together as part of a larger system. Like Derrida, who saw deconstruction as a means to critique the binary nature that language is based upon, Voulkos chose to exhibit these opposing binaries as existing in a co-dependent, versus opposing, relationship. By critiquing binary forms of thinking that stem from historic, western European ceramic practices, Voulkos’ deconstructive approach challenges viewers to reconsider the hierarchical structure of our own preferences, and thus, deconstruct our perceived associations between ceramics and “failure.”

Another creative individual that applied a deconstructive approach in a medium-specific way is American avant-garde composer John Cage. His composition, A Flower (1950) is a four-minute avant-garde music performance consisting of a performer singing and performing with a piano. While such a combination invokes imageries of classical music, Cage chose to recombine these two elements in an unanticipated way. Instead of complete sentences, Cage had his performer sing exclusively in vowels, which are the basic building blocks of language and vocal performance. By reducing the singing to its most minimal elements, Cage was able to incorporate basic, everyday sounds and arrange them into a musical composition that sounded unfamiliar or even surreal. Cage also instructed the singer to keep the piano shut throughout the performance, treating it as a large percussion instrument that, when tapped upon, produced a wooden-sounding rhythm. In addition, the performer’s singing voice consistently “failed” to synchronize with the tapping sounds she was making on the piano. Instead of the clarity and coherence valued in classical Western music, Cage’s composition reflects a sense of ambiguity that was haunting in its dissonance.

Reading Voulkos’ Gallas Rock in tandem with Cage’s deconstructive tactics in A Flower provides viewers with a deeper understanding of the ceramist’s working process, one that goes beyond making connections based upon surface appearances. Also, both works reject the goal of a highly finished product in favor of an explorative piece based on process. By rejecting classical Western ideals like harmony and perfection, Voulkos’ and Cage’s works critically reassess the creative limitations imposed upon clay and music. In doing so, both men invite viewers to question and re-evaluate preconceptions about their respective mediums, thereby paving the way for a broader appreciation of an aesthetic that reflects a radically different type of harmony.

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