Florence Arnold

American
(1900–1994)

Gold and Gray
1980

Oil on canvas
25.375 x 49.5 x 1.75 in.
Promised Gift from the Collection of George R. Wanlass
LL.2023.9

Florence Arnold started painting seriously when she met a group of artists in Claremont, California: her teacher and friend Karl Benjamin, Paul Darrow, Doug McClelland, Frederick Hammersley, and Jack Zajac. In 1950 she began taking art classes at Fullerton College, in Fullerton, California. At the time, Arnold was familiar with the work of senior artist John McLaughlin, who lived in nearby Dana Point. In the late 1950s Los Angeles Times art critic Jules Langsner included her as one of the key Southern California artists contributing to what he called the Hard-Edge School of painters.

Florence Arnold was born in 1900 in Prescott, Arizona. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland, California, in 1926 with a BA in music and then received a BA in education in 1939 from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She also earned a music teaching degree from Claremont Graduate School in 1937. Arnold went on to teach music at Fullerton Union High School for 42 years and died in 1994 at 94. Arnold’s work was included in the important exhibition California Hard-Edge Painting at the Pavilion Gallery in Balboa, California, in 1964.

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Florence Arnold empezó a pintar en serio cuando conoció a un grupo de artistas en Claremont, California: su profesor y amigo Karl Benjamin, Paul Darrow, Doug McClelland, Frederick Hammersley y Jack Zajac. En 1950 empezó a tomar clases de arte en el Fullerton College, en Fullerton, California. Por aquel entonces, Arnold conocía la obra del artista John McLaughlin, que vivía cerca de Dana Point. A finales de la década de 1950, el crítico de arte de Los Angeles Times Jules Langsner la incluyó como una de las artistas clave del sur de California que contribuían a lo que él denominaba la escuela de pintores de bordes duros.

Florence Arnold nació en 1900 en Prescott, Arizona. En 1926 se licenció en música por el Mills College de Oakland (California) y en 1939 obtuvo una licenciatura en educación por la Universidad del Sur de California en Los Ángeles. También obtuvo el título de profesora de música en la Claremont Graduate School en 1937. Arnold fue profesora de música en el Fullerton Union High School durante 42 años y murió en 1994 a los 94 años. La obra de Arnold se incluyó en la importante exposición California Hard-Edge Painting (Pinturas de borde sólido de California) en la Pavilion Gallery de Balboa, California, en 1964.

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This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Loas Angeles Hard Edge , 7/20/2024 - 12/14/2024

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