Blimp Mooring
Artist
Roger Kuntz
(1926 - 1975)
Date1970
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions50 x 60 in. (127 x 152.4 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineThe Hilbert Collection
Object numberKun-5
DescriptionIn January 1968, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company established an airfield blimp base in Carson, In the early 1970s, artist Roger Kuntz was allowed access to the Goodyear airfield and blimp base in Carson, Calif., just south of Los Angeles (and clearly visible, then and now, from the 405 freeway). He photographed the Goodyear blimp and the base, and those photos became the basis of a series of paintings he created from that experience.At the time, Kuntz was exploring how different views of a subject, ranging from extreme close-ups to "long shots" to detailed studies, toggled back and forth between representation and abstraction. This particular view of the blimp leans toward abstraction, as he focuses on its lower curve and gondola and the balancing curve of the runway. The familiar "Goodyear" logo is mostly cut out of the view, but is so well-known that we can fill in the blanks and know exactly how it looks on the massive side of the blimp.
By only showing part of the blimp, Kuntz forces us to appreciate its form and curves and its massive size. There's an air of mystery about this painting as the gondola waits for its passengers. Besides the blimp series, Kuntz is also well-known for his earlier "freeway series" of semi-abstract works spotlighting the structures of the L.A. freeways (the Hilbert Museum also has notable examples from this series).
Kuntz was an influential art teacher at Scripps College in Claremont, Calif. and later at the Laguna Beach School of Art (the current Laguna College of Art and Design). His works are represented in many museum collections, including the Bowers Museum, Krannert Art Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Long Beach Museum of Art, Orange County Museum of Art and Pomona College Museum of Art, in addition to the Hilbert.
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