“Painting with Fire: Masters of Enameling in America, 1930-1980,” the first major museum exhibition in more than 40 years to survey this dynamic field, traces the development of enameling in the United States during a richly productive period in its history and explores in depth the work of 15 artists who played a seminal role in advancing the field.
The exhibit, which continues at the Long Beach Museum of Art through Saturday, Aug. 19, includes a diverse selection of work, ranging from large-scale panels and plaques to plates, boxes, and three-dimensional objects.
The art of enameling, a process of fusing glass to metal through a high-temperature (1,500 degrees) firing process, gained widespread popularity in this country between 1930 and 1980.
The exhibition is divided into three sections: “The Early Years, 1930-1940,” which traces the origins and development of enameling in this country; “Advancing the Field, 1940-1960,” which explores the expansion of interest in and support for enameling; and “New Directions, 1960-1980,” which examines the ways American artists’ experimental approach to process redefined and reinvigorated the field in the late 20th century.
In its early years, enameling in America was shaped by three principal influences: the Arts and Crafts movement; Viennese modernism; and the venerable pictorial traditions of the French Limoges school. Over time, these three traditions gave way to provocative new experimental approaches to the medium.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is $7 for adults and $6 for students and seniors 62 and older. Admission is free for everyone on Fridays.
For more information, call (562) 439-2119 or go online to www.lbma.org.
