加州奥克兰博物馆宣布新的春季展览，庆祝北加州著名工匠J.B. Blunk的遗产和生活方式
(加州奥克兰市)2017年12月19日-今年春天，加州奥克兰博物馆在一个新的展览中庆祝设计和工艺，该展览名为 J.B. Blunk：自然、艺术与日常生活. 该展览 于2018年4月21日在加州奥克兰博物馆（OMCA）的加州艺术画廊开幕，展览探讨了J.B. Blunk （美国人，1926-2002）的生活和工作 ，这位加州艺术家深深欣赏日常生活中的美，他的作品继续激励着所有加州人和欣赏创造性表达与自然世界之间联系的人们。
对这位艺术家一生工作的广泛调查J.B. Blunk：自然、艺术和日常生活》汇集了80多 件物品，以激励博物馆的参观者在日常生活中看到自然和艺术的美。除了展览之外，我们还鼓励参观者观看布伦克最著名的作品之一--《星球》，这是一个重达两吨、直径达13英尺的红木坐像雕塑，长期展出。1969年，即博物馆开馆的那一年，OMCA的建筑是围绕着这个雕塑完成的，它位于博物馆的中心，在加州自然科学画廊外的第一层。
"当我们开始计划在2019年庆祝加州奥克兰博物馆1969年开馆50周年的时候我们开始计划在2019年庆祝加州奥克兰博物馆1969年开馆50周年，向艺术家致敬似乎特别合适，他的作品是我们地标建筑的核心。奥克兰博物馆实际上是围绕着J.B. Blunk的《星球》建造的。 它继续作为我们的加州自然科学画廊的入口，几十年来一直是一个受人喜爱的标志性会议和聚会场所，特别是在我们的 "星期五晚上在OMCA "活动中为家庭服务。OMCA董事兼首席执行官Lori Fogarty说。
展览将展出罕见的照片、认识布伦克的人的话语以及他早期作品的例子。 手工制作的服装、珠宝和饰品也将被展出。布伦克的大型木头和石头作品的例子也将被展出，提供另一个布伦克通过他使用的材料与自然界联系的例子。一段介绍布伦克在因弗内斯的家、周围的风景和艺术工作室的环境视频将在房间里放映，同时还有因弗内斯山谷的照片，这是他许多作品的灵感来源。
一个专门介绍布伦克在《星球》上的作品的空间包括雕塑过程中的档案照片。一段带有说明的视频，包括对最了解布伦克的家人、朋友和同事的亲密采访 ，将深入了解这位艺术家是谁，他是如何工作的，以及为什么他对收集和制作有如此强烈的愿望。
"布伦克是一位鼓舞人心的艺术家，他开创了自己的道路，并一直致力于与土地一起建立他的生活和实践，"艺术馆馆长Carin Adams说。"我们很高兴有机会展示布伦克的非凡作品，从大型木雕到日常用品，如他的陶瓷杯。我们希望参观者在离开这个展览时能了解布伦克是谁，以及他们如何能像布伦克一样欣赏日常之美。"
J.B.布伦克：自然、艺术和日常生活部分由奥克兰博物馆妇女委员会和捐赠者论坛的成员支持。该展览将于2018年4月21日至9月9日在奥克兰博物馆的加州艺术画廊展出。
Press images available to download in the online press room.
ABOUT J.B. BLUNK
Inspired by Japanese philosophy of nature and art’s inseparability, the late J.B. (James Blain) Blunk (American, 1926–2002) was a mid-century artist who found inspiration in the natural beauty surrounding his Northern California home in Inverness, California. Blunk worked primarily with the organic materials that he found, creating handcrafted furniture, ceramics, and sculptures out of clay, wood, and stone that he collected.
In the late 1960s, Blunk was a maverick artist living off the land in Marin County, making sculptural furniture that disregarded the line between art and craft. Before he arrived in Northern California, he studied ceramics under Laura Andreson at UCLA. Upon graduation, Blunk was drafted into the Korean War and arranged to be discharged in Japan, where a chance encounter with Isamu Noguchi led to apprenticeships with the famed potters Kitaoji Rosanjin and Toyo Kaneshige. These transformational experiences and relationships set the course for his unique approach to art.
ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history, and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA‘s groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many voices, often drawing on first–person accounts by people who have shaped California‘s cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic, and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California‘s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $15.95 general; $10.95 seniors and students with valid ID, $6.95 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for Members and children 8 and under. There is a $4 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions. OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from the Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. The accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum. museumca.org
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom
三月 24–八月 12, 2018
Hip-Hop is one of the widest reaching cultural and social movements of the last 50 years. Discover the unexpected story of how Hip-Hop changed the world, starting from its roots on the streets, before rap, DJing, street art, breakdancing, and street fashion launched into mainstream popular culture. Learn about the West Coast’s and San Francisco Bay Area’s influences on this global phenomenon. Hear first-person accounts from artists and experts about how, beyond big business, Hip-Hop continues to provide a platform for creative expression, activism, youth development, and education. There is a $4 charge for this special exhibition in addition to regular Museum admission.
ON VIEW
Metamorphosis & Migration: Days of the Dead
Through 一月 14, 2018
This year, OMCA’s biennial Days of the Dead exhibition is inspired by the lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly. Known for its mass migration each winter, this butterfly’s journey spans several generations, all of whom follow the same routes their ancestors took. In Mexico, the returning Monarchs also symbolize the returning souls of loved ones who have passed away.
In Metamorphosis & Migration: Days of the Dead, explore ofrendas and artworks inspired by the Monarch’s migration and themes of tradition and transformation. View rarely-seen butterfly specimens from OMCA’s collection alongside newly commissioned artworks. Artist Hung Liu honors her mother’s passing through a series of hearfelt paintings. Favianna Rodriguez ponders migration and immigration in a new way using her “Migration is Beautiful” butterfly imagery. Chris Treggiari and Peter Foucault honor colleague Alex Ghassan, who lost his life in the tragic Ghost Ship fire. And, traditonal Days of the Dead altars by Bea Carrillo Hocker and Rafael Jesús González, as well as installations by Oakland International High School and Thornhill Elementary School, energize this connumal space for reflection and empowerment in these turbulent times.
Nature’s Gift: Humans, Friends & the Unknown
Through 一月 21, 2018
This fall, experience the world premiere of Nature’s Gift: Humans, Friends & the Unknown, a dazzling immersive experience that takes you through the rainbow into another world. A one-of-a-kind and interactive environment by FriendsWithYou—the artist collective including Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III—the large-scale, light-filled installation sparks joy and positivity, and sets the stage for friendship, magic, and social connection. A soothing, multi-sensory experience for all ages, we invite you to allow your senses to get lost in this imaginative and otherworldly place. There is a $4 charge for this special exhibition in addition to regular Museum admission.
Question Bridge: Black Males
Through 2月 25, 2018
Hailed as one of the Bay Area’s Top Exhibitions in 2012 by the San Francisco Chronicle, Question Bridge: Black Males returns to the Oakland Museum of California this fall. Immerse yourself in intimate videos—woven together and arranged to simulate face–to–face conversations between participants—among a diverse group of 150 Black men across the United States. Hear these men answer each other’s questions with exceptional honesty and vulnerability, and share stories, beliefs, and values in a personal portrayal of their lives. Encompassing themes of family, love, interracial relationships, community, education, and wisdom, Question Bridge: Black Males presents nuanced portraits of past, present, and future of Black men in American society. Listen, watch, learn, and start your own conversations with this profoundly moving installation.
In 2012, the Oakland Museum of California presented Question Bridge: Black Males, an innovative and widely exhibited video installation from artists Chris Johnson and Hank Willis Thomas in collaboration with Bayeté Ross Smith and Kamal Sinclair. Joining the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Brooklyn Museum, OMCA is proud to acquire this groundbreaking and poignant work for its collection.
Take Root: Oakland Grows Food
Through 一月 13, 2019
Unearth Oakland’s multi–layered world of food in Take Root: Oakland Grows Food, an exhibition exploring aspects of growing food in Oakland. Enjoy this hands–on exhibition with the entire family to understand what factors determine where, how, why, and what is grown throughout the city. Hear personal stories from farmers and growers within the community, see compelling illustrations and maps, and meet the diverse flavors of Oakland. Learn what motivations Oaklanders have for growing food—including access to healthy and delicious ingredients, environmental and social justice values, or simply the joy of tending a garden. Visitors will be invited to share personal stories, explore interactive activities, and gain a deeper understanding of Oakland’s agriculture.
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