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• Lot n° 138 Paul Edmund Soldner (1921-2011) Untitled Pedestal Piece, 1998 Woodfired stoneware Impressed near the base with artist's chopmark 20.75" H x 25.5" W x 18.75" D Provenance: Frank Lloyd Gallery, Santa Monica, CA Private Collection, acquired from the above, March 18, 2000 Exhibited: Santa Monica, CA, Frank Lloyd Gallery, March 2000 Pomona, CA, American Museum of Ceramic Art, "Inferno: The Ceramic Art of Paul Soldner," September 11-December 11, 2004 Other Notes: This lot is accompanied by a photographic copy of the purchase receipt from Frank Lloyd Gallery as well as the loan documents from American Museum of Ceramic Art. Paul Edmund Soldner (1921-2011) was one of the most influential ceramicists of the twentieth century, celebrated for his inventive spirit and for transforming raku into a distinctly American art form. His life and career embodied curiosity, risk-taking, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected. Born on April 24, 1921, in Summerfield, Illinois, Soldner did not initially plan to be an artist. He studied pre-med at Bluffton College in Ohio before being drafted into the Army during World War II, serving three and a half years as a medic. He was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge and present at the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, experiences that profoundly shaped his outlook. After the war, his interest shifted from medicine to the arts. He earned a bachelo's degree in Art Education at Bluffton, followed by a master's in Arts Administration from the University of Colorado, where he was introduced to ceramics by visiting lecturer Katie Horseman. At age thirty-three, Soldner decided to become a potter. In 1954, he enrolled at the Los Angeles County Art Institute and became the first student of Peter Voulkos, a revolutionary force in American ceramics. Under Voulkos's mentorship, Soldner earned his MFA in 1956 and began a lifelong commitment to innovation. He modified studio equipment, developed new pottery wheels, and launched "Soldner Pottery Equipment." Unlike many of Voulkos's students, he continued producing functional ceramics, but also created monumental "floor pots" that rose to eight or nine feet tall, merging painting, sculpture, and pottery. After graduation, Soldner accepted a temporary teaching role at Scripps College in Claremont, California, which grew into a thirty-seven-year career at Scripps and the Claremont Graduate School. He became known as an inspiring teacher who encouraged experimentation, often showing students that mistakes could lead to new discoveries. "The most difficult thing to teach is curiosity," he said, "the next is the courage to do it." Soldner's most significant artistic achievement was his transformation of the Japanese firing technique raku. Initially inspired by Bernard Leach's "A Potter's Book," he began experimenting in 1960. A fortunate accident - dropping a hot vessel into leaves that ignited and smoked the glaze - opened new possibilities. Soldner gradually redefined raku, shifting it away from the Japanese tea ceremony and toward a playful, intuitive approach that valued spontaneity and surprise. His "American Raku" emphasized risk, discovery, and the beauty of chance, greatly expanding the aesthetic vocabulary of clay. In addition to raku, Soldner pioneered low-temperature salt firing and sculptural pedestal pieces. His works entered major collections worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution. He wrote influential texts such as "Kilns and Their Construction" (1965), and helped found the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, which remains a vibrant artistic hub. Soldner's creativity extended into his personal life. He built homes and hot tubs, crafted jewelry, cultivated bonsai, and made wine, living with the same sense of adventure that defined his art. His contributions earned him numerous honors, including the Aileen Osborn Webb Gold Medal. Paul Soldner's legacy lies in his fearless pursuit of discovery. By transforming raku into an American tradition and teaching generations of students to embrace accidents as opportunities, he reshaped modern ceramics. His life reminds us that true creativity comes from curiosity, courage, and the willingness to play with fire.