This document summarizes three waves of innovation in ceramics at Otis Art Institute. The first wave involved Peter Voulkos in the 1950s who taught innovative ceramic techniques to students who went on to influence the LA art scene. The second wave was led by Ralph Bacerra from 1983-1996 who taught large-scale ceramic works. The current third wave combines traditional ceramic techniques with cutting-edge 3D modeling and 3D printing, exemplified by the works of students who explore both functional and sculptural forms.

1. OTIS: 3 WAVES OF
INNOVATION
CO-PRESENTATION BY
JO LAURIA
&
JOAN TAKAYAMA-OGAWA

2. WAVE 1:
PETER VOULKOS
AT OTIS, 1954 - 1958

3. Works by
PeterVoulkos,
1955-56
The Otis Students
Of PeterVoulkos
Paul Soldner
John Blough
Joel Edwards
Malcolm McClain
John Mason
Kenneth Price
Janice Roosevelt
Stan Bitters
Marion Moule
Jerry Rothman
BillyAl Bengston
HenryTakemoto
Michael Frimkiss
Larry Shep
Karen Neubert
Sue Dakin
Robert Glover
Kazuye Suyematsu
Carol Radcliffe

4. Mac McClain, on
left, was in Voulkos’
class at Otis at the
same time as Paul
Soldner

5. Voulkos taught ceramics at Otis Art Institute
from 1954 to December 1958

6. Voulkos at Glendale Studio
1957

10. Voulkos in the garden of the Pasadena Art
Museum during his one-person exhibition,
1958

11. Voulkos’ MoMA New York
sculpture installation

12. Paul Soldner
Pedestal Piece, 1990
Raku clay
Paul Soldner was one of PeterVoulkos’ first students at Otis,
1954 – 1956. He later became head of ceramics at Scripps
College and Claremont Graduate University, 1956-1991

13. John Mason with Voulkos
photographing work outside
Los Angeles Studio, 1958-59
Mason studied with
Voulkos at Otis in
1955, and they
shared a studio
together from 1958-
1960

14. Mason installation, Ferus Gallery
patio, 1957

16. Mason
installation,
1959

17. Blue Wall by John Mason
FERUS Gallery, 1959

18. Mason one-person exhibition,
Pasadena Art Museum, 1960

21. Ken Price studied with Voulkos at Otis from 1957-1958

22. First Solo Exhibition, FERUS Gallery, 1960

23. Ken Price, “New American Sculpture” Pasadena Art
Museum, 1964

24. Balls Congo, 2003

25. Billy Al Bengston studied at
Otis with Voulkos from 1955-
1956, and at Chouninard in
1961.

26. Jerry Rothman was a student at
Otis underVoulkos (1957-1958)
and under HelenWatson
(1960-1961). He later became
the ceramics professor at Cal
State Fullerton, serving in that
position from 1970-1997.

27. Miichael
Frimkess
studied with
Voulkos from
1957-1958

28. HenryTakemoto studied withVoulkos
1957-1958

29. After Voulkos, Helen
Watson taught ceramics
at Otis from 1959-1982

30. WAVE 2:
RALPH BACERRA
AT OTIS, 1983 - 1996

31. Ralph Bacerra studied
ceramics with Vivika Heino
at Chouinard from 1957-1961
and then became head of
the ceramics department
from 1963-1972
BACKGROUND

32. Ralph Bacerra discussing a pot in the Chouinard ceramics lab with student Lin Werner,
c. 1970

33. Ralph Bacerra, Peter Shire, and Adrian Saxe, c. 2000

34. Adrian Saxe holding one of his limited
edition teapots made at Manufacture
Nationale de Sévres, 2006; and-to the
right-a sculptural vessel from the same
period.

35. Peter Shire in his studio in
the 1980s, and a pair of his
iconic stacking sculptures
from 2000.

36. Ralph and student Robert Miller working on gigantic pots at Otis ceramics lab, 1989

37. Ralph Bacerra with one of his
large hand-built hybrid animal
sculptures “Untitled”, c. 2000

41. Sculptural Lidded Vessels, multi-fired with lusters, c. 2002

47. JoanTakayama-Ogawa Ricky Maldonaldo

48. Porntip Sangvanich
Keiko Fukazawa

49. Cindy KolodziejskiKevin Myers

50. Leslie Rosdol Tetsuji Aono

51. OTIS NOW

52. OTIS: INNOVATION WAVE 3
Cutting Edge Technology + Traditional Techniques
Joan Takayama-Ogawa, Ceramic Coordinator

53. Windgate Fellow, 2013
Christopher Basil Fong

54. Designing in Rhino

55. Ideation Drawings

56. Wood and Paper Clay
Christopher Basil Fong, Windgate Fellow 2013

58. 3-D Printed
Harene Kim, OTIS Windgate Nominee 2014

60. Stabilizing 3-D Model

61. Booty Cups: Humorous Response to the Objectification of Women
Rhino Software, 3-D Printed, Plaster Mold, Slip Cast, Under Glaze/Glaze, Airbrushed
Harene Kim, Windgate Nominee, 2014

62. Cremation Urns
Rhino Software, 3-D Printed, Plaster Mold, Slip Casted, Glazed, Luster
Alex Hubbell, 2009, Product Design
Valedictorian, MFA, Royal College of
London
Maxine Wong, 2009, Product Design
Executive Tajima Creative
“In Memory of Joe Koons”
Laguna Clay, Joan Takayama-Ogawa

63. 3-D Printed, Plaster Mold, Slip Cast, Cone 04 Glaze
Melanie Abrantes
OTIS, Product Design, 2012
Joseph Chang
OTIS, Product Design 2014

64. OTIS Product Design 2012
Lydia Hwang Dan Nakamura

65. Alison Tsztoo
Gainey Ceramics, OTIS, Product Design, 2013

66. THEY LEARN SCULPTURE TOO!
Life Size Lion Head
Paper Clay, Glaze, Paint
Esmeralda Gonzales, Windgate Nominee, 2014

67. One Part Paper Clay, Mixed Media, Glaze and Paint
Esmeralda Gonzales, Windgate Nominee, 2014
OTIS Fine Arts

68. Esmeralda Gonzales
Windgate Nominee, 2014
OTIS, Fine Arts

69. OTIS= Material Driven
Artists/Designers
Blair Dalby/ Rhonda Purdon
FINE ARTS

70. They Get JOBS!!!
Suzanne Kim, OTIS, Product Design, 2012

71. OTIS CLAY IS
BACK!