ART of the BATTLESHIPS
AT
Battleship IOWA
Pacific Battleship Center
(on the San Pedro Waterfront)
250 S Harbor Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90731
Saturday, June 01, 2019 – 5 PM
Eventbrite Reservation Required
art@time4art.us or 310-379-5800
$50 per Person
Sushi Sashimi Fusion
Extravaganza
Vegetarian Choices Available
About the Artists
Ben Jackel, Remember the Maine, 2004, Douglas fir Photo: Shana Nys Dambrot
Jackel
Sculptor Ben Jackel is primarily interested in creating beautiful handmade objects that deal with the subjects of violence, war, emergency and mortality. Working with clay, wood and metal, Jackel creates monochromatic sculptures of Greek warriors, medieval helmets, navy ships,
cannons, and drones that have a smooth, hand-rubbed finish of beeswax and graphite. He has also developed a series of emergency response objects like fire extinguishers, firehoses, and sprinkler heads – objects often required by law in case an emergency arises, but rarely used or considered.
Jackel has been a volunteer on the Battleship Iowa for six years. In 2018, he collaborated with the museum to open a new art gallery, Alfa Romeo Tango, on board the battleship. He is the first artist to exhibit in the first ever contemporary art gallery on board a former warship. This new gallery was created to be a place to bring communities together that normally do not cross paths, using art and the call of the sea to create new dialogues
Beaumont
Although Late naval artist Arthur Beaumont was not an American citizen by birth, he felt deep love and respect for his adopted country. His training as an artist and his fascination with the sea and the vessels led Beaumont into an association with the U.S. Navy which lasted nearly five decades. The relationship began in the early 1930s when he was commissioned to paint formal portraits of several Naval officers, including Admiral William Leahy. Leahy suggested that Beaumont paint studies of the Fleet for the Navy. Thus, his art acquired purpose and meaning, allowing him to express creatively the patriotism evoked by his adopted land.
Pacific Task Force, U.S.S. Iowa, 1959 | Arthur Beaumont (1890-1978)
In 1933 Beaumont received his commission as a lieutenant in the United States Navy and was appointed as the official artist of the United States Fleet. He served in an official capacity and as a freelance artist for the Navy until his death in 1978.
Beaumont’s body of work encompasses numerous portraits of specific naval vessels, including mighty aircraft carriers and battleships in the U.S. Navy as well as personal yachts of presidents and celebrities. His art portrays not only admirals but also common sailors and soldiers. They formed the core of his series of significant wartime commissions for National Geographic Magazine. In 1958, Beaumont was named Artist Laureate of the U.S. Fleet. To Beaumont (1890_1978), the sea and the vessels that sailed on it held endless fascination. He sought to create an artistic record of the activities and accomplishments of the U.S. Navy, from the launching of the U.S.S. Constitution, to the fierce battles of World War II, to the Atomic Bomb tests at Bikini Atoll, and to the expeditions to the North and south Poles. All these historic events are recorded in his paintings.
A fully illustrated book documenting this important artist’s complete work is written by the artist’s youngest son, Geoffrey Campbell Beaumont. As part of the family, the author drew on the family archives, personal anecdotes, and firsthand knowledge to create an intimate and thorough account for the artist.