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A wide, shallow ceramic bowl with a black interior and an intricate arrangement of overlapping geometric patterns, including checkerboards, stripes, diamonds, and circular motifs. The design features black, gold, orange, lavender, red, and white, creating a layered, abstract composition against a gray background.
LBMA Ocean
January 9, 2000—March 31, 2000

Conjunction: The Melba and Al Langman Collection

Conjunction: The Melba and Al Langman Collection celebrates the creativity and diversity of contemporary ceramics, bringing together works by renowned artists whose distinctive approaches explore the expressive possibilities of clay.

Conjunction: The Melba and Al Langman Collection celebrates an extraordinary collection of modern and contemporary ceramics donated to the Long Beach Museum of Art by the Langman family. Featuring works by prominent artists including Ralph Bacerra, Viola Frey, Adrian Saxe, Beatrice Wood, and Betty Woodman, the exhibition highlights the diversity of ceramic expression, from functional vessels to sculptural forms.

Amassed through Melba and Al Langman's shared passion for ceramics, the collection reflects their particular appreciation for California artists and complements the Museum's existing holdings of mid-century ceramic art. The family's generous gift ensures that their legacy and commitment to the medium will continue to inspire future generations.

Click here to read the original exhibition essay (PDF)
Exhibition brochure (PDF)

Featured Artists

1. Rudy Autio
2. Ralph Bacerra
3. Bennett Bean
4. Lidya Buzio
5. Claudi Casanovas
6. Roseline Delisle
7. Ken Ferguson
8. Viola Frey
9. Michael Frimkess
10. Michael and Magdalena Frimkess
11. Ewen Henderson
12. Anne Kraus
13. Melba Langman
14. Marilyn Levine
15. Phillip Maberry
16. Paul Mathieu
17. Lynda Pleet
18. Elsa Rady
19. David Regan
20. Adrian Saxe
21. Alev Siesbye
22. Anna Silver
23. Leonard Skuro
24. Akio Takamori
25. Unknown
26. Beatrice Wood
27. Betty Woodman

A wide, shallow ceramic bowl with a black interior and an intricate arrangement of overlapping geometric patterns, including checkerboards, stripes, diamonds, and circular motifs. The design features black, gold, orange, lavender, red, and white, creating a layered, abstract composition against a gray background.
A cylindrical ceramic sculpture with a turquoise-green body covered in raised cobalt-blue abstract shapes and gold decorative flourishes. A small figurative ornament and two gold circular forms crown the blue lid. The sculpture rests on a dark green, textured base against a pale blue background.
A sculptural ceramic vessel with a wide, rounded body, curved spout, and tall, looped handle. Its glossy surface features bold, expressive brushstrokes of turquoise, green, yellow, orange, black, and white against a dark gray background.
A tall, slender ceramic sculpture with an elongated, tapered blue body, accented by thin white horizontal lines. The sculpture is topped with a small black-and-silver geometric form and a pointed blue finial, standing against a white background.
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