The Bruton Sisters: Modernism in the Making at UCI Langson IMCA

UCI Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA) is presenting “The Bruton Sisters: Modernism in the Making,” a new exhibition organized by guest curator Wendy Van Wyck Good. An author, librarian, archivist, and historian, Good is the leading expert on Margaret, Esther, and Helen Bruton—pioneering artists who propelled the advancement of modern art in California. The presentation, which includes related works by several of their contemporaries, reveals the Bruton sisters’ innovative use of materials, creative approach to design, and fruitful collaborative process. This is the first group exhibition of the Bruton sisters’ work in more than 50 years.

“The Bruton Sisters: Modernism in the Making” features 18 works from Langson IMCA’s permanent collection as well as several loans from private collections and the Monterey Museum of Art. A trove of archival materials—much of which is on public display for the first time—also reveals how the Bruton sisters integrated art, craft, and design into their daily lives.

Images:

Helen Bruton, Woman with Turquoise Bracelet, 1943, Cut ceramic mosaic tiles and cement, 24 x 29 in. The Buck Collection at UCI Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art, © Bruton Family Archive, courtesy of Barbara Carroll

Margaret Bruton, Barns on Cass Street, circa 1925, Oil on canvas. 38 x 44 in. Collection Monterey Museum of Art, Gift of the artist 1973.022, © Bruton Family Archive, courtesy of Barbara Carroll

Helen Bruton, The Party, circa 1925, Linoleum block print, 10 x 13 in. The Buck Collection at UCI Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art, © Bruton Family Archive, courtesy of Barbara Carroll

Esther Bruton, Untitled (Leopard mosaic), circa 1935, S&S ceramic tiles, glass tiles with gold leaf, terrazzo, jade, pebbles, brass, and metal wire. 36 x 30 in. From the collection of Eric and Teresa Del Piero, © Bruton Family Archive, courtesy of Barbara Carroll