Peter Ganine

Peter Ganine
Born
Pierre Ganine

(1900-10-11)October 11, 1900[1][2]
Tiflis, Russia[1]
DiedAugust 11, 1974(1974-08-11) (aged 73)
Hollywood, California, U.S.[3]
NationalityRussian-American
Alma materCorcoran Gallery of Art
Spouse(s)Marguerite Churchill (1954–?)
Karin (?–1974)[3]
Signature

Peter Ganine (October 11, 1900 – August 11, 1974) was a Georgian-Russian-American sculptor best known for his work in ceramics and his chess sets.

Ganine began his art studies in Russia. He spent five years as a trader in the Belgian Congo[4] before coming to the US in 1931,[5] on a scholarship to Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.[3] He settled in Hollywood in 1932, where he lived until his death.[1][4][6] His work was championed by longtime Los Angeles Times art editor and critic Arthur Millier.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

He served as an aircraft patternmaker during World War II.[4]

The subjects of Ganine's sculptures were largely people or animals.[3][13][14][15][16] He patented many of his animal sculptures, which were then reproduced in plastic and sold inexpensively.[3][4][13] His most popular designs were a whale, which won a prize from the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art,[4][14] and an "uncapsizeable duck", of which over 50,000,000 were sold.[3][15] When Ganine gave human faces to chess pieces, he introduced "first major change of design for chess sets in more than a century."[17]

Personal life

Ganine married actress Marguerite Churchill on June 5, 1954.[18][19] He later married a woman named Karin.[3]

Works

Exhibitions

  • 1938 – Group show at the California Art Club[10]
  • 1939 – Golden Gate International Exposition[21]
  • 1939 – The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego[11][30]
  • 1940 – National Ceramic Exhibition at Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts, where he won first prize in ceramic sculpture for Baby Centaur[6][23]
  • 1942 – "Artist of the Month" for January, solo show at the Los Angeles County Museum[12]
  • 1944 – Society for Sanity in Art's group show at Los Angeles County Museum[8]
  • 1960 – Group show at W. & J. Sloane Petite Galerie in Beverly Hills[31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Peter Ganine – Artist, Fine Art, Auction Records, Prices, Biography for Peter Ganine". AskART. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Peter Ganine Biography, Works of Art, Auction Results". Invaluable. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Peter Ganine; L.A. Sculptor". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. 13 August 1974. p. A16.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sherman, Gene (22 May 1957). "Cityside with Gene Sherman". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 2.
  5. ^ Perry, Barbara (15 May 1989). American Ceramics: The Collection of Everson Museum of Art. Rizzoli. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-8478-1025-3.
  6. ^ a b c "Brush Strokes". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. 13 October 1940. p. C8.
  7. ^ a b c d Millier, Arthur (11 January 1942). "Two Good Sculptors Show Their Works in Southland". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. C6.
  8. ^ a b c Millier, Arthur (10 December 1944). "Sanity Society's Exhibits Stress Conventional". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. B5.
  9. ^ a b Millier, Arthur (4 April 1948). "Southlanders Show Works on Spiritual Theme". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. C7.
  10. ^ a b Millier, Arthur (16 October 1938). "Brush Strokes". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. C7.
  11. ^ a b Millier, Arthur (16 July 1939). "San Diego Presents Fine Show of Southland Art". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. C7.
  12. ^ a b Millier, Arthur (4 Jan 1942). "War Fails to Halt Exhibitions of Art". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. C7.
  13. ^ a b "Deaths Elsewhere". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. 14 August 1974. p. C16.
  14. ^ a b US patent 153426, Peter Ganine, "Floating toy", published 19 April 1949 
  15. ^ a b US patent 153514, Peter Ganine, "Design for a toy duck", published 26 April 1949 
  16. ^ Ganine's various patents consistently show the figures of animals in the designs:
    • US patent 155702, Peter Ganine, "Design for a toy animal figure", published 25 October 1949 
    • US patent 158738, Peter Ganine, "Toy animal figure", published 30 May 1950 
    • US patent 158737, Peter Ganine, "Toy animal figure", published 30 May 1950 
    • US patent 159795, Peter Ganine, "Animal figure", published 22 August 1950 
    • US patent 159796, Peter Ganine, "Animal figure", published 22 August 1950 
    • US patent 185494, Peter Ganine, "Bracket for a bathroom fixture", published 16 June 1959 
    • US patent 3064365, Peter Ganine, "Modeling device", published 20 November 1962 
  17. ^ Hoadley, Raymond (15 September 1957). "The Week in Business". New York Herald Tribune. New York, New York. p. A5.
  18. ^ California Marriage Index, 1949–1959
  19. ^ Hopper, Hedda (5 June 1954). "Marguerite Churchill to Be Wed – Former film star Marguerite Churchill will marry Peter Ganine at the Russian Orthodox Church here". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. A1.
  20. ^ "Chessmen of Every Age and Nation are among World's Art Masterpieces". Life: 48–49. 29 January 1940.
  21. ^ a b "Peter Ganine – by Bonhams". Invaluable. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  22. ^ "Pictures instead of Wall Paper". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Massachusetts. 29 October 1940. p. 6.
  23. ^ a b "Here, There, Elsewhere: Rouault Ceramics Allied Posters". The New York Times. New York, New York. 27 October 1940. p. 138.
  24. ^ "Ebell Salon of Art (1944)". California Art Club. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  25. ^ "Peter Ganine". Shidoni. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  26. ^ The Evening Independent. St. Petersburg, Florida. 5 April 1947. p. 4. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ^ "Vintage Chessmen by Peter Ganine". Dansk the Night Away. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  28. ^ "Peter Ganine – by Bonhams". Invaluable. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  29. ^ "Pierre Peter Ganine Sculpture – by Bonhams". Invaluable. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  30. ^ "San Diego's Invitation Show". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Massachusetts. 26 August 1939. p. 4.
  31. ^ H.J.S. (10 July 1960). "Kirchner Relieves Season Doldrums". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. F7.
  32. ^ Fox, Christy (6 July 1960). "Honoring an Ex-President". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. A3.