Born in Ottawa, KS, 1926
Died in Inverness, CA, 2002
Education
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 1949
One-Person Exhibitions
2021
Three Forms: JB Blunk, Blunk Space, Point Reyes Station, CA
2020
Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY
2018
Nature, Art & Everyday Life, Oakland Museum of California, CA
Kate MacGarry, London, UK
2016
Blum & Poe, Tokyo, Japan
2015
JB Blunk: Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, The Landing, Los Angeles, CA
2010
Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA
2004
Small Works and Photographs from Inverness, Dance Palace Community Center, Pt. Reyes Station, CA
2000
California Spirit, Bolinas Museum, CA
1989
Smith Anderson Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
1986
A Sculptor’s Place, San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
1984
Pickard Galleries, Oklahoma City, OK 100 Plates Plus, Oklahoma State University, Norman, OK
1982
100 Plates Plus, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
1981
100 Plates Plus, Artspace, Los Angeles, CA 100 Plates Plus, David Cole Gallery, Inverness, CA
1978
Sculptures 1952-1977, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA 1954 Chuo-Koron Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Group Exhibitions
2023
100 Hooks, Blunk Space, Point Reyes Station, CA
2022
TWENTY, Kate MacGarry at No. 9 Cork Street, London, UK
Three Landscapes: JB Blunk, Anna and Lawrence Halprin, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA
Bright Garden: JB, Bruno & Rufus, Blunk Space, Point Reyes Station, CA
2021
Ceramics: Mingei to Modern, Blunk Space, Point Reyes Station, CA
Objects: USA 2020, R & Company, New York, NY
Between the Earth and Sky, Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY
2020
Blue Jeans & Brown Clay, Kate MacGarry, London, UK
2018
In Conversation: Alma Allen & JB Blunk, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA; traveled to Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV
Marin Collects, College of Marin, Kentfield, CA
Designed in California, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Ship of Dreams: Artists, Poets, and Visionaries of the S.S. Vallejo, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA; traveled to Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, CA
2017
Chair Stories, Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, CA
Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia, University of California, Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA 2015 Art and Other Tactics, Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA
2014
What Would Mrs. Webb Do? A Founder’s Vision, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
2011
Big A@# Sculpture Show, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA Crafting Modernism, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
2010
The Anniversary Show, SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
2009
JB Blunk Residency Exhibition, Reform Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008
SF20, Reform Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1999
Group show with John Anderson, Eubank Studio, Point Reyes Station, CA
1991
Claudia Chapline Gallery, Stinson Beach, CA
1987
Nich Tomi, Gallery Route One, Pt. Reyes Station, CA
1983
David Cole Gallery, Inverness, CA
1982
American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City, NY
1978
Galerie Schreiner, Basel, Switzerland
1977
Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
1976
Retrospective of Sculpture in the Bay Area, James Willis Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1974
Outdoor Sculpture, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
1973
Lester Gallery, Inverness, CA
1969
Objects USA, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.
1965
Egg and Eye Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1959
Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Art, Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
1958
San Francisco Museum, San Francisco, CA
1956
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalogues
2020
JB Blunk. Inverness, CA: Blunk Books; London: Dent-de-Leone, 2020.
Adamson, Glenn. Objects: USA 2020. New York: The Monacelli Press, 2020.
2019
Hodge, Brooke, ed. Alma Allen & JB Blunk: In Conversation. New York: August Editions, 2019.
2018
The Once and Future Forest: California’s Iconic Redwoods. Berkeley, CA: Heyday, 2018.
2016
JB Blunk Cups, Plates, Bowls & Sculptures: Ceramics 1950-1999. London: Dent-De-Leone, 2016.
2011 Golden State of Craft: California 1960-1985. Texts by Jo Lauria, Emily Zaiden, and Sharon K. Emanuelli. Los Angeles: Craft and Folk Art Museum, 2011.
2010
JB Blunk. Los Angeles: Blum & Poe, 2010. Nartonis, Katie. “The Post-War Studio Movement of West Marin: Preserving the Legacy.” In San Francisco 20th Century Modernism Show 2010. San Francisco: San Francisco 20th Century Modernism Show, 2010: 36-39. Williamson, Leslie. Handcrafted Modern: At Home with Mid-century Designers. New York: Rizzoli, 2010.
