Friday, March 16, 2012

Vintage Photo Friday - Millard Sheets


Oooooo......I'm very excited about our field trip on Sunday. I know it's supposed to rain in Los Angeles this weekend, I just hope that it lightens up on Sunday afternoon. We're attending L.A. Conservancy's "Millard Sheets: A Legacy of Art and Architecture" tour in the Pomona, Claremont area. Larry photographed many of the buildings and mosaics for the tour brochure. He spent a lot of time in the Inland Empire last month. So much time, that he digitally incorporated his own image into one of Sheets' mosaics as a Valentine card to me! So romantic. Sigh!

Former HS&L, Wilshire Blvd. and Rexford Dr., Beverly Hills,
Mosaic by Millard Sheets
Detail, Beverly Hills Mosaic

I've been exposed, all of my life, to so many of Millard Sheets' mosaics right here in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Many of the former Home Savings & Loan buildings around town were designed by Sheets, as well as the mosaics and stained glass gracing the buildings. I've seen a few of the Inland Empire examples, but not all of them.

Former HS&L, Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
Detail, Santa Monica Mosaic

I admire how Sheets always incorporated history about the place where the mosaic was located. The Hollywood HS&L has marvelous depictions of film stars in it's mosaic.
Sheets also painted one of my all-time favorite pieces, "Angel's Flight" 1931, part of the permanent collection of the L.A. County Museum of Art. I love that this painting doesn't actually show the rail cars of Angel's Flight, but the view from a run-down tenement atop Bunker Hill.

"Angel's Flight," 1931, painting by Millard Sheets
Permanent Collection of LACMA

Sheets was a native Californian, lived, taught and created here for most of his life. I've adored his work for years and look forward to seeing more of it!

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2 Comments:

At 3:57 PM PDT, Anonymous Jo Anne said...

As always, thank you for the history lesson of my native city! I too am very familiar with all of his mosaic work but did not know the painting. I love it! You can just feel the times in the painting. I wonder where the women are waiting to go?

 
At 4:07 PM PDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh wow, I never connected the mosaics guy to that painting. It is a favorite of mine also. I wish I had checked out Bunker Hill/Angel's Flight when I had a chance. Yea, I'm that old that I actually could have seen it-as a young person here on vacation with my family.

Christine G.

 

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