The Impact Of Zen Buddhism On The Origin Of Modern American Ceramics

Half of the twentieth century, the Western world experienced a series of political and economic, cultural huge change. The old social system, religious traditions and ethical system questioned by the younger generation. After World War II, in the economy the United States over Europe, they no longer willing to follow in the field of arts and ideas in Europe picked up the pace. Zen in this historical background, became a sword that the modern artists use it to break the tradition of the Europe, to express the feeling and experience in the heart. Can be said that an American modern art, is an assimilation history of oriental Zen blend with the Western culture.Modern American Ceramics as a branch of modern art, its creation and change is in the context of modern art took place, inevitably the subject of Zen. Under the influence of the Zen, modern ceramic artist began to break the practicality of traditional criteria, a ceramic artist show an emotional self-expression. Peter Voulkos is recognized worldwide as the "father of modern American pottery," It was because only when the emerge of Peter Voulkos'works of ceramic and he led's "Otis Revolution", the United States have the origination of modern ceramics.Therefore this paper shows a large number of historical facts and examples of how zen impact of Peter Voulkos individuals, resulting in a shift of the ceramics concept of Peter Voulkos, which finally established the basic appearance of the modern American ceramics from. Finally by analyzing the consistence of zen basic element with the spirit of the modern American porcelain artists, material language, and creative nature lay in spontaneity and so on,to make a clear perception of a useful effect of zen in promoting the origin of Modern American Ceramics.