Peter Voulkos created this piece during a two-week residency at Notre Dame in 2001. He first threw traditional ceramic forms, such as plates and bowls, on a potter's wheel, then took these vessels apart and reassembled them. In doing so, he challenged the traditional belief that ceramic objects should have a function, such as food storage or service, and that they should fulfill this function with highly decorated, refined forms.

Voulkos's interest in revealing that artist's labor is evident in the impressions left by his hands and fingertips...Like Abstract Expressionist painters, for whom creating art was a process of self-exploration, Voulkos utilized an aggressive process to produce artworks. Some have suggested that his sculptures should be read as metaphors for the transformative events that all individuals undergo during their lifetime.

from Snite Museum of Art, Selected Works: Snite Museum of Art (Notre Dame, 2005)