Eve Cockcroft: Compton’s Line Runs Blue
by Pasadena Adjacent
Eva Cockcroft, was a Los Angeles muralist who died in 1999 at the age of 62. She often addressed social themes in her work. Cockcroft was also a widely published critic with a commitment to political art. Cockcroft cowrote Toward a People’s Art: The Contemporary Mural Movement, first published in 1972 and reissued in 1998.
I remember when she was working on the Compton station. She feared that she had exceded the budget and would be stuck paying for it out of pocket. I think she did overextend herself but maybe it was meant to be. I believe she sang her swan song in Compton. The last time I saw Eve, we were both competing for a project at a small Hollywood theater. We both lost the commission to the “Third Man”.
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Pasadena Adjacent 
Probably absolutely the wrong thing to say, but I prefer your work.
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I traveled through the metro site and discovered that they give tours twice a month. I might look into it one day. I like the tilted view of the architecture behind the trio. Is this the station where you met up with the cat lady?
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One Saturday V and I actually stopped at every stop on the blue line to photograph the art. I like this piece. There is a lovely crudeness to it that holds my attention. Maybe crudeness is an unfair word. Eve was a skilled painter but the rules change when you transfer those skills to tile. It’s obviously hand painted and not manufactured elsewhere. Very sweet.
Most tile work you see in the public sphere is called high fire but mid fire is a more accurate description. Imagery in mid fire work is made from flat expanses of colored glaze separated by a line that is either clay slip or wax, allowing the clay tile color to show through (Catalina Tile for example). or….
and
Eve’s station tiles are low fire. The same glazes that are used at “Color Me” craft establishments. They offer the greatest possibility of color and have the added benefit of blending, as you would, if you were painting. The glazes also carry some resemblance to the color you desire in the final stage. Low fire requires a paltry 8 hours in the kiln and has the least mishaps. It’s also the method used for photographic/zerox transfers. I’ve worked with low fire on two public art projects and expected to continue doing so. I still want to try working with photo transfer. Also silkscreening methods of photographic transfer interest me.
I now work in a process called (reduction) high fire. It’s the big daddy of ceramics. The colors are limited, and outcome semi unpredictable but the density combined with subtlety works for me.
AH: Thanks for putting in the first comment. I think if I were to get a commission that required me to depict people, I’d look to her for inspiration as well as artist Joyce Kozloff who did this low fire piece.
John E: after the above, you may want to take that tour or possibly run for the hills (mine, of course). I like that tilt too. The cat lady was on the red line.
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Wonderful explanation in a “nut shell” kind of way. They are sweet.
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Once again, I have learned something new from your blog.
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I like the site, keep up all the work. Some day you will receive more photos of Russia than you may have ever wanted. It’s going thru the 120+ photos of St Basil’s that’s slowing me down.
hugs
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Beautiful art work, but I think yours is better.
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I’m trying to find a formula for clay raku. I picked up a couple peices of clay ground out near Carmi It has a real nice shade to it. Was wondering how to get the right consistancy for pottery and a glaze conection. I think an open pit wood burning would do nicely. I have plenty of wood. I’m having a great romance with the melon man. sweet!
Love Rozi
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Cockcroft.
This is a memorable name.
I like her work very much but every time I look at the face in the first one all I see is John Forsythe. Dynasty! Just shoot me now before I snot on your couch.
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