William Crutchfield
William Crutchfield at work in his studio, California
Gift of Kenneth Tyler 2002
Photographer: Barbara Crutchfield
Willliam Crutchfield worked with Kenneth Tyler at both Gemini GEL and Tyler Graphics to create a large body of prints, as well as a series of cast bronze multiples. His favoured mediums—watercolour and drawing—translate well into print form. Crutchfield completed several print series at Gemini in the 1960s informed by the natural world and transportation technology..
In making his bronze multiple series, Crutchfield created sculptural forms out of a series of numbers and the word ‘FLY’. Crutchfield and his wife, Barbara, are also responsible for a significant amount of the candid photography taken at the Tyler studios. Much of this work is held in the National Gallery’s Kenneth Tyler Archive Collection, and can be viewed in the photo archive section of this website.
Emilie Owens
Works in the Kenneth E. Tyler Collection
Chronology
1932 Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
1956 Receives Bachelor of Fine Arts from Herron School of Art, Indianapolis
1960 Receives Masters of Fine Arts from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
1961 Receives Fulbright Scholarship for study at State Art Academy, Hamburg, West Germany
1956 First solo exhibition, at Lieber Gallery, Indianapolis
1962–65 Teaches drawing, painting, and design at Herron School of Art, Indianapolis
1965–67 Assistant Professor and Chairman of Foundation Studies at Minneapolis School of Art; completes edition of Buffalo heads at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California (1966)
1967 Moves to California; completes editions of Tawny owl at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles as well as the Vista series (including At the falls, Burning mining town, Clipper ship, Train on bridge) and the Americana Suite (including Clipper ship, Covered wagons, Fire engine, Model T Ford, Narrow gauge train, Old Jenny, Riverboat, Stage coach)
1969 Completes edition of Reticulated giraffe at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
1970 Artist-in-Residence, Hannover, West Germany
1971 Solo exhibition, at Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, Florida; included in exhibition, Technics and creativity: Gemini G.E.L., Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York; completes editions of Brown pelican, Snowy owl and Art and technology at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
1972 Included in exhibition, California prints, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
1973 Selected as guest artist for Skylab II launch, courtesy of NASA, at Cape Canaveral, Florida; William Crutchfield: sage of machine wit, half-hour television special with Jonathan Winters and Vincent Price, KCET, Los Angeles
1977–78 Completes bronze multiples (including Double three, Double five and Fly) as well as editions of Diamond express, Trestle trains, Burial at sea at Tyler Graphics Ltd., Bedford Village, New York
1977 Included in exhibition, Art off the picture press, at Emily Lowe Gallery, Hofstra University, Hampstead, New York; solo exhibition, at Norton Gallery and School of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida
1979 Solo exhibition, at ARCO Center for Visual Arts, Los Angeles
1983 Completed brass sculpture The bravo award for Music Center of Los Angeles
1984 Included in exhibition, Gemini G.E.L.: art and collaboration, at National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
1985 Included in exhibition, A serious look at humor, at Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, California
1988 Awarded California Distinguished Artist, National Association of Art Educators, Los Angeles; awarded Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, Los Angeles
1989 Included in Biennial of São-Paulo, Brazil; Humor in prints: Edward Hamilton collection, Museum of Art, University of Arizona, Tucson; Art influenced by transportation, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton, California; public commission, The importance of being a bubble, for the passenger terminal International Airport, Fort Lauderdale
1997 Included in Gemini G.E.L.: celebrating 30 years, at Murray Feldman Gallery, Los Angeles
2006 Solo exhibition, William Crutchfield: drawing range, at Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida
2009 Included in exhibition, Connections: LA printmaking 1962 – 1973, at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2010 Included in exhibition, Still life: quiet revelation, at Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana
2012 Included in exhibition, A way with words: text in art, at Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, New York
2013 Solo exhibition, William Crutchfield: selected works, at Gallery 478, San Pedro, California.
2015 William Crutchfield died in San Pedro, California.
Barbara Delano © Tyler Graphics Ltd.; revised Julia Greenstreet, 2013
This chronology provides an overview of selected biographical information, major solo and group exhibitions held within the artist's own lifetime.
Further Reading
NATIONAL GALLERY PUBLICATIONS
- Workshop: The Kenneth Tyler Collection, Jane Kinsman (ed.), 2015
TYLER GRAPHICS PUBLICATIONS
OBITUARY
Related
Stars in the River
The prints of Jesse Traill
16 Feb – 23 Jun 2013
