Variations of Place

A forthcoming exhibition at Langson IMCA explores early Southern California impressionism.

June 11-September 3

Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art
18881 Von Karman Avenue
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An upcoming exhibition at UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA) explores the work of more than 20 artists who settled in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach and San Diego in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Variations of Place: Southern California Impressionism in the Early 20th Century is a deep dive into the regional art movement that made waves on the West Coast in the 1900s. Visitors will be able to dive into seascapes, landscapes and figurative paintings from such prolific artists as Edgar Payne, Granville Redmond, Guy Rose, George Gardner Symons, William Wendt and Franz Bischoff.Frank Cuprien (1871-1948), Reflections of Evening, 1940. Oil on Masonite, 15 3/8 x 21 3/8 in. The Buck Collection.

“With its Mediterranean climate and rich and varied geography—from ocean shores to valleys, the High Sierra to the deserts—Southern California was the ideal region for impressionist painters,” says Janet Blake, Langson IMCA guest curator and art historian. “The perennial sunshine proved perfect for plein air painting. Artists moved to the region from Northern California, from the Midwest and the East, and from Europe. With highly individualized styles informed by their education and experiences, these artists created a multifaceted genre rich with variation.”Franz A. Bischoff (1864-1929), Alpenglow, High Sierra, ca. 1918. Oil on canvas, 30¼ x 40 1/8 in. UC Irvine Institute and Museum of California Art. Gift of the Irvine Museum.

Blake explains that she selected artists for the exhibition based both on the reputations they held in the 20th century, as well as the reputations they still hold today, especially in the eyes of collectors. “Twelve of the 22 artists exhibited at [the] art exhibition of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco; four were award winners.
I selected outstanding artists from the four regions featured in the exhibition,” she says. “I first looked at examples held in the collection of the Langson IMCA museum. I built from those works with paintings held in private collections.”Maurice Braun (1877-1941), California Hills, 1914. Oil on canvas, 40 3/8 x 53 1/8 in. UC Irvine Institute and Museum of California Art. Gift of the Irvine Museum.

Colin Campbell Cooper (1856-1937), The Rustic Gate, ca. 1927. Oil on canvas, 46 1/8 x 36 in. UC Irvine Institute and Museum of California Art. Gift of the Irvine Museum.

With a total of 33 superb paintings in the exhibition, it’s difficult to choose standouts. “However, I do have a couple favorites,” says Blake. “One, in fact, has proven a favorite of museum visitors in the past—Frances Near Little Lake, 1920, by Anna Althea Hills. Hills was a remarkable woman for her time, a leader of the Laguna Beach Art Association and a noted teacher as well…This is Little Lake near Hemet, [California]. Sunlight filters through a grove of eucalyptus and golden sycamores that perfectly frame a seated woman who is concentrated on her needlework. Another favorite,” she continues, “is Granville Redmond’s Nocturne, one of several he did during the 1920s while living in Los Angeles. This painting is an evocative depiction of salt marshes along the coast illuminated by an unseen moon. The coloration ranges from rich purple to midnight blue. For me, it is magically sublime.”

Variations of Place: Southern California Impressionism in the Early 20th Century will take place at Langson IMCA’s interim location at Von Karman Avenue from June 11 through September 3. Langson IMCA will construct a new purpose-built facility on campus in the years ahead. —