Explore the Era

Delve into the postwar Los Angeles art world in this online archive, which provides additional material related to the exhibitions on view at the Getty Center. Learn about hipsters and happenings, and the venues across the city where all the action took place through images from the archives and first-hand accounts with the artists.

Lee Mullican
Artist

Lee Mullican

Lee Mullican in 1959. Image courtesy of Marc Selwyn Fine Art, Los Angeles. © Estate of Lee Mullican

Lee Mullican (1919–1998) was born in Oklahoma, and lived and worked in Santa Monica from 1952 until his death nearly 50 years later. He served for many years as a faculty member at UCLA, where he was a mentor to some of the region’s most important up-and-coming artists. Mullican’s work is characterized by an expressive use of color, layered textures, and geometric shapes. He sought the spiritual in art, drawing inspiration from sources as varied as Native American religions, Surrealism, Zen Buddhism, and jazz music.

Historic Map Locations

Works of Art

  • Untitled (Venice)

    Untitled (Venice), 1967, Lee Mullican. Oil on canvas. 80 x 120 in. Estate of Lee Mullican, Courtesy of Marc Selwyn Fine Art, Los Angeles. © Estate of Lee Mullican

Explore the Archive

  • Video: Luchita Mullican on Lee Mullican

    Video: Luchita Mullican speaks about the work of Lee Mullican, July 2011