At the center of the exhibition is Brice’s *Untitled* (c. 1969), a painting that reflects a key transitional moment in the artist’s career
L.A. Louver gallery is marking its 50th anniversary with a major exhibition highlighting the work of William Brice, a pivotal figure in 20th-century American art. The show, *L.A. Louver Celebrates 50 Years*, is on view through June 14.
At the center of the exhibition is Brice’s *Untitled* (c. 1969), a painting that reflects a key transitional moment in the artist’s career. Created just before Brice’s influential first trip to Greece, the work blends coastal and geological motifs with classical architectural fragments and stylized human forms, themes that would come to define his mature style.
In the piece, a partial figure stands near a shoreline scattered with boulders, sculptural remnants, and ancient objects—symbols that Brice used to bridge individual perception, classical heritage, and geological time. The painting foreshadows his shift toward a more abstract, pictographic visual language.
Brice, the son of entertainer Fanny Brice, was a central figure in the artistic communities of New York and Los Angeles. He developed close ties with L.A. Louver founding director Peter Goulds during their time teaching at UCLA in the 1970s. The pair also shared a friendship with fellow artist Richard Diebenkorn.
Brice exhibited five solo shows at L.A. Louver between 1984 and 2010. His work is held in the collections of major institutions including MoMA, LACMA, the Whitney, and the Getty Museum, the latter of which received gifts from film producer Ray Stark, Brice’s brother-in-law and art collecting partner.
The exhibition coincides with what would have been Brice’s 104th birthday.
