100 Years of American Abstraction Organized by The Baker Museum

Transcription

1 100 Years of American Abstraction Organized by The Baker Museum (Extended object labels) Synchromy (Constructivist Painting) Thomas Hart Benton 1918 Oil and tempera on panel 14 x 8 inches 21 1/2 x 15 7/8 x 2 1/4 inches framed Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Although known mostly for his Regionalist works depicting rural America, Benton was influenced by avant-garde styles early in his career. While in Paris in the 1900s, the artist interacted with American painter Stanton Macdonald-Wright who, along with Morgan Russell, founded Synchromism. This style of abstract painting equated color and sound as elements that could be ordered into systems to create harmonies. In this painting, Benton relies on color and geometric shapes to allude to modern styles such as Synchromism and Constructivism. Synchromy Morgan Russell c Watercolor on paper 6 x 4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase made possible by William J. and Suzanne V. von Liebig. Object number:

2 Russell was deeply influenced by Impressionism and the European avant-garde. As a co-founder of Synchromism with painter Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Russell believed that color could create harmonies if organized similarly to musical notes. Russell approached color as a system, a language that could convey a message. This work consists of small blotches of color applied closely to each other, indicating the Synchromist theory that meaning can only be communicated effectively through form and color. Abstract Nudes Lorser Feitelson 1920 Watercolor and graphite on paper 11 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Influenced by the ground-breaking style of Cubism, by Matisse s vibrant colors and by Futurism s dynamic compositions, Feitelson developed a technique he termed subjective classicism. In works such as Abstract Nudes, Feitelson combines flat planes of color and geometric shapes with a classical subject: the female figure. He is one of the first hard-edge abstractionists to work in the west coast. Feitelson moved to Los Angeles in 1927 and shortly after became the supervisor of the art division of the Works Progress Administration in California. Untitled #1 Balcomb Greene 1935 Collage 5 x 6 3/4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number:

3 Untitled #2 Balcomb Greene 1935 Collage 5 1/4 x 7 1/8 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Balcomb Greene Collage 5 x 7 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Balcomb Greene, a founding member of the American Abstract Artists organization and its first chairman, was devoted to the widespread acceptance of abstraction in America. His commitment to innovative artistic principles was rooted in his own political activism. An avid reader and writer, Greene had a multidisciplinary background; he was a preacher, a college professor and studied philosophy, psychology, literature and art. His progressive thinking drove him to explore the potential of artistic expression within the context of contested museum spaces. Greene and his wife Gertrude, a sculptor whom he had met in New York, pursued the evolution of an authentic American abstract style which distanced itself from the imitation of European tendencies. Although Greene was committed to the cause of American abstraction, later in his life he returned to figurative painting.

4 Untitled Vaclav Vytlacil 1938 Casein on board 24 x 18 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Untitled Vaclav Vytlacil 1938 Oil on board 24 x 18 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Untitled Vaclav Vytlacil 1938 Oil on board 13 5/8 x 17 1/2 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Born in New York to Czech immigrant parents, Vaclav Vytlacil was an active member of the American Abstract Artists collective. For years Vytlacil taught at prestigious US institutions, counting among his students some of the most influential American artists of the 20 th century, such as Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist and Cy Twombly. Vytlacil s passion for abstraction and the strong influence of European modernism are evident in the works displayed here. The dynamic interaction of geometric shapes and contrasting colors evokes the push and pull theory promoted by Vytlacil s influential teacher Hans Hofmann. According to Hofmann, pictorial space is an active site where

5 the interaction of colors, lines and shapes has the potential to suggest movement and depth and therefore challenge traditional interpretations of perspective. Untitled Alice Trumbull Mason 1939 Oil on canvas 36 x 25 1/4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase made possible by William J. and Suzanne V. von Liebig. Object number: Untitled Study for Painting Alice Trumbull Mason 1939 Graphite on paper 11 1/4 x 8 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase made possible by William J. and Suzanne V. von Liebig. Object number: The works by Alice Trumbull Mason on display here combine anthropomorphic (humanlike) elements based on classical Greek archetypes and abstract shapes of neutral color. During a trip to Rome and Italy in 1928, Mason became fascinated by Byzantine art and ancient sculpture. The artist returned to New York to continue her studies at the Grand Central School of Art with painter Arshile Gorky and later became an active member of the American Abstract Artists collective. The stylized figure in Untitled evokes the monumental representation of a Greek goddess or perhaps suggests the imposing image of a religious icon.

6 Untitled Ilya Bolotowsky c.1936 Oil on canvas 30 x 40 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase made possible by William J. and Suzanne V. von Liebig. Object number: Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Bolotowsky immigrated to New York in 1923 where he became an art teacher and textile designer. A few years later the artist became a founding member of the American Abstract Artists where he played an important role in organizing exhibitions and events. Deeply influenced by the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian and the American Burgoyne Diller, Bolotowsky began exploring with Neoplasticism. This style of abstract painting emphasizes ordered and balanced compositions made of primary colors and pronounced lines. In the works shown here, however, his admiration for the work of Catalan artist Joan Miró is also evident in the biomorphic shapes and playful arrangements that accentuate the flatness of the pictorial surface. Pi Kenneth Noland 1962 Acrylic on canvas 45 x 45 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Olga Hirshhorn. Object number: While teaching and working in Washington, D.C., Kenneth Noland, Morris Louis and other color field artists were known as the Washington color painters. Following his abstract expressionist style in the 1950s, Noland moved to geometric abstraction favoring symmetry and balance. In the 1960s he created circular compositions with a clear center on a square canvas as is the case with the work on display here. The

7 influence of his teacher Josef Albers at Black Mountain College can be seen in the works by the two artists included in this gallery. Woman - Yellow Eye Willem de Kooning 1965 Oil on paper on board 28 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Olga Hirshhorn. Object number: Untitled (To Olga) Willem de Kooning 1965 Oil on paper 23 3/4 x 11 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Olga Hirshhorn. Object number: The unfinished quality of these paintings is characteristic of Willem de Kooning s abstract expressionist style in which images are formed by a loose brushstroke and expressive colors. In the 1940s and 50s de Kooning s series of seated women shocked even many of his close friends. In the following decade his compositions become looser and more relaxed. Describing one of his paintings of women, the artist declared It s not finished but it s a very good painting. Although de Kooning explored with variations of abstraction, his work retained figural components and was consistently dynamic and expressive.

8 Blue Squares Josef Albers 1968 Silkscreen 23 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Dr. Robert B. and Dorothy Gronlund from the Gronlund Collection. Object number: This work shows Josef Albers s interest in color theory, a theme he explored in the Homage to the Square series in the 1950s and 60s. Albers explored the perception of flat color planes on the work s surface through geometric abstraction. He worked as a sculptor, designer and painter but is best known as one of the most influential teachers of the 20 th century. After teaching at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, Albers immigrated to the US in 1933 and settled in North Carolina. He became one of the most celebrated professors at Black Mountain College where he designed the curriculum of the newly founded institution to focus on the visual arts. Albers later became the chair of the Department of Design at Yale University in Connecticut. Robert Rauschenberg, Eva Hesse, Kenneth Noland and Richard Anuszkiewicz are among the most notable students of this visionary artist and teacher. Elephant Alexander Calder 1968 Painted metal 25 x 39 x 29 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Olga Hirshhorn. Object number: Trained as a mechanical engineer and as a painter, Alexander Calder began experimenting with abstract constructions in the 1930s and became the leading practitioner of kinetic art. The two pieces on display in this gallery are examples of stabiles stationary sculptures that consist of painted metal shapes. Like his mobiles

9 suspended metal sculptures with moving parts this work shows the artist s use of simplified forms to create playful arrangements. Influenced by painters Joan Miró and Piet Mondrian, Calder combined whimsical imagery with metaphysical content. Green Edged Magenta/Centered Square Series Richard Anuszkiewicz 1981 Acrylic on canvas 49 1/4 x 49 1/4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of the Artist. Object number: This work is an example of Op Art, a style of painting based on the creation and perception of optical illusions that developed in the 1960s. Anuszkiewicz, like his teacher and mentor Josef Albers, challenged Abstract Expressionism by using color optics and hard-edged geometric abstraction. The precise execution of Green Edged Magenta is reminiscent of commercially produced or computer-generated graphics common in the 1980s. Floating Sculpture Thomas Shannon 1987 Silverleaf, wood, magnets, string and brads 3 x 12 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Bank One. Object number: Best known for his gravity-defying sculptures, Thomas Shannon is a conceptual artist and inventor whose work is concerned with the manifestation of equilibrium in the physical world. This abstract work consists of two negative magnets held in place by a string. The larger rectangular element functions as a base above which the smaller one levitates creating an object that challenges traditional definitions of the sculptural medium and brings together the connection between art and science.

10 Double Talk James Watson Twitty c Acrylic on two linen canvases 60 x 60 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Mrs. James (Anne) Twitty. Object number: This painting functions as a skewed window through which an unfamiliar landscape is visible. The large scale of the work draws the viewer in and invites him to look as if seeing the scenery outside for the first time. Evocative of a scene from a science fiction movie, Twitty manipulates geometric shapes, sharp angles and contrasting colors to create unexpected juxtapositions. The title may allude to the two levels of visual activity in the work: the geometric frame closest to the picture plane and the landscape seen in the distance. Neapolitan Yellow Persian Set with Black Lip Wraps Dale Chihuly 1994 Glass 20 x 42 x 39 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Warren C. Nelson & William B. Spink. Object number: This work by world-renowned American glass artist Dale Chihuly consists of several forms that rest delicately within each other. The vibrant yellow glass contrasts with the black rim of each piece giving the entire ensemble an elegant, yet organic feel. The title of the work likely alludes to Chihuly s interest in old-world cultures, their use of color and the decorative elements in their architecture. The undulating components of this piece also indicate Chihuly s fascination with marine life and underwater organisms.

11 Ek-Sau Paul Russo 2008 Latex caulk on painted canvas 30 x 40 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of the Artist. Object number: Much of Paul Russo s work is concerned with the relationship between the physicality of the material and its possible meanings. This piece is neither a sculpture nor a painting; its inherent ambiguity provides an unusual engagement between object and viewer. In an era of electronic devices, flat screens and digital art, the tactile quality of the medium, the uneven richness of the surface and the dark pigment make Ek-Sau s viewing a rich and nuanced process of discovery Summertime in Italy Robert Motherwell Lithograph with crayon 31 1/2 x 25 1/2 x 1 inches framed Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase. Object number: Robert Motherwell was a graduate student in New York when he met Meyer Schapiro, an influential art historian who encouraged him to abandon his studies in philosophy and pursue painting. Motherwell became one of the seminal figures of the New York School (also known as Abstract Expressionists) along with Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, among others. Summertime in Italy is part of an eponymous series the artist created in the 1960s. The image consists of dynamic gestures suggesting the active engagement of the artist with the graphic medium.

12 Nature's Promise Jon Kuhn 2001 Optical glass 19 x 14.5 x 14.5 Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Gift of Ben & Zelma Dorson Charitable Foundation. Object number: Like much of Kuhn s work, Nature s Promise is an homage to refined simplicity and beauty. The piece interacts with its surroundings by reflecting light in a myriad of colors, extending its effect beyond the object itself. The observer may experience the work differently each time depending on the angle, lighting and setting; it invites the viewer to contemplate, reflect and enjoy. Man with Red Wine Glass Carl Holty c.1932 Oil on canvas 57 1/2 x 35 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase made possible by William J. and Suzanne V. von Liebig. Object number: Holty s style was influenced by the work of the Cubist painter Juan Gris ( ). Like Gris, Holty became interested in depicting his surroundings by using geometric shapes arranged according to the structural principles of Cubism. Through the juxtaposition of precisely delineated flat planes of color in this work, Holty depicts a scene from everyday life. As was common for abstractionists in the 1930s, the focus of this painting is not on narrative or on the identity of the sitter, rather on the pictorial

13 underpinnings of the image. Later in his life, Holty s artistic output was influenced by Joan Miró s biomorphic paintings; his brushwork became looser and more dynamic. Composition December April 1940 A.E. Gallatin Oil on canvas 20 x 14 1/4 inches Artis Naples, The Baker Museum Museum purchase made possible by William J. and Suzanne V. von Liebig. Object number: A leading figure of the Park Avenue Cubists, A.E. Gallatin started collecting at age 17, but it wasn t until his late 30s that the savvy collector began his career as a painter. Like many of his generation, Gallatin was influenced by Cubism and the European avantgarde, which figured prominently in his gallery in New York City. Gallatin s works in this section evidence his commitment to the visual vocabulary of modern art; flat color planes, simplified forms and a limited palette characterize the canvases from the late 1930s and 40s.