This past weekend I was able to visit Pamela Weir-Quiton's studio. Here she is laughing it up with Joel Chen, who will be showing a number of her pieces at his gallery.
Born in Indiana to a military family, Pamela attended high school in Alaska and Reno. Since 1964 she has lived and works in Los Angeles. She was interested in fashion design, which is a thread that runs throughout her career, be it with her dolls, numerous commissions in shopping centers and even her marriage to fashion illustrator Gregory Weir-Quiton.
While a sophomore at Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge), Pamela won a 1965 guest editorship position with Mademoiselle magazine in New York City.
In addition to doing editorial work, she did some modeling (on the right).
Source: Mademoiselle, 1965
She also met Andy Warhol and is seen here on the left waiting for a signed napkin. It doesn't get anymore New York than this.
Source: Mademoiselle, 1965
I love the mention of the bandaged thumbs from sculpting dolls.
Source: Mademoiselle, 1970
Here she is in 1966 working on a different aspect of fashion, in the woodshop at Valley State College.
A display of her dolls in the studio. Pamela estimates that she made 200-300 of these smaller dolls and perhaps 500 in total with the larger dolls.
The dolls in California Design 10
Pamela with her trusty companion Gloriowsky (Glory) and "The Family." This was her first architectural commission in 1968 for an Altadena Federal Savings and Loan branch in Santa Ana. The concept was family and the sculptures were larger than life and includes a dog. They functioned as seating and a place where children could play while waiting for their parents. About 15 years ago they were rediscovered by Dennis Boses in a surplus warehouse in Santa Ana. More about that here.
Today Pamela has Panda keeping her company.
A photo of the bank commission is included in a 1970 article in Mademoiselle. It starts off with a quote from Rose Slivka, editor of Craft Horizons. She says the trouble with being a craftsman is that you're producing objects for "a society that already has more objects than it knows what to do with."
The article is about the dedication it takes to make a living making craft. Here are some sentences that stood out...
Pamela Weir, 25, who owns a rust colored suede sofa and a black XKE convertible to take her across Los Angeles to her studio, doesn't think society has been a serious stumbling block.
Pamela Weir considers exhibiting a drag and would rather spend her time and energy elsewhere— but she got her first commissions after several of her dolls appeared in the Pasadena Museum's triennial design show, California Design X.
Source: Mademoiselle, 1970
In 1969 she received a commission for a wall in the children's shoe department of Orbach’s department store. This is the sketch.
The maquette on display in the studio.
Here she is with the finished piece. Unfortunately, unlike The Family, these pieces were mostly lost when Orbach's closed.
As a side note, Ohrbach's had a serious design program going. Their Los Angeles office was located in the Welton Becket– William Wurdeman designed Prudential Insurance Company building on Wilshire Boulevard. Beckett also designed multiple stores for them in Los Angeles. Paul Laszlo also worked for them, including store design and custom lighting and fixtures.
Pamela, showing the proper way to rock on one of her horses. Crossing your legs is crucial. I tried it out and it was really fun.
The horse appeared on Olivia Newton John album art.
Also, Joel is wearing the Frank Lloyd Wright New Balance sneakers.
In addition to wood, there are a number of her ceramics pieces around the studio.
The ceramic horse was the model for the wood sculptures.
It is Wednesday.
Pamela says she wants her work to be FUNctional. So in addition to the rockers and seating, many of the pieces have hidden storage.
Pamela and her husband Gregory with 36 foot dolls they created for the Hollywood Bowl in 1970, part of a concept involving Frank Gehry.
Source: LA Times
A smaller, although still very tall, version in in the studio.
Another commission Pamela received was in 1979 at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks.
The sculptures were for the children's play area and included five tigers, a large circus wagon and "Mabel with her cat." The full scale templates are hung above. People who live in Thousand Oaks call it the TO, hence the TO Circus.
"Mabel and her cat," was designed after Mabel Stark, a tiger tamer.
Also, that caption seems to be wrong. That is definitely a spotted cat.
Pamela and her puppy at the opening. The children wore paper tiger masks she designed.
Two California Design books in the studio that include a number of her pieces.
Like the Georgie Dolls in California Design 10
A hammer made by Pamela's woodshop teacher, Ralph K. Evans. It was part of a full tool set, including a toolbox. At the time, she could only afford to buy two hammers.
The workshop
Many of her major works are in the studio being cleaned up by her longtime assistant Martin.
It was so fun to visit Pamela, whose work I've been a fan of for years. Seeing all these monumental pieces in person was a real honor.
You also might notice she was wearing a really good Doyle Lane necklace. She bought at Reform in 2007 or so. Besides the obvious amazing glaze, she pointed out how much she appreciated the design of the clasp and the use of washers in his necklaces.
See more on her website and watch this incredible video, People Who Make Things. It was produced to show young people that making craft is a viable career option.
You can watch the full film, which has been restored by the Academy of Motion Pictures, on Pamela's website.