Detail from "Imps on a
Bridge."
Wedgwood
Fairyland and
Other Lustres in Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CALIF. - From May
6 to September 9, the Long Beach Museum of Art will host a
exhibition of decorative ceramics made by the Wedgwood Company in
the early Twentieth Century.
"Imps on a Bridge: Wedgwood Fairyland and Other Lustres" surveys
Wedgwood lusterware production over a 125-year period, 1815 to
1940. Featured in the exhibition is the work of Twentieth Century
designer Daisy Makeig-Jones, gifted artist whose work celebrates
story-telling and make-believe, through the use of fanciful
images, brilliant colors, and imaginative detail.
While Makeig-Jones produced a diverse array of so-called ordinary
lusterware depicting humming birds, fish, dragons, and
butterflies, her most stunning designs produced between 1915 and
1930 featured fanciful depictions of fairies, dwarfs, imps, and
elves. Titles of works such as "Imps on a Bridge," "Elves on a
Branch," and "Old Woman Complaining to Sultan Sanjar" suggest the
range of subjects emerging from the inventive imagination of
designer Daisy Makeig-Jones. In fact, the works are the very
opposite of the ceramics for which the Wedgwood Company is famous
- classically-inspired, unglazed pieces (called Jasper) that were
produced in blue, sage-green, lilac, and black, often decorated
with white jasper relief.
In "Imps on a Bridge," the artistry of Daisy Makeig-Jones is seen
both in the elaborate designs she created and in their artful and
technically masterful execution. Much of her work was based on
illustrations from popular children's books of the time, but she
was also known to accompany her work by fascinating written tales
of her own. From an historic perspective, Wedgwood Fairyland
foreshadows the popularity of cartoon animation done by such
artists as Walt Disney in productions like Fantasia.
The exhibition also includes examples of earlier lusterware
dating back to 1815, as well as examples of Twentieth Century
lusterware by several other designers. The museum's largest
galleries will be given over to this exhibition.
"Imps on a Bridge," curated by museum director Hal Nelson, is the
first museum exhibition on this topic to be presented in the
United States. All of the approximately 70 works are from
Southern California collections.
The Long Beach Museum of Art is located at 2300 East Ocean
Blvd. In Long Beach. Hours are 11 am to 7 pm, Tuesday through
Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for students and seniors;
free for children under 12 and for everyone the first Friday of
every month. The Museum's recently-expanded bluff-top campus
overlooks the Pacific Ocean and features a store, a café, and
free parking. For more information, call 562-439-2119 or
www.lbma.org
