Fred Uhl Ball
Encyclopedia
Fred Uhl Ball was an American
enamelist.
in 1945. His mother, Kathryn Uhl, was an illustrator
and enamelist who taught life drawing at Mills College
and his father, F. Carlton Ball, was a ceramist who headed the art department at Mills. His grandfather, George Uhl, was a silversmith
. This family influence and involvement in the arts inspired him to explore fine art in his youth. By the age of 11 he had exhibited his work and given enameling demonstrations at the California State Fair
. He received his bachelors and masters in fine art from Sacramento State University. He lived and worked in Sacramento and in September 1985 he was robbed and beaten outside of his studio. He died three months later from injuries sustained during the attack.
foil
panels like a collage
. Ball also explored the use of bronze
as a surface by exposing white enamel at varying temperatures to create varied hue
s of color on the bronze. These early experiments, described as unorthodox, also had him exploring fire scale and liquid enamels, which are quite common in enameling today. In 1972 he published his first book, "Experimental Techniques in Enameling."
Ball was best known for his large scale mural
s. In 1976 he participated in Sacramento's federally funded Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
, allowing him to create his first large-scale mural at the Sacramento Community Center. He also created a 6 foot by 62 foot mural at a Sacramento parking garage, one of the largest enamel murals, called The Way Home. The piece consists of 1,488, each 12 by 12 inch, enamel tiles set into panels which are bolted to a concrete wall. His success as a muralist allowed him to make a living through commissions and the opportunity to continue experimenting with technique. A large portion of his commissions came from corporate clients in Sacramento, including the piece The Great Sacramento Valley at Sutter General Hospital
which, upon his death, was completed by his mother and artist Bruce Beck in December, 1986.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
enamelist.
Personal life and education
Fred Uhl Ball was born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1945. His mother, Kathryn Uhl, was an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and enamelist who taught life drawing at Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
and his father, F. Carlton Ball, was a ceramist who headed the art department at Mills. His grandfather, George Uhl, was a silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
. This family influence and involvement in the arts inspired him to explore fine art in his youth. By the age of 11 he had exhibited his work and given enameling demonstrations at the California State Fair
California State Fair
The California State Fair is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California.- Schedule Change :...
. He received his bachelors and masters in fine art from Sacramento State University. He lived and worked in Sacramento and in September 1985 he was robbed and beaten outside of his studio. He died three months later from injuries sustained during the attack.
Fine art
In the early 1970s he began experimenting with placing torch-fired enamels on thin copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
foil
Foil
Foil may refer to:Materials* Foil , a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food...
panels like a collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
. Ball also explored the use of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
as a surface by exposing white enamel at varying temperatures to create varied hue
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
s of color on the bronze. These early experiments, described as unorthodox, also had him exploring fire scale and liquid enamels, which are quite common in enameling today. In 1972 he published his first book, "Experimental Techniques in Enameling."
Ball was best known for his large scale mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s. In 1976 he participated in Sacramento's federally funded Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1973 to train workers and provide them with jobs in the public service....
, allowing him to create his first large-scale mural at the Sacramento Community Center. He also created a 6 foot by 62 foot mural at a Sacramento parking garage, one of the largest enamel murals, called The Way Home. The piece consists of 1,488, each 12 by 12 inch, enamel tiles set into panels which are bolted to a concrete wall. His success as a muralist allowed him to make a living through commissions and the opportunity to continue experimenting with technique. A large portion of his commissions came from corporate clients in Sacramento, including the piece The Great Sacramento Valley at Sutter General Hospital
Sutter General Hospital
Sutter General Hospital, part of the Sutter Health network, is located in midtown Sacramento next to the historic Sutter's Fort State Park. It is also directly adjacent to the Capital City Freeway . The hospital is housed in a five-story building...
which, upon his death, was completed by his mother and artist Bruce Beck in December, 1986.
Reception
Ball's experiments and work within enameling allowed Ball to be described by the Enamel Arts Foundation as a foremost leader in the field. He was one of the first enamel artists to bringing enameling to a larger scale, from the traditional smaller sizes generally seen early in the field.Publications by Ball
- Ball, Fred Uhl. Experimental Techniques in Enameling. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold (1972). ISBN 0442205422
External links
- "Experimentalist" by Beverly Sanders
- Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection of works by Fred Uhl Ball