Jim Love

Published to accompany the first major exhibition of Houston sculptor Jim Love's work in over 20 years, "Jim Love: From Now On" surveys this prolific artist's oeuvre in essays by exhibition curator Lynn M. Herbert; graphic designer and art historian, Don Quaintance; artist, Mel Chin; and novelist, Paula Webb; as well as commentary, reprinted from an earlier publication, by the late patron and curator, Dominique de Menil. Love first gained national recognition in 1961 when his work was included in The Museum of Modern Art's groundbreaking exhibition The Art of Assemblage. He began his career as an urban archaeologist of sorts, scouring junkyards for interesting castoffs and later welding original forms of iron and steel. Inspired by the Surrealist- and Dada-influenced practice of assemblage, he elevated ordinary objects to inventive and often amusing works of art that include his early "put togethers" from the 1950s; his signature bears, birds, and dogs that take on life's dilemmas; his range of work that explores flowers as a motif; and his portraits, theatrical tableaux, and designs for furniture and other functional objects.
A central figure in Houston art circles from the 1950s until his untimely death in 2005, Love most notably collaborated with the collectors, John and Dominique de Menil. Known for his public commissions in Houston, such as "Call Ernie" (1985) at William P. Hobby Airport and "Portable Trojan Bear" (1974) in Hermann Park, Love's work is also included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Dallas Museum of Art; The Menil Collection, Houston; and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Love was born in 1927 in Amarillo, Texas, and moved to Houston after his graduation from Baylor University, where he received a BBA (1952) in business administration.