June Wayne at the PMCA

Yesterday, I checked out the new exhibits at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.  This was my first opportunity to be introduced to the works of June Wayne.  Although she was born in Chicago in 1918, she eventually settled in Los Angeles where she died in 2011.  She is described as an American print-maker, tapestry designer, painter, and educator.  She was born to Dorothy Alice Kline and Albert Lavine but the marriage broke up and she was raised by her liberated mother and grandmother. June dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to pursue her goal of becoming an artist.  Without formal training, her first exhibit was in Chicago in 1935, age 17.  Three years later she was employed by the Works Progress Administration as an artist.  She later moved to New York, married an Air Force surgeon in 1940, George Wayne.  After he was sent to Europe, she moved to L.A., studied at Caltech and later became a part of the art scene here.

In the late 1950's, June Wayne convinced the director of the Ford Foundation to give her money to revitalize lithography in the U.S.  With this grant she founded the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Hollywood in 1960.  This workshop became famous and used by many artists in L.A. including Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Rufino Tamayo, an others.  The workshop was moved to the University of New Mexico where the Tamarind Institute resides today.

I enjoyed learning about June Wayne and watched a couple of videos on her that were playing in the museum.

The museum is also showing Five Installations Exploring Natural Phenomena that is called "Time, Space & matter."  They explore scientific issues such as gravity, entropy, and the transmutation of matter in wood, glass, ice, metal, video and sound.  It is something to experience and watch in awe.

Here are some of June Wayne's artistic creations on display at the museum that I found on the KCET web site, as photos were not permitted:

"Anki," Cognitos Series, 1984, Acrylic and silver leaf on paper marouflaged onto canvas with gesso and gelatin.

"Burning Helix," from the Burning Helix Series, 1970 Color lithograph

"Cryptic Creatures," Kafka Series, 1948, Oil on canvas

"Delegate Dorothy," The Dorothy Series, 1977 Color lithograph
The Dorothy Series celebrated her mother.  She also created a documentary about her mother that was showing in the gallery.

"Dorothy, the Last Day," 1960 Color lithograph

"Final Jury," from the Justice Series, 1954 Lithograph

"La Cible," 1971, Tapestry

"La Journee des Lemmings," 1971, Tapestry

"Merry Widow" (State I), Next of Skin Series, 1980, Color Lithograph

"The Tunnel," 1949, Oil on canvas (inspired by the 2nd Street Tunnel in L.A.)

"The Witnesses," from the Justice Series, 1952, Lithograph

"Untitled (Mexican Woman Wearing Rebozo)," 1936, Oil on canvas

"Waiting for Newspapers," 1936, Oil on canvas
These last two paintings were done when the artist was not quite 18.  The description of this painting said that it depicted the desperation of unemployed workers grasping for a used newspaper to look for a job during the Depression.

June Wayne, Photo: Niku Kashef

Bob Peak, The Movie Poster and Beyond

Yesterday I stopped by the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University in Malibu. This is good small museum on the grounds of the University that I have visited once before. The current exhibit has some of the works of Bob Peak (1927-1992) who was an American illustrator credited with creating the modern movie poster.  He grew up in Kansas and began creating illustrations while at Wichita State University.  He studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and moved to New York where he began his career as a professional illustrator.  In 1961 he was hired to create promotional materials for West Side Story.  This led to Peak creating over 100 movie posters.

Here are photographs of some of what I saw:

"Marlon Brando in The Missouri Breaks," 1976

"The Missouri Breaks," 1976 with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson,  Mixed Media/Fiberglass Canvas

"Jimmy Carter," 1976 for Time Magazine, mixed media

"John F. Kennedy," 1976, mixed media for Time Magazine feature on the centennial year 

"Apocalypse Now," 1979 for Zoetrope Productions

"My Fair Lady," 1964, watercolor and charcoal, for Warner Brothers Pictures

"Football Pregame," 1963, Acrylic and Marker on Gesso Panel, for Sports Illustrated

"Thoroughly Modern Millie," 1967, mixed media for Universal Pictures

"Funny Girl," 1968, mixed media
In this composition, Peak adopted the palette and abstract forms of '60's Pop Art 

"Cosmopolitan," 1965, Collage/Mixed Media showing influence of the works of Gustav Klimt, Austrian Expressionist painter.

"Ladies' Home Journal," 1964

"Boy's Life," 1964, mixed media.  The artist posed his son as the driver of the old pick-up truck about to tow a more modern sports car.

Expressionists at LACMA Continued

I returned to the Los Angeles Museum of Art on Tuesday to view the Van Gogh to Kandinsky French and German Expressionists exhibit.  I roamed through the paintings I had seen on my last visit and once again enjoyed the up close moments with colorful expressive artist of the early 20th Century. The period between the 1870's war between France and Germany and the first world war was very rich for artists in the two countries.  The bold colors, broad and quick brush strokes of Van Gogh were finally seen and appreciated by artists and collectors all over Europe. Matisse relished the bright colors and joined a group of artists who were called the Fauvists.  Cezanne's creative images was an inspiration of the Cubists Picasso and Braque.

All of this changed with WW I.  Some of the artists were called back to their countries of origin, like Russia, to fight in the war.  Others died.  For those who survived, their life views changed as seen in the post war Dada movement and others.

The Nazi's persecuted Expressionist artist starting in the 1930's.  They were rehabilitated in the 1950's.

Here are my photos of the paintings I viewed for the first time on Tuesday:

"Saint-Tropez Evening Sun," 1894, watercolor by Paul Signac, French 1863-1935 

"Red Blossom," 1910 by Alexei Jawlensky, Russian, active Germany, 1864
This artist along with Adolf Erbsloh, Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Munter, and Marianne Werefkin founded New Artists Association of Munich in 1909.  They believed the Munich Secession group was too conservative.  They showed Fauvists and Cubist works, including Picasso. 

"Fairy Princess with a Fan," 1912 by Alexi Jawlensky.  By 1912 the artist created his style of painting the human face and body in a creative fashion using his bold flamboyant colors.

"Stables," 1913 by Franz Marc, German, 1890-1916
Marc was a member of the Blue Rider group and believed art contained a spiritual dimension.  Being a former theology student, he believed God was omnipresent and in animals in particular.  In this painting, Marc has created a colorful prismatic view of horses, his favorite subject, in a stable.

"Harlequin and Columbine," 1913 by Heinrich Campendonk, German, 1889-1957

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"Landscape with Cows, Sailing Boat, and Figures," 1914 by August Macke, German, 1887-1914

"Sketch I for Painting with While Boarder," 1913 by Wassily Kandinsky
This Russian artist often included imagery from Russian culture, including folk takes.  He was one of the founders of the Blue Rider group named from folk tales and the motif of horse and rider that frequently appeared in Kandinsky's work.

"Red Eiffel Tower," 1911-12 by Robert Delaunay, French, 1883-1941

"Apples and Biscuits," 1879-80 by Paul Cezanne, French, 1839-1906
In 1912, the work of Paul Cezanne, one of the essential inspirations for Cubism, was widely available in Germany and influenced the artists.  Pablo Picasso's Cubist works were also being imitated by German artists.

"Still Life with Jug and African Bowl," 1912 by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German, 1880-1938



"Still Life with Nude, Tile, and Fruit," 1913 by Max Pechstein
The artist's still life of carefully arranged fruit bears the influence of Paul Cezanne.  "A figure emerging from the background evokes the work of Paul Gauguin, who inspired Pechstein to travel to Palau in the South Seas.

"Reflective Woman," 1912 by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, German 1884-1976
This painting shows the influence of Cubism after the artist moved from Dresden to Berlin and saw the works by Picasso.

"Still Life with Apples," 1893-94 by Paul Cezanne
"In this masterful composition Cezanne carefully arranged objects with contrasting textures to create a series of curves and countercurves causing distortions such as he stretched oval opening of the green jug.  This attention to structure and the experiential nature of vision appealed to the Cubists and Expressionists...when the painting was shown at the 1912 exhibition in Cologne."

"Street, Berlin, 1913 by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German 1880-1938
"Various levels of erotic tension are conveyed in the choreography between the coquettes and their prospective customers.  The pointed, angular forms derived from Cubism.

"Violin and Palette," 1909 by George Braque, French 1882-1963
"Cubism abandoned the traditional fixed viewpoint, which mimics the way the eye sees, with a central focal point, exploring multiple points of view at once."  Cubism was pioneered by Braque and Picasso in 1907.

"Sleeping Woman - Julia," 1913 by Lyonel Feininger, American, active Germany, 1871-1956

"Bust of a Nude Woman," 1906 by Pablo Picasso, Spanish, active in France, 1881-1973

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans

Last Thursday I visited the Ogden museum during their After Hours program from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. For a $10.00 non member admission, I was able to explore the beautiful museum at 925 Camp Street, just around the corner from Lee Circle.  After purchasing a glass of Chardonnay, I roamed and listen to the music of Rocket 88, from Oxford, Mississippi.  Jamie and Rosamond Posey performed singing and playing guitar, drums and harmonica.  The music wafted through 4 story atrium so I could enjoy while I visited the various galleries.  This is a must visit museum that is a part of the University of New Orleans and located in the Arts District along with many galleries.

Here is some of what I saw:

The first few are from the museum's permanent collection of Self-Taught, Outsider and Visionary Art.

"Airplane (Whirligig) 1969 by David Butler, Louisiana, 1898-1997

"Making Sorghum" 1964 by Theoa Hamblett, Mississippi, 1895-1977

"Flowing River," 1950 by Clementine Hunter, Louisiana, 1886-1988.  This artist worked on a plantation that was eventually occupied by "Hippies" I was told.  She taught herself to paint the life she witnessed.

"Cotton to Gin / Baptism" 1950 oil on panel by Clementine Hunter

"Johnson and Cindy at the Blue Room," 1990 by Roy Ferdinand, Louisiana, 1959-2004.  This artist grew up in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and also painted what he lived.

Another painting by Roy Ferdinand

"The Black Pearl," 2009 by Juan Logan, South Carolina, 1948 -

"Maybe By My Song," 2001 by Juan Logan

"Masquerade II," 1952 by Jack Stewart, Georgia, 1926-2005

"Wilbert Tillman, Preservation Hall," 1963 by Noel Rockmore, Louisiana, 1928-1995

"Billie and Dede Pierce, Preservation Hall," 1964 by Noel Rockmore

"Bill Matthews, Preservation Hall," 1963 by Noel Rockmore

"Going Home," 1992, paper-mache and mixed media, by Willie Birch, Louisiana, 1941 -

"Scarlet Georgia," 2013, oil on antique Congoleum flooring laminated on aluminum, by Jack Niven, Louisiana, 1958 -

"Ibis in the Night," 2000 by Michael Crespo, Louisiana, 1947 -

"Plower," 1989 by Benny Andrews, Georgia, 1930-2006
Benny was one of ten children from Plainview, Georgia.  With the encouragement from his mother, he graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago and moved to New York where he opened a studio and later became active in the Civil Rights movement.

"Grandmother's Dinner," 1992 by Benny Andrews

"Bluebonnet Scene with Girl," 1992 by Robert Julian Onderdonk, Texas, 1882-1922

"Sunset on St. John's River," 1878 by George Herbert McCord, Florida, 1848-1909

"Tenant Farmer," 1935 by Marie Atkinson Hull, Mississippi, 1890-1980

"Evening Meal, Duck Hill, Mississippi," 1934 by John McCrady, Louisiana, 1911-1968

"Portrait of a Negro," 1933 by John McCrady

"On the Levee at Natchez," 1904 by Harold Harrington Betts, Mississippi, 1881-1951

"Blue Pool," 1925-1930 by Will Henry Stevens, 1881-1949

"Uptown Street," 1890 by Lulu King Saxon, Louisiana, 1855-1927