As a participant in the largest collaborative art exhibit ever undertaken in Southern California, the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery of Scripps College will present “Clay’s Tectonic Shift: John Mason, Ken Price, and Peter Voulkos, 1956–1968,” from January 21–April 8, 2012.An opening reception will be held at the gallery on January 21 at 7 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
In this exhibition, the Williamson focuses on three of the most innovative and dynamic artists of the era, whose work forever changed the way ceramics would be regarded. This shift in perspective came about during the era the Getty initiative highlights in “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945–1980,” a celebration of the vivid post-World War II art scene in Los Angeles.
Dr. Mary MacNaughton, director of the Williamson Gallery, described the concept behind the exhibition and catalog: “Mason, Price, and Voulkos changed the conversation in ceramics from craft to art, creating fired-clay sculpture that was unprecedented in ambition and originality. The exhibition presents important works in this development. These three artists were the catalysts for a new ceramic scene and a definitive shift in the way ceramics were understood. From that point until the present day, clay has simply never been viewed in the same way again.”
The catalog that accompanies the exhibition contains contributions from Michael Duncan, Janet Koplos, Frank Lloyd, Mary MacNaughton, Suzanne Muchnic, and Karen Tsujimoto.
With its superb Marer Collection of modern American ceramics, and the longest-running contemporary ceramics exhibition in the nation, the Ceramic Annual, Scripps College is uniquely positioned to focus on the pivotal role that ceramics played after World War II.
The gallery is located on the corner of 11th Street and Columbia Avenue, adjacent to Baxter Hall, on the Scripps College campus in Claremont. During exhibitions, the gallery is open to the public, free of charge, Wednesday through Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, please call (909) 607-3397 or contact kdelman@scrippscollege.edu. Information about the gallery can be found at scripps-staging.skybox0.com/williamson-gallery.
Pacific Standard Time: Art in LA 1945 – 1980
Pacific Standard Time is a collaboration of more than 60 cultural institutions across Southern California, coming together for six months beginning in October 2011, to tell the story of the birth of the Los Angeles art scene and how it became a major new force in the art world. Each institution will make its own contribution to this grand-scale story of artistic innovation and social change, told through a multitude of simultaneous exhibitions and programs.
Exploring and celebrating the significance of the crucial post-World War II years and beyond,
Pacific Standard Time encompasses developments from modernist architecture and design to multi-media installations; from L.A. Pop to post-minimalism; from the films of the African-American L.A. Rebellion to the feminist happenings of the Woman’s Building; from ceramics to Chicano performance art, and from Japanese-American design to the pioneering work of artists’ collectives.
Initiated through $10 million in grants from the Getty Foundation, Pacific Standard Time involves cultural institutions of every size and character across Southern California, from Greater Los Angeles to San Diego and Santa Barbara to Palm Springs.
The Williamson Gallery received lead grants from the Getty Foundation in support of the exhibition and catalog. Additional support was generously provided by the Friends of Contemporary Ceramics and the Pasadena Art Alliance.
