1984年我在芝加哥一家画廊看到彼得伏克斯的展出。那次展览包括两件他的新作以及他过去早至50年代的作品。我是替一位画家送作品去的。画廊主人就让我住在那里。我就睡在一件作品《二砖叠》旁三个晚上。我追随这件作品的所有线条，机理及动态。这是我第一次对艺术的感觉经验，第一次认识到为什么泥土是如此特别的材料。我就问谁会又能作这样的作品？18年后我仍在寻找，即使如今我仍然震慑，惊叹并祝福能与这位久被我尊为英雄的如此接近。

　　我帮彼得伏克斯架构他的16个主要《堆叠》雕塑，还帮他烧成另外三个。也帮他作了无数的盘子。也做了一件大作品名为《高帝》的装冰罐，如今装着彼得伏克斯的骨灰。许多这些工作是在奥马哈金润子的工作室完成。其中有一件称为《安娜沙芝》的作品大到我要进到里面与彼得伏克斯在外面一起工作，他的下部拉胚部分就有500磅重。每件作品的重要关节都由彼得伏克斯决定，我尽可能每一步都帮他，事实上多数作品都在我的学校柴烧，有我的学生帮忙。

　　我同彼得伏克斯一起工作时总是兴奋与新鲜。每一刻都极绕兴趣。一早起来我就去他房，看他躺在床上抽烟。我总是习惯性地问他好不好，他会说：好、好我正在注视地板，只要它保持不动我就起床。我们都大笑而整天都是如此过的。一般我们要到下午才去工作室工作四小时，然后休息一起看自己拍的录像讨论作品就像球赛教练看录像一样。彼得伏克斯对什么都感兴趣。他的天分之一是常常离开房间等待新事物发生而新事物就会出现。我想这是为什么彼得伏克斯对柴烧有兴趣的原因。

　　他能即时进入情况，也知道如何做得最好。一旦他开始工作，他就停止谈话，整个世界也静止了。他把一切灌注在泥土中，神奇就立刻被纪录下来成为作品。他的勇气、正直、以及天才将永远活在接触过他的人的记忆里。彼得伏克斯也会在以后接触他的作品以及他的一生的人中重生

　　John Balisterri on Peter Voulkos%%%%In 1984, I had the opportunity to see a Peter Voulkos exhibit at a gallery in Chicago, the show included his pottery from the early fifties up to his most recent sculptures and collages. I was delivering work for another artist, and the gallery owner put me up. I literally slept next to a piece called "Two Brick Stack" for three nights. During that time I traced every line, texture, movement, moment of that piece. It was my first ART experience, the first time I realized why clay is such a special medium. And I asked: " What kind of man would and could make this thing? " Eighteen years later, I'm still finding out, and I'm stunned, amazed and blessed to have come so close to the man who became my hero long ago．

　　I have assisted Peter with the construction of sixteen major "Stacks", and the firing of three others. I was also involved with numerous plates and one huge Ice Bucket titled "Gaudi", which now contains Peter's ashes. Much of the work was made at Jun Kaneko's private studio in Omaha Nebraska. One piece titled "Anasazi" was so large I actually worked on the inside of the piece, while Pete worked on the outside. The bottom thrown section alone was nearly five hundred pounds. Peter always made all the aesthetic decisions and I tried to help him every step of the way, as best I could. Eventually, most of the work was Woodfired at Bowling Green State University with the help of my students.

　　Every day we worked was exciting and new, every moment was unbelievably interesting, or at the very least hilarious. I would go into his room first thing in the morning, he would be at the side of the bed having a smoke. I'd say "how you doing" he would say "good, good, I was just staring at that spot on the floor and as soon as it holds still I'm going to get up!" We'd laugh like hell and the whole day would just go on like that. Eventually, we would make it to the studio in the late afternoon and work for about four hours. Then we would rest and often watch video of what we did that day, we'd talk about the piece like a coach watching game film.

　　My roll was simple- to help him as best I could. He was fascinated by every facet of the journey and so was I. Part of his genius had to do with how he always left room for something special to happen, beyond what he could anticipate, he was always looking for something new and he always found it. I suspect that's part of what led him to wood firing many years ago

　　He was tuned into the moment at hand, and he knew how to make the most of it. Once he started working the talking stopped and so did the rest of the world. he was in a zone, tuned into the clay on some deep primal level, and he laid out everything he was at that moment in the material. That magic is forever recorded in the work that survives him. His courage, integrity and genius will live on in the collective memory of all who were touched by him and will continue to be reborn in those yet to discover his works and the story of his life.