In the 1950s and 1960s, Marin County, a region just north of San Francisco known for its rugged landscapes, was home to a thriving art scene. Although connected to San Francisco through people and ideas, the community there had its own unique and independent spirit. Among its creative residents were artists JB Blunk (1926-2002) and Fritz Rauh (1920-2011), who shared an artistic ethos and deep friendship.
Blunk, renowned for his organic, nature-inspired sculptures, and Rauh, a painter whose hallucinogenic canvases captured the joy and spontaneity of the natural world, were first introduced by British surrealist painter Gordon Onslow Ford (on whose land Blunk built the Blunk House in the late 1950s and early 1960s). The two remained firm friends for the rest of their lives.
