Material Curiosity by Design / Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman
Material Curiosity by Design: Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman
at the Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles
Material Curiosity by Design explores the prolific careers of midcentury designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman in dialogue with select works by three contemporary artists. Celebrated for their vibrant contributions to California modernism, the Ackermans partnered for decades on bold designs that brought warmth to midcentury interiors. Showcasing their ceramic, textile, mosaic, wood, and metal creations alongside new works by Porfirio Gutiérrez, Jolie Ngo, and Vince Skelly, this exhibition sparks a dynamic conversation about materials, innovation, and craft.
This exhibition is curated by Danielle Charlap and designed by Gary Wexler Design.
The exhibition spotlights the process and materials used by the Ackermans. Here is Evelyn's drafting stool and desk. The desk was custom made for her in 1949 by their friend, architect Eugene Alexander. The pencils and chalk she used to design the mosaics, tapestries, metalwork, and wood pieces are on the desk.
Between Evelyn and Jerry, they had all the materials covered.
Most of the work the Ackermans are known for was designed by the couple and produced by artisans in Mexico, Japan and Italy. However, the Ackermans were each skilled artists themselves and as Evelyn puts it, this allowed them "... to understand and respect the limits of the technique." There are a number of mosaic Evelyn made herself on display, as well as ceramics thrown by Jerry. He also made his own kick wheel.
Evelyn could also weave, as evident in this hand-loomed tapestry on the left in the case.
Early ceramics by Jerry and a silver pendant made by Evelyn in 1945.
Launchpad is always a crowd favorite.
There are a large number of the original drawings Evelyn used to produce the work.
I've had a number of the Zodiac mosaics, but never a Sagittarius. As a double Sag, I'd have to keep that one.
Checkerboard is one of Evelyn's designs that I've never seen in person.
Many of the same designs were executed in multiple mediums and colorways.
Mosaic samples and tools.
More mosaic samples. This reminds how Jerry would fix Ackerman mosaics that were missing tiles. The repair bills were always so reasonable. He was the best. I really miss seeing him around town.
A number of the hardware designs ERA offered were designed by Jerry and produced in Italy.
Enamel candelabra designed by Jerry in 1958. I would love to find one of these.
The Ackermans had work in every California Design exhibition from 1954 to 1976 and they have the ephemera to prove it!
Jerry pictured at the kiln, with his kick wheel and tools in the foreground. After taking ceramics at Wayne University in Detroit, he went on to study at the legendary Alfred University in New York.
The fact that the Ackerman's daughter Laura kept all of this is a testament to her commitment to preserving her parent's legacy. This is in addition to the multiple books, lectures she gives and this exhibition!
In the early 1950s Jerry designed a line of slip cast ceramics and glazes under the name Jenev.
Slip cast molds
Glaze sample sheets
By the end of the 1950s Jenev stopped producing ceramics so Jerry could focus on running the business end of ERA.
Jerry delved back into hand-thrown ceramics decades later.
The pieces by the three contemporary artists are interwoven into the Ackerman exhibition. Each was selected because their work connected to the Ackermans through process or material.
Porfirio Gutiérrez is from the Zapotec weaving community of Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca, Mexico. His work uses ancestral techniques and materials to create geometric minimalist weavings.
I failed to get a decent photo of the pieces by Joli Ngo. Her work is designed on computer and 3-D printed. She then adds handmade components and color with paint and glaze.
Vince Skelly is a sculptor working in wood. He uses sustainably sourced wood from the West Coast.
Bookshelves designed to hold specific titles.
In addition to work in the main gallery the Ackerman exhibition is in, he has an installation in a gallery on another floor.
Solid book selection too.
Vince doesn't normally use color in his sculpture. However, in a nod to the Ackermans, he added pigments to these works.
This window display paying homage to the Craft Contemporary's history as the Egg and the Eye made this craft geek happy.
I was lagging on getting to the exhibition. I planned on going on opening night in November but there was a crazy storm that night. Instead of risking my life, I waited and decided to take transit from San Diego to see it. There is a $10 round trip Metrolink rail pass on weekends that also includes transfers on the LA Metro and buses. That's right, $10 all you can ride transit. Amtrak is also an option.
Both Metrolink and Amtrak stop off at Union Station, which is always great to see.
You have until May 10th to see the exhibition. You can also head across the street to see what LACMA is up to.