About "From Fire to Forefront: Selections from the Forrest L. Merrill Collection"
"From Fire to Forefront: Selections from the Forrest L. Merrill Collection" features ceramic and enamel vessels by masters at the forefront of their field, dating from mid-century to the present. Artists include Laura Andreson, Richard DeVore, Anne Hirondelle, Karen Karnes, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, Lucie Rie, June Schwarcz, Toshiko Takaezu, Marguerite Wildenhain, and Beatrice Wood.
Forrest L. Merrill’s passion for collecting began with his first purchase as a teenager in Southern California. Since that time, he has collected select artists in depth. Merrill’s holdings often reflect his geographical proximity to the artist. "Close to the kiln," the collector has had the first hand advantage of learning about the artist’s intentions and newly developed advances in relation to the artist’s personal stories, which have all helped him shape directions for his collection.
Merrill’s holdings in ceramics by pioneers Gertrud Natzler (1908-1971) and Otto Natzler (1908-2007) alone ensure recognition of his collection’s significance and his discerning eye. The exhibition features a selection culled from over 250 pieces by the Natzlers acquired by Merrill. As a master potter, Gertrud formed the ceramic vessels on the wheel. Otto, a master in chemistry and at the kiln, innovated a vast repertoire of over 2000 glazes with sumptuous color variation. He found the perfect glaze to create nuanced and highly individual vessels.
One of the leading couples in the modern ceramic movement, the Natzlers moved to the Los Angeles basin from Vienna in 1938. Former student of the Natzlers Beatrice Wood (1893-1998), is known for her signature luster glazes which are included in this exhibition. Laura Andreson (1902-1999), received instruction on throwing pots on a wheel from Gertrud Natzler in the late 1940s, about the same time as Wood. Andreson initiated the Ceramics Department at UCLA, where she taught for thirty-eight years, instructing over 5000 students and completing extensive glaze research. Often envisioning a shape with the primary inspiration in a glaze that varies from matte, stone-like surfaces to crystalline glazes, she became known for porcelain and stoneware in strong, minimalist forms associated with her Scandinavian heritage.
When Merrill moved to the Bay Area, he acquired a range of work by another influential teacher Marguerite Wildenhain (1896-1985). Her summer seminars at "Pond Farm" pottery combined disciplined training, integration of art and craft, and philosophy of her Bauhaus experience in Germany. Her ceramics were often canvases for drawing and narrative elements. In the Bay Area, Merrill has formed a dazzling collection with work by June Schwarcz (1918-) from Sausalito, California. Her expressionism and innovation earned her the accolade as the "Peter Voulkos" of enamels. Continually innovating as she approaches age 90 in 2008, she is a recent recipient of a grant from the Fleishacker Foundation.
Merrill has acquired signature work by nationally-recognized artists including Lucie Rie (1902-1995), Richard DeVore (1933-2006), Anne Hirondelle (1944-), Karen Karnes (1925-), and Toshiko Takeazu (1921-).
The catalogue for "From Fire to Forefront: Selections from the Forrest L. Merrill Collection" has received special support by an anonymous donor. About the Palo Alto Art Center
The Palo Alto Art Center (founded 1971) is a nationally acclaimed, regional visual art center whose exhibition program focuses on documenting – and celebrating – the art and artists of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Center's mission is to foster creative process and thought by forging a greater appreciation and understanding of the visual arts through exhibitions, studio experiences and related educational programs. The Palo Alto Art Center, Division of Arts and Culture, City of Palo Alto, is funded in part by support from the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation and the Arts Council Silicon Valley, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council. The Center is open to the public without charge from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Sunday; and 7:00 -10:00 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. The Center is located at 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303. For further information: Phone: 650-329-2366 / Email: artcenter@cityofpaloalto.org / Website: www.cityofpaloalto.org/artcenter Contact:
Anna Weldon, Publicist
Phone: 650-329-2605
Email: anna.weldon@cityofpaloalto.org |
