J.B. Blunk: Art, Nature & Everyday Life

Discover northern California’s best kept secret in design and craft: J.B. Blunk (1926-2002), a mid-century artist whose connection to nature governed his daily life. Inspired by Japanese philosophies of nature and art’s inseparability and influenced by rural utopian communities, Blunk’s muse and often his source of materials was the beautiful natural environment of Inverness, California. J.B. Blunk spoke very little about his own artwork. Blunk’s home property was his ultimate work of art, filled with his handcrafted furniture, ceramics, sculptures, and other functional objects used by his family. His remarkable craftsmanship also took the form of large-scale public works of art, including The Planet, a redwood sculpture commissioned by the Oakland Museum of California in 1969. J.B. Blunk: Nature, Art & Everyday Life brings together a comprehensive survey of the artist’s work.This video features rare documentary footage of him and the remembrances of family members and close associates.
Documentary footage from With These Hands, 1970. Courtesy of the Johnson and Johnson Corporation.
J.B. Blunk: Nature, Art & Everyday Life was supported in part by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and members of the Donor Forum.
Featuring:
Christine Nielson
Mariah Nielson
Rufus Blunk
Rick Yoshimoto
Bruce Mitchell
Suzanne Wagner