2008
Nielson, Mariah, ed. JB Blunk: A Collection of Work from 1952-1992. Los Angeles: Reform Gallery, 2008.
San Francisco 20th Century Art & Design Show 2008. San Francisco: San Francisco 20th Century Art & Design Show, 2008: 18-20.
2002
Richardson, Phyllis. “JB Blunk.” In Contemporary Natural. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2002: 34-39.
1986
Exhibition: A Sculptor’s Place. San Francisco: Craft and Folk Art Museum, 1986.
1984
JB Blunk: 100 Plates, Sculpture. Stillwater, Oklahoma: Gardiner Art Gallery; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Pickard Art Galleries, 1984.
1978
Wyle, Edith R. JB Blunk Sculptures 1952-1977. Los Angeles: Craft and Folk Art Museum, 1978.
1977
Emery, Olivia H. Craftsman Lifestyle: The Gentle Revolution. Pasadena: California Design Publications, 1977: 175-178.
1970
Nordness, Lee. Objects: USA. New York: Viking Press, 1970: 268.
Articles & Reviews
2021
Cavanagh, Alice. “The Muse.” Readcereal.com, February 2021.
Yerebakan, Osman Can. “Highlights from R & Company’s Ambitious Design Exhibition 'Objects: USA 2020.’” Interiordesign.net, February 16, 2021.
“Editors’ Picks: 17 Events for Your Art Calendar This Week, from a New Deitch-Gagosian Collaboration to a Look at the Us Presidency.” Artnet News, January 18, 2021.
2020
“The 10 Books That Got Us through the Madness.” Surfacemag.com, December 24, 2020.
Nayar, Jean. “16 Highlights from Design Miami and Art Week 2020 in Miami.” Interiordesign.net, December 1, 2020.
Chen, Aric. “Alternative Americas: Highlights from Design Miami/ 2020.” Christies.com, November 2020.
Horne, Ollie. "One Medium to Another." ReadCereal.com, September 2020.
Nielson, Mariah. "Chip off the Block – Lessons from My Father, JB Blunk." FT.com, September 10, 2020.
Nielson, Mariah. “Connected to Place.” Design Miami (blog), October 2020.
Demers, W.A. "Q&A: Mariah Nielson." AntiqueandtheHearts.com, June 23, 2020.
Lloyd-Smith, Harriet. "Redwood Giant." Wallpaper (Summer 2020): 44.
Mcgrath, Katharine. “California Artist JB Blunk’s Posthumous Second Act.” CulturedMag.com, October 30, 2020.
Russeth, Andrew. “The Mischievous and Mysterious Art of J.B. Blunk.” Apollo-Magazine, October 30, 2020.
Rutter, Samuel. "The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week." T: New York Times Style Magazine, May 14, 2020.
2019
Guadagnino, Kate. “T Suggests: English Roses, a Lost Film by Claire Denis and More.” T: New York Times Style Magazine, June 7, 2019.
2018
Adamson, Glenn. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Rediscovering the Elemental Art of JB Blunk." Frieze.com, September 3, 2018.
Chandler, Elizabeth Khuri. "The Outsider." C Magazine (May 2018): 79-80.
Cheng, DeWitt. "OMCA Displays JB Blunk's Works." Alamedamagazine.com, July 30, 2018.
Desmarais, Charles. "JB Blunk's 'Everyday Life' of Art and Nature at Oakland Museum." San Francisco Chronicle, May 31, 2018. Jansen, Charlotte. “A ‘Blind Date’ Between Two Californian Artists Reveals Surprising Shared Sensibilities.” Wallpaper, February 4, 2018.
“J. B. Blunk: Taking on the Immediate Natural World – Jude Cowan Montague.” Artlyst.com, October 15, 2019.
Pallenberg, Barbara. “Weathered Out West.” World of Interiors (November 2018): 108-115.
Romeyn, Kathryn. "Inside the Sublime World of Late Sculptor JB Blunk." Architecturaldigest.com, July 30, 2018. Tran, Khanh T.L. “Master Class.” LALA Magazine (Spring 2018): 82-83.
2017
Adams, Carin. "Curator's Eye: JB Blunk's The Planet." Modernmag.com, December 19, 2017.
Knezic, Sophie. “JB Blunk.” Frieze.com, January 3, 2017.
Nielson, Mariah. “The House My Father Build.” MacGuffin: The Life of Things 4 (Spring/Summer
2017): 163-180.
Nielson, Christine & Mariah. “The Life, Art and Legacy of JB Blunk.” Her. Magazine 4 (Spring/Summer 2017): 112-123.
Mckean, Cameron Allan. "JB Blunk." Art Agenda, January 12, 2017.
2016
Fortini, Amanda. "A Little House in the Big Woods." T: The New York Times Style Magazine, November 17, 2016.
Rus, Mayer. "California Dealer Gerard O'Brien on His New Art Gallery." Architectural Digest, February 8, 2016.
2015
Bernstein, Fred A. "Art and Architecture at the Calder Foundation in Manhattan." Architectural Digest 72, no. 4 (April 2015): 58-62.
Drohojowska-Philip, Hunter. "JB Blunk and Aaron Curry." KCRW Art Talk, December 17, 2015.
Williams, Maxwell. "Master Craft." Cultured (Winter 2015): 208.
Wu, Su. “A New Place to Celebrate Cool California Design.” T: The New York Times Style Magazine, November 12, 2015.
2012
Scheuer, Bettina. “Aus Gutem Holz.” Architectural Digest (Germany), no. 3 (March 2012).
Reid, James. “Out of the Woods.” Wallpaper, no. 154 (January 2012): 182-189.
Tully, Judd. “Judicial Resale-Rights Scuffle.” Art + Auction 35, no. 5 (January 2012): 45-46.
2010
“Blum & Poe Presents First Major Gallery Exhibition of JB Blunk’s Work.” Artdaily.org, May 15, 2010.
Leher-Graiwer, Sarah. “Blunk, Blunker, Blunkest.” Artslant, March 22, 2010.
Lovelace, Joyce. “Two California Masters in Retrospective.” American Craft Magazine, April 23, 2010. “Making the Cut.” California Home+Design (April 2010): 50.
Miles, Christopher. “Mark Grotjahn and JB Blunk at Blum and Poe.” LA Weekly, March 25, 2010. Okamoto, Hitoshi. “A House Filled With Life and Creativity.” Casa Brutus, no. 128 (November 2010): 178-185.
Rus, Mayer. “Cultured.” Los Angeles Times Magazine, March 2010: 30.
Zeiger, Mimi. “Outsider Interior.” Dwell 11, no. 1 (November 2010): 80-81.
2009
Doran, Cat. “Point Blunk.” California Style (May 2009): 88-97, 126.
2008
Geremia, Kaitlyn. “The Woodworker.” California Home + Design Magazine (July 2008): 152.
2000
Pallenberg, Barbara. “Salvage Messiah.” World of Interiors Magazine 20, no. 6 (June 2000): 125-131.
1999
Adamson, Glenn. “California Spirit: Rediscovering the Furniture of JB Blunk.” Woodwork, no. 59 (October 1999): 22-31.
1973
Javobs, Mimi. “A Sculptor’s Quest.” Pacific Sun Arts, June 21-27, 1973: 9-10.
Johnson, Edna. “Blunk, Bennett, Bauer & Barbara: The Four Bs are Designing People.” Los Angeles Times, November 18, 1973.
Museum and Public Collections
Experiment in International Living, Brattleboro, VT
Greens Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
Grubb & Ellis, Oakland, CA
Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA
Leonard Park, Mount Kisco, NY
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
M+ Museum, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong
Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
Orientation Center for the Blind, Albany, CA
Palms Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Zen Center, San Francisco, CA
Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Stevenson College, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
Tassajara Mountain Zen Center, Carmel Valley, CA
Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, WA