Quick Facts
Biography
Doyle Lane (1923–2002) was an African-American ceramist known for his innovative, tactile glazes. His work ranged from delicate vases and ceramic sculptures to large scale clay paintings and mosaics. Lane maintained a studio in the El Sereno district of East Los Angeles. He exhibited his work at Brockman Gallery in Leimert Park (1968) and Ankrum Gallery on La Cienega Boulevard (1967, 1968), both notable centers for African American Art in Los Angeles in the mid-twentieth century.
Early life and education
Born in New Orleans, he moved to Los Angeles by the late 1940s. He studied at Los Angeles City College, East Los Angeles City College before attending the University of Southern California. Early in his career, he worked as a glaze technician for L.H. Butcher and Co. Later he would maintain a self-supporting practice as a studio ceramist.
Major Commissions
Lane created large-scale clay paintings for many prominent sites in Southern California.
- California Lutheran Nursing Home and Health Center (Alhambra)
- Golden State Bank (Downey)
- Equitable Savings and Loan (Canoga Park)
- International Children's School (Los Angeles)
- Miller Robinson (Santa Fe Springs)
- Mutual Savings and Loan, 1964 (Pasadena), acquired by the Huntington Library
- Pantry Foods (Pasadena)
Works
Glazed pot
Clay painting
Fish fountain
Mural at the Huntington Library
Detail of mural at the Huntington Library- Three Doyle Lane Weed Pots
Exhibitions
- California Design 4, Pasadena Art Museum (1958)
- California Design 5, Pasadena Art Museum (1959)
- California Design 6, Pasadena Art Museum (1960)
- Ankrum Gallery (1967)
- Ankrum Gallery (1968)
- Brockman Gallery (1968)
- Objects: USA (1969)
- California Black Craftsmen, Mills College Art Gallery (1970)
- Solo exhibition at Los Angeles City College Art Gallery (October 1977)
- California Design, 1930-1965: "Living in A Modern Way," Los Angeles County Museum of Art (October 1, 2011- June 3, 2012)
- Doyle Lane: Clay Paintings, The Landing at Reform Gallery (solo exhibition, May 1-July 5, 2014)
Public Collections
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Oakland Museum of California
- California African American Museum
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Huntington Library
