Painter, b. 1921 - d. 2013

Frank Lobdell was a California-based painter who played a leading role in Bay Area Figurative Movement, a niche art movement that drew Abstract Expressionism away from its traditional formlessness and toward a more representational form. He worked as an art professor at CSFA (California School of Fine Arts, today known as the San Francisco Art Institute) and Stanford University, retiring in 1991 at the age of 70.

About Frank Lobdell

• Name: Frank Lobdell


• Alias: Frank Lobdell


• Profession: Painter, b. 1921 - d. 2013


• Nationality: American

Biography

Frank Lobdell was born in Kansas City, MO, in 1921, but he spent most of his childhood in Minnesota, where he attended the St. Paul School of Fine Arts. After his studies, he worked as a freelance artist until 1942, when he was drafted for military service in Europe until 1946. After World War II, Lobdell moved to Sausalito, in Marin County, CA, and attended the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA) from 1947-50.

Working as a professor, first at CSFA and later at Stanford University, he became a leading figure in the local art scene just as San Francisco became a cultural epicenter in the 1960s.

Frank Lobdell pioneered the Bay Area Figurative Movement, which brought classical naturalism to the Abstract Expressionist style. Working with fellow artists Nathan Oliveira, Elmer Bischoff and Richard Diebenkorn, Lobdell developed a unique method for creating shapes with just the contrast between light and shadow.

Lobdell died at home in 2013, aged 92.

Related Styles

• Abstract Expressionism


• Action Painting


• Bay Area Figuratism

Highlights and Achievements

• Lobdell was awarded the Nealie Sullivan Award by the San Francisco Art Association in 1960.


• He was the recipient of a Pew Foundation Grant in 1986.


• He was a winner of Academy Purchase Awards in 1992 and 1994.


• Lobdell was elected to the American Academy of Design in 1998.

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