J. B. Blunk

J.B. Blunk (1926–2002) was a sculptor working primarily in wood and clay. In addition to his monumental pieces in wood and highly original work in ceramics, Blunk produced iconic works in diverse media including jewelry, furniture, painting, bronze, and stone.

J.B. (James Blain) Blunk was born in Ottawa, Kansas. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied physics, later changing his major and studying under noted ceramist Laura Andreson. After serving in the United States Army in Korea, he met sculptor Isamu Noguchi in Japan and served apprenticeships with Japanese potter Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883–1959) and Bizen potter and Living National Treasure Kaneshige Toyo (1896–1967). Blunk was the first American to apprentice into the line of descent of that country’s great unglazed stoneware ceramic tradition.

After returning to the U.S., Blunk was eventually able to build his own home and studio near the Marin County town of Inverness, California, where he had a lifelong friendship and association with painter Gordon Onslow Ford.

Among Blunk’s best-known and highly regarded public works is “The Planet” (1969), located in the lobby of the Oakland Museum of California. Writer Monica Quock Chan, in an article on the Oakland Museum, described “Planet” as follows: “In the entrance lobby sits a circular, benchlike sculpture 13 feet in diameter. Back in 1969, woodworker J.B. Blunk carved "The Planet" out of a single redwood burl, and it has been an icon of the museum for years.” Blunk created the sculpture from a two-ton piece of redwood with the help of then-apprentice Bruce Mitchell.

Glenn Adamson, writing in Woodwork magazine (October 1999), described “The Planet” as “an irregular, wildly textured circle, riddled with textural incident. The piece is unified by a rhythm of alternating jagged forms and restful, smooth shapes. The work has been called ‘one of the most touched pieces of sculpture you could find,’ and indeed it still serves as a play space, bench and oversized toy for visitors to the museum." Artist Garry Knox Bennett has said, “It’s a masterpiece. It’s an absolute masterpiece. Not only does it look good, when you see kids climbing on that and under it, you know it’s eminently successful.”

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