Considered “the grandfather of Los Angeles Modernism,” Emerson Woelffer had a lasting impact on generations of West Coast artists through his work and teachings. Woelffer moved to Los Angeles in 1959, accepting a teaching position at the Chouinard Art Institute, where he was revered by students including Larry Bell, Joe Goode, and Ed Ruscha. Woelffer left Chouinard one year after it transitioned to become CalArts, taking a role at the Otis College of Art and Design until 1989.
Prior to his death in 2003, Woelffer donated a large body of his work to Otis, which in turn established an endowment to fund student scholarships in Woelffer's name. Since 2017, LA Modern Auctions and Rago/Wright have worked in partnership with the institution, proudly managing the sale of these works at auction and helping to keep the artist's legacy alive.
I always work first and think later.
Emerson Woelffer
