 |
| Doyle Lane, Orange and Black Clay Painting, about 1970s. Ben Serar Collection. All: © Estate of Doyle Lane |
The reputation of inventive ceramicist Doyle Lane (1923–2002) has burgeoned since his death. That has resulted in museum acquisitions and exponential price increases for his once-humble weed pots. Lane is now getting his first museum retrospective. The Huntington's "Doyle Lane: Master of Clay" brings together over a hundred vessels, sculptures, ceramic "paintings," and ephemera. It's not quite so expansive as that might suggest, as most of Lane's art was small, and the big murals that survive (including the one at the Huntington) are impractical to move. The exhibition consists of two rooms, some hall space, and a video with interviews of Lane's associates.
 |
Doyle Lane, detail of Woodknot Assemblage Mural, about 1971
|
 |
| Installation view, "Doyle Lane: Master of Clay" in Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art |
 |
| Doyle Lane, Saxophone Player and Trumpet Player, about 1945-59. Tony Salazar Collection |
Lane was the 9th of 10 children born to his family in New Orleans. In 1946 he moved to Los Angeles, studying at East Los Angeles College and Los Angeles City College. The show's two earliest objects, painted metal reliefs of jazz musicians, would have been made at about the time of the move.
For eight years Lane had a job formulating glazes at L.H. Butcher, a chemical company. He set himself the challenge of creating a red glaze. Red is a finicky color for ceramics, requiring a precise firing temperature. Lane achieved a stunning tomato red that became his trademark. He was no less intrigued by effects of craquelure and blistering.
 |
| Doyle Lane, Weed Pots |
As a Black man in mid-century Los Angeles, Lane found it difficult to get attention from galleries and museums. He took to selling his ceramics door to door, for a few dollars each. Lane is especially identified with his weed pots, small, tiny-orifice vessels intended to hold a single bud or dried inflorescence. In fact they are experiments in glazing, color, and line as well as form. The weed pots became popular with L.A.'s Black collectors and Modern architects. Lane's self-promotion to the architectural trade ultimately led to a number of tile mural commissions. (The weed pots are now selling for as much as
$40,960 at auction.)
The otherwise informative gallery texts omit the fact that Lane was gay. He was private about this part of his identity, perhaps not wanting yet another hurdle to his work's acceptance. I'm not sure why the show downplays it now.
In the late 1950s the Pasadena Art Museum ran an annual design exhibition. Lane showed there, alongside the work of Peter Voulkos and his circle. Where Voulkos saw ceramics as a medium for Modern sculpture, Lane conceived ceramics primarily as a vehicle for painting.
 |
| Doyle Lane, Red, Black, and White Clay Painting, 1976. Neil Lane Collection |
Lane's "clay paintings" are flat glazed ceramic, mounted on wood. There are elements of Malevich, the New York School, Hard-Edge abstraction, and Minimalism. This work earned Lane a single-artist show at Los Angeles City College Art Gallery in 1977.
 |
| Doyle Lane, Orange and Green Tile Mural, about 1970s. Neil Lane Collection |
Lane's tile mosaics are another type of painting with ceramics. The examples in the exhibition are often loosely related to architectural projects.
 |
| Doyle Lane, detail of White Pyramid Relief, about 1965–70. Collection of Juan Salazar and Luis Corona |
Doyle Lane, Green and Orange Fish Painting, 1980s. Collection of Juan Salazar and Luis Cortona |
Lane was abstract except when he wasn't. Drawing on vernacular signage in New Orleans and Los Angeles, he devised folk-art-influenced fishes in 2 and 3 dimensions. Some of the 3D fish spouted water in architectural fountains.
 |
| Doyle Lane, Woodknot Assemblage Mural, about 1971. Ian White Collection |
Sometime in the early 70s—no one remembers the exact date—Lane lost his right index finger in a freak accident with his truck. During his recuperation he was reluctant to pull heavy ceramics out of his kiln. Charles White, the godfather of Black L.A. art, commissioned Lane to create a wood mural for his home. It's a uniquely powerful piece combining wood knots with a grace notes of turquoise and red ceramic. The use of found wood aligns Lane with contemporaries John Outterbridge and Noah Purifoy.
 |
| Doyle Lane, Mutual Savings and Loan Mural, 1964, as installed at the Huntington |
The Huntington owns one of Lane's most monumental pieces, a 17-ft-long tile mural made for a Pasadena bank in 1964. Since 2015 it's been installed in the courtyard of the Huntington's Education Center, east of the admissions area. That's a schlep from the exhibition in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries, but consider it an essential excursion.
 |
| Detail of Lane's Mutual and Saving's Loan Mural |
Comments
> show downplays
> it now.
In the world of art and culture, a lot of talented people exist at any given time. So hundreds or thousands may deserve top billing, but who's rated as in or who's rated as out is very subjective.
If Lane's sexuality were focused on, that would be the opposite of an assumption years ago that his sexuality must have worked against him.
Gatekeepers of culture in 2026 would be affected if a modern-day version of Lane were audaciously gay but also said something like, "Israel needs to take care of its Palestine problem."
But Lane's technical & creative skill at least is evident enough, that his recognition today can't be seen as purely political. As for the past, artists in the Western US were affected by geography as much as by other things, including that of race, gender or sexuality.
I wonder how architect Paul Williams' career would have been hurt or helped if he were white and based in the Northeast? Or if he were European, didn't cater to Hollywood celebrities and instead designed buildings for non-famous clients in Paris or Amsterdam?