Ferus Gallery

Ferus Gallery. It was a pivotal commercial art gallery in Los Angeles that operated from 1957 to 1966, fundamentally shaping the West Coast art scene during the post-war era. Founded by curator Walter Hopps and artist Edward Kienholz, the gallery became renowned for championing a new generation of American artists, particularly those associated with Pop art and the Finish Fetish movement. Its influential program and the charismatic leadership of later co-owner Irving Blum positioned it as a crucial bridge between the New York art world and the burgeoning creative energy of Southern California.

History

The gallery first opened in 1957 at 736A North La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, a location chosen for its proximity to other avant-garde spaces like the Ceeje Gallery. Its initial focus, under the vision of Walter Hopps and Edward Kienholz, was on exhibiting Beat Generation artists and figures from the Bay Area such as Jay DeFeo and Wally Hedrick. Financial struggles led to a reorganization in 1958, with Irving Blum becoming a partner and eventually sole director after Edward Kienholz departed in 1959. Under Irving Blum's stewardship, the gallery moved to a more prominent space at 723 North La Cienega Boulevard in 1962, solidifying its status and shifting its emphasis toward the emerging Pop art movement and sleek Abstract art from Los Angeles.

Notable artists and exhibitions

The gallery's roster was a who's who of transformative post-war artists, many of whom had their first solo shows there. It famously introduced Los Angeles to New York-based Pop art with the 1962 exhibition of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, a landmark show organized by Irving Blum. Key California artists exhibited included Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Irwin, John Altoon, and Craig Kauffman. Other seminal figures associated with the gallery were Ken Price, Larry Bell, and Wallace Berman, whose 1957 exhibition was infamously shut down by the Los Angeles Police Department on obscenity charges. The gallery also presented important early work by Frank Stella and Joseph Cornell.

Cultural impact and legacy

It played an indispensable role in legitimizing Los Angeles as a major center for contemporary art, challenging the dominance of the New York art world. The gallery fostered a distinct West Coast art scene aesthetic, often characterized by a cool, industrial sensibility seen in Finish Fetish and Light and Space works. It created a vital social hub for artists, critics like Fidel Danieli and John Coplans, and collectors such as Eli Broad, influencing institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Pasadena Art Museum. Its legacy is evident in the continued prominence of its artists in major museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Closure and aftermath

The gallery closed in 1966 following the financial failure of a planned group exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the shifting personal interests of Irving Blum. After its closure, Irving Blum moved to New York and co-founded the influential Blum Helman Gallery, representing many former artists. The spirit of the enterprise lived on through subsequent Los Angeles galleries like Nicholas Wilder Gallery and James Corcoran Gallery. Many of the artists it championed, such as Ed Ruscha and Robert Irwin, went on to achieve international acclaim, cementing the gallery's historical importance, which has been the subject of major retrospectives at institutions like the Getty Research Institute.

Notable works sold

While specific sales records are often private, the gallery was instrumental in placing seminal works with important collections. Key sales included multiple Andy Warhol paintings from his Death and Disaster series to foundational collectors. Works by Ed Ruscha, such as his iconic word paintings and books like Twentysix Gasoline Stations, entered major collections through the gallery. Paintings by Billy Al Bengston and sculptural works by Larry Bell and Ken Price were acquired by prominent figures like Betty Asher and Stanley Grinstein. The most historic transaction was Irving Blum's personal purchase of the entire set of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, which he later sold to the Museum of Modern Art. Category:Art galleries in Los Angeles Category:Defunct art galleries in the United States Category:Pop art