PETER voulkos. GALLAS Rock.

• ARTIST.

  Peter Voulkos
  (American, b. 1924–d. 2002)

• TITLE.

  Gallas Rock

• Date.

  1960.

• MATERIALS.

  Stoneware with glaze

• DIMENSIONS.

  84 x 37 x 26 3/4 in.
  (213.36 x 93.98 x 67.95 cm)

• MAP.

  Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden at UCLA

GALLAS ROCK.

After locating Voulkos's first sculpture Soleares now move towards a small grove of trees (ahead and to the left), where you’ll find a ramp and a short flight of steps.

Situated amidst the tree trunks is the second clay sculpture by Voulkos, titled Gallas Rock. The sculpture is named after Digby Gallas, the Los Angeles doctor and patron who commissioned the piece in the 1950s. The forms of this clay sculpture are flat and angular, as though the artist rolled out pieces of clay to make slabs. This sculpture seems to be decaying, with cracks found at the base, along the flat sides, and splitting the top layers. Notice the mottled color of the clay and the splotchy colors of the tree’s bark—they almost match. It’s as though this sculpture has found shelter in the grove of trees.

SPARK A CONVERSATION.

• Gallas Rock has a rocklike appearance, but does it remind you of something else?  

• Can you find shapes of body parts: such as legs, torso, arms, and a head or helmet?

• How does the artist make it appear to be old and weathered?