Doyle Lane: Master of Clay

A long-overdue retrospective on a defining exponent of West Coast studio ceramicsPublished with The Huntington.This is the first-ever comprehensive publication on the Black American midcentury artist Doyle Lane (1925–2002), known for his “weed pots”—delicate, small-scale earthenware vessels with colorful glazes and rich textures, widely represented in the history of California design. This retrospective brings together for the first time the breadth of Lane’s practice, including his early utilitarian pots, clay paintings, decorative objects and beads, as well as the monumental tile murals he created as commissions for Los Angeles architects. Lauren Cross traces Lane’s entire artistic career, from his family heritage and upbringing in New Orleans, to his relationships in the diverse community of Los Angeles’ El Sereno neighborhood and Brockman Gallery in Leimert Park, to his innovative approach to making a living from his art. The volume concludes with personal commentary from Lane himself, from a never-before-published, in-depth interview with two fellow ceramicists in 1988.