In Nude in a Wood (1906), which was made near the town of Collioure in the French Mediterranean, Henri Matisse uses broad patches of vivid pigment to integrate a figure of his wife in a lush landscape. Although his techniques were new, his subject matter – the female nude in, and acquainted with, nature – refers directly to the pastoral landscape tradition and it’s imagined worlds of timeless pleasure in harmony. This painting was included in the 1913 Armory Show, a groundbreaking exhibition that introduced US audiences to European modernism.
Best known for his later work as a sculptor, William Zorach spent two years studying painting in Paris, returning to New York in 1912. He wrote that his depictions of NYC’s most famous park in Spring in Central Park (1914) were “painted at home from the imagination . . . in all wild colors, peopled with exotic nudes,“ but the bold hues in undulating outlines recall the work of the Fauves, notably Henri Matisse and Andre Derain, whose canvases he had seen in Paris. With his wife, Marguerite, an avant-garde painter herself, Zorach associated with many of America’s earliest Modernists in New York in the late 1910s, including Max Weber, Marsden Hartley, and John Maren. In 1913 both Zorachs exhibited at the prestigious international exhibition of modern art,known as the Armory Show.
Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
Armory Show weekend passed without us paying it a single visit, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t see some art! Thrush Holmes’ More opened on March 6th as part of the concurrently running, VOLTA Contemporary Art Fair which was happening at various venues all over the city. Continue reading Thrush Holmes, More at Mike Weiss Gallery→
Mademoiselle Pogany II By Constantin Brancusi (All Photos By Gail)
Paul Kasmin Gallery’s current offering is Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013, an exhibition of significant works from the Estate collection of Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The show celebrates Brancusi’s 100th Anniversary in New York following his debut at the Armory Show in 1913, where Brancusi exhