A Little Nothing, 1980, Edition 10 of 15, Lithograph (AC1998.153.93), the June Wayne Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the artist.  Art © 2018 The June Wayne Collection/ Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo Credits: Digital photo © Museum Associates/ LACMA

To prepare for LACMA’s move to a new building, the Collections Management department is inventorying and packing LACMA’s collections, and I am part of a small team dedicated specifically to works in the Prints & Drawings department.

Last year, I came across some lithographs of undergarments by June Wayne, an American printmaker, artist, and educator who founded the Tamarind Lithography Institute in Los Angeles in 1960. I loved the bold colors in these works, and how she gave the items a dignity and importance they wouldn’t normally receive, such as the corset in “Merry Widow II,” the garters in “Two-Way Stretch,” or the sexy black bra in “Power Net.” Her clever titles also give the items depth, inspiring me to think about them in ways beyond their intended uses.

Two-Way Stretch, 1980, Edition 6 of 15, Lithograph (AC1998.153.102), the June Wayne Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the artist.  Art © 2018 The June Wayne Collection/ Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo Credits: Digital photo © Museum Associates/ LACMA  

From top to bottom: Merry Widow II, 1980, Edition 8 of 15, Lithograph (AC1998.153.101), Jock for Sport, 1980, Edition 10 of 15, Lithograph (AC1998.153.95), Power Net, 1977, Edition 14 of 20, Lithograph (AC1998.153.78.14); All images from the June Wayne Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the artist.  Art © 2018 The June Wayne Collection/ Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo Credits: Digital photo © Museum Associates/ LACMA 

LACMA has a strong collection of prints by June Wayne and other artists at the Tamarind Institute. Ensuring that these and other important works in LACMA’s collection, such as our archive of working proofs from Cirrus Editions, are properly documented and housed, has been an exciting project for me. These works are an incredible resource for anyone looking to better understand the unique Los Angeles print world, and I am excited to further improve their visibility and accessibility.

Hannah Gibson has been a Collections Management Technician at LACMA since 2016. Prior to LACMA, she worked in fine art crating and logistics, and has degrees in Art History and Latin American Studies.