The Sun King Tile, Maybe...

The 11th Annual Los Angeles Pottery Show has now been and gone at the Convention Center in Pasadena, California. Two friends and I drove out from our respective parts of town on Saturday, January 23 and met up at the show. As it had been raining all week the views of the snow on the mountains on the drive out to Pasadena were breathtaking. I don’t recall seeing so much snow on such an extended area in all the time I have been living here. But then my memory for that kind of thing is admittedly short. Nevertheless, it was a sight to behold.

And the Pottery Show was a sight to behold too, in its own unique way. Over one hundred dealers were represented selling diverse items such as sixties dinnerware to figurines made in occupied Japan to vintage Batchelder tiles to contemporary ceramic art. It was an interesting mix. Porcelain poodles and ash trays in the shape of eye glasses that I normally would not give a second glance seemed fascinating in that venue.

Most of the pieces were California-made, or at least of US origin. Of course, I was hoping for a collection of Minton tiles to jump out at me, but that didn’t happen. I believe there was one Minton tile although the name “Stoke” stamped on the reverse was barely visible. However, not a tile I would have purchased anyway.

One tile did attract my attention. (Image above.) I walked away and came back to it several times. I was fascinated by the design. When I saw it at the show I thought it was a Neptune motif surrounded by stylized dolphins. The vendor told me it was probably from the early 1800s but I doubt that. I would attribute it to the Victorian period. But I have no idea who the maker is. Nevertheless while we were eating lunch I decided if I didn’t purchase the tile I would regret that decision more than the decision to buy it.

So now it is in my possession. After studying it a little more closely I realize the design has nothing to do with Neptune. I believe (but am not positive) it is symbolic of one of the Dauphins of France (mostly from the 1400s to the 1700s). Kings Louis XI through Louis XVI were given the title of Dauphin while they were in line to receive the crown. The disembodied head in the center of the tile may represent Louis XIV, as he was known as the Sun King, and that title would explain the rays emanating from his head. I am not sure of the significance of the wings, the basket of fruit, or the dragons. I’ll have to do some more research on those symbols. The dolphins, fleur-de-lis, and stylized shells are fairly obvious.

The more I study the tile the more confident I feel that it does indeed depict King Louis XIV. I wish I knew who made the tile and why it was made. There are no maker symbols on the reverse, just the grid pattern, presumably to hold the tile in place on a wall. Yet there are holes drilled into the back as if the tile was used as a trivet (although they would surely be more evenly distributed if that was the case), or perhaps to hold the tile on a wall where it could not be glued properly—ah, who knows?

As you can imagine, I am intrigued by this tile and cannot just walk away from its mystery. I will be keeping an eye open for more information as time goes by, but for now I must move on to other things. If anybody out there can help me read the symbols I would be grateful.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

A Feast of ArtSaturday night the Culver City Art Group gathered at my place for our annual Holiday Potluck. We usually do this in December but last month it seemed all the members (including me) had other things going on so we rescheduled for January. I kept all my Christmas lights and decorations up a little longer to accommodate the party. This turned out to be a super idea as around twenty five people showed up including guests of members.
The great food included spicy jambalaya to turkey meatballs to chicken wings to tasty salads to bread straight out of the oven to cheese and crackers to homemade and homegrown guacamole to cup cakes to cookies to chocolatey things—well, you get the idea! Along with the goodies we asked members to bring a piece of their own artwork or something that someone else had created to briefly comment on. This turned out really well as personally I enjoyed all of the short talks. At our regular meetings we have mini-shows where each artist brings a piece to be voted on but we don’t get to hear the story behind it.

My cat Friday did his usual job of greeting everybody at the door. At one point he escaped outside and was welcoming all the guests out on the sidewalk. That cat loves people and he goes to great lengths to make sure they love him back!

In attendance were some new members which is a great way to make their acquaintance and for them to meet the regular gang on a more personal level.
Some of us were discussing that as creative types we sometimes have uneasiness about dealing with large groups of people and are more comfortable with one-on-one situations. I have to put my hand up there! I find all the vibes from parties such as this one almost overwhelming but I have learned to take each person on an individual basis—and the people who are attracted to our group are exceptionally comfortable to be around. So, if you are an artistic anthropophobic you will be very welcome!
One of the most rewarding facets of my life is being a member of the Culver City Art Group. We have activities such as gallery and museum visits, general meetings with mini-shows, art demonstrations, an annual art exhibit, and our famous Holiday Potluck. I have made some wonderful friends of members past and present. If you are already a member, tell all your friends. If not, why not join us now?

(all photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins and all artwork copyright the respective artists)

TAG: You’re It!
TAG stands for The Artists’ Gallery which recently moved from Santa Monica Boulevard to Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, California. Bergamot Station dates from 1875 when the Red Line trolley stopped there on its route from downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Pier. Now it is an eight-acre site housing art galleries and The Santa Monica Museum of Art.

Saturday, January 9, TAG held a reception showing the work of all their member artists. A friend and I were invited by our mutual friend Katherine Kean. I was really looking forward to seeing the new gallery and Katherine’s new piece entitled Clouds Swirling Over the Great Marsh. But it was not meant to be. As soon as we turned off Olympic Boulevard we saw cars stuck in the intersection at Cloverfield and Michigan, the street leading to Bergamot Station. We thought, wow, this TAG show must be really popular. I found out later that THIRTEEN galleries at Bergamot had scheduled opening receptions for that same evening! Guys, you need somebody to coordinate your parties… and guess what, I am available!!!

It took us several lights to turn off Cloverfield on to Michigan. Then we inched along Michigan to the parking lot. Once in the lot we couldn’t move. We just sat there. Eventually we were able to work our way around the other cars but many people had made their own parking spaces and we drove through a forest of cars with only inches to spare. People were backing up without looking and turning around when they should have kept moving forward… It was one of those parking situations I only see in my nightmares. I felt lucky to escape the parking lot alive. But not wanting to disappoint anybody, least of all ourselves, we attempted to find a parking space on the street but we had no luck there either, and as we drove further and further into neighborhoods we were not familiar with, we made the choice to abandon the attempt and drove back to the safety of Culver City and one of our favorite Thai restaurants where we could deflate on brown rice and jasmine tea.

A few days later, on Tuesday to be exact, I had a canceled appointment and decided on the spur of the moment to drive over to TAG when there would be some peace and quiet. As I was getting ready I thought wouldn’t it be wild if Katherine was sitting at the front desk. I had no idea what her schedule was (TAG is a cooperative where the artists take turns working at various tasks, gallery-sitting being one of them). As I walked in the door I only saw another lady who turned out to be the current president. Then Katherine came into view—and I can’t really say I was surprised. She said I must have felt her vibe, and probably I did!

The new space is really lovely with plenty of room to move around. They are busy remodeling an upper level so that all the artists can be represented even when there is a show dedicated to one or two of the members.

The current exhibit showcases one work from each member. As always with that group, I was very impressed with the quality of work. But, of course, my heart will go where my heart will go, and I was pulled towards two pieces in particular by Sue Keane and Joe Pinkelman. Keane’s Untitled (ugh, I’ve commented before on artists calling their work “untitled”… perleeze, give me a break…) is comprised of four undulating glazed ceramic tiles on wood. Pinkelman’s Head Teapot is listed as stoneware, decals, and enamel. You gotta see them in person—I didn’t want to stop looking at either of them and could easily find a spot in my living room for both.

Of course, Katherine Kean’s paintings are always inspiring and I never have to ask which ones are hers. Her style is very distinctive and I always love the subject matter she chooses.
Another of my favorite TAG artists is Anne M. Bray. Her entry in the show is entitled Twilight in pastel on paper (at least I think so as I stupidly wrote my notes in ink on a shiny business card and a day later the ink has smudged and I can barely read anything!). I saw a solo exhibit of hers a while ago and fell in love with her landscapes. Art is an emotional experience for me, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and if I connect with a work of art it doesn’t have to be in any particular medium.

Another familiar name for me at the show was Carole Garland. I was actually surprised by her piece Palming it Off—not what I expected from her. Experimentation is important for an artist and doing the same thing over and over and over again just because you can is not my idea of creativity... so I enjoyed the fact that this was something a little different.

There were many other artists I could comment on. Most of the work was really outstanding and it was a treat to see so much great artwork all in one place. This comprehensive show is on until the end of January, so don’t miss it, you hear?

TAG Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue, D-3
(Bergamot Station)
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Tel: (310) 829-9556

Last Day at LACMA

Although I had a whole laundry list of things I should have done (including laundry) I decided to spend the last day of 2009 doing something enjoyable and meaningful. I took the bus up to LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and spent several hours looking at art—about the most enjoyable and meaningful activity I can think of!

When I first heard about the exhibit Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life way back in September, I did what I often do when there is an art exhibit I especially want to see: I procrastinated. So once again I managed to squeak in under the wire with only three days to spare (better than some exhibits I’ve seen on the very last day!). So, I am sad to say, this review is after the fact as Señor Meléndez left LACMA on January 3.

I have to admit I am not a big fan of the still life genre, but when I saw a reproduction of Melendez’ work in the LACMA newsletter, I knew I had to see it in person. I was not disappointed. I arrived a half or so earlier than the official docent tour of the exhibit was scheduled so I could get a sense of the paintings on my own without any outside influence.

Luis Meléndez lived from 1716–1780 and, according to the LACMA website, “was the greatest still life painter of eighteenth-century Spain and ranks as one of the greatest painters of the genre in all Europe.” If you ever have the chance to see his paintings, you will realize this is not hyperbole.

Obviously, before the advent of the camera, it was necessary to turn to “realistic” painters to capture likenesses of people, places, and objects. It is indeed tempting to throw Meléndez into this category. However, my impression of his paintings is that they are so much more than merely a mirror of how things really looked. His paintings have a life of their own.

His work has been described as photographic, but no camera ever captured a cauliflower, grape, or loaf of bread as he painted them. The tomatoes look like they could sprout legs and walk off at any moment. The aubergines have a jewel-like quality and I could imagine them in a showcase at Tiffany’s. Especially delightful are the landscapes—where you might expect to see a patron on his horse, instead Meléndez has made the fruits and vegetables the center of attention.

This exhibition was well attended and by the time the docent arrived quite a crowd had gathered. In fact, I was surprised to see so many people all over the museum on the last day of the year.
Serendipitously (if that wasn’t a word before, it is now), shortly after the Meléndez tour, a docent tour of the ceramics in the Pavilion for Japanese Art was scheduled (with a very enthusiastic docent obviously in love with the subject). I don’t know how often this particular tour specifically highlighting the ceramics is offered but I have not seen it on the calendar before or since. Those of us lucky enough to be in attendance were treated to a history of Japanese ceramic art from the coil-built Neolithic period through the contemporary work of current artists. I was especially intrigued by the early eighteenth century Plates of the Twelve Lunar Months. Although these are plates with rims, they do look like tiles, don’t they… could that be why I’m so attracted to them?

Before leaving the museum I stopped by the Art of the Pacific exhibit. It was interesting but I was little irritated with the lack of title cards for each piece. Instead the visitor is expected to carry an information card around. No biggie, I just prefer having each item labeled in place.

As I was standing at the bus stop I realized I had missed A Tale of Two Persian Rugs. Oh well, back to LACMA before January 18th!

(Luis Meléndez, Still Life with Artichokes and Tomatoes in a Landscape, circa 1771–74, oil on canvas, 24 1/2 x 32 1/2 in., Mrs. Lila Shickman, image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

(Plates of the Twelve Lunar Months, Ogata Kenzan (Japan, Kyoto, 1663 - 1743) early 18th century. Copyright Los Angeles County Museum of Art.)