Revisit Southern California summers of yesteryears with a new exhibit at the UCI Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art.
“Picturing Summer,” showcases a selection of paintings of summer activities and environments from the 1800s to the 1950s. The exhibit features 32 archive pieces and five paintings from private collections; particularly notable is 18 of the compositions have never seen a public viewing.
The exhibit is divided into five sections of Southern California life during the favored season, touching on places off the beaten path, coastal living and days of leisure.
“Leisurely Days” emphasizes the privacy of ordinary people, calmness in a home-based environment, and the omnipresence of such experiences. One of the paintings, Joseph Kieitsch’s 1923 “Red and Green”, depicts two figures gardening. Despite the century separating modern times from the painting, there are still many people who garden, especially in suburban areas such as Irvine.
The “Sun and Sand” collection has many pieces in the plein air style, where artists create their artwork in outdoor environments. Among the featured illustrators is E. Roscoe Shrader and his 1936 painting “On the Beach.” Though born in Illinois, Shrader went on to become president of the California Art Club for many years in the 1920s.
“Off The Beaten Path” focuses on the state’s forest and mountain areas and encourages viewers to consider journeys into the outdoors following the footsteps of the artists. Among these figures is Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel, who climbed rough topography to reach an area that he would paint in his 1929 “Long Lake Sierra Nevada.”
“On The Water” has paintings that center around the area’s coastal and marine activities. Phil Dike’s 1932 painting “Corona del Mar (Newport Harbor)” helps highlight its seaside proximity and the beauty of boating. Another painting in the exhibit is Willam Lees Judson’s pre-1928 painting “California Coast.”
“Coastal Living,” the exhibit’s final category, features among its collection William Lees Judson’s 1895 painting “Avalon Bay,” of a seaside village and with others demonstrates “the natural beauty of the inhabited coast including fishing villages, weathered houses, and the region’s unique architectural heritage,” curators said.
The UCI Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California, established in 2017, highlights unique California art. A future home for the museum is planned, until then the museum is at 18881 Von Karman Ave., Suite 100, in Irvine.
“Picturing Summer” will run until Sept. 14.
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