Esoteric Survey

  Boundless: Reflections of the Southern California Landscapes in Midcentury Studio Ceramics explores how the physical, social, and political landscapes of the area shaped craft. Nearly 150 objects from Mingei’s permanent collection, set against large-scale photography, transport us to the breathtaking locations reflected in the ceramics. Through these landscapes and the awe-inspiring science of clay, glaze, and fire, this exhibition celebrates Southern California mid-twentieth century ceramics. Curated by  Guusje Sanders There are a large number of Laura Andreson pieces in the exhibition and there's a reason for that. Andreson started the ceramics department at UCLA in 1933. Over 5,000 students studied under her  until she retired in 1970. This includes Martha Longenecker in 1939, who founded Mingei International Museum in 1978.  In 1982, Mingei organized the exhibition Laura Andreson — A Fifty-Year Retrospective in Clay. It was curated by Mingei founder and then D...

  Euro clay and Raul Coronel

Did you know there was a monumental Doyle Lane mural in Michigan?  My recent trip to the water wonderland included a stop to see if  Lane's  Gold Arc  ceramic mural was still there.  It was commissioned for The B’nai David Synagogue Sanctuary, which was built in 1966--although the mural wasn't installed until 1968. The sanctuary was designed by Los Angeles architect Sidney Eisenshtat (1914-2004), which probably explains how a Lane mural ended up there. I believe this is his only large scale commission outside of California.  Also, this is a vintage postcard I bought online.  The complex is located in Southfield, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit. This was the third structure on the campus.  In 1959, Louis G. Redstone designed the first building in an International Style. Sidney Eisenshtat was Born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1914. His family settled in Detroit but moved to Los Angeles in 1926 in search of what was described as a "less anti-Semitic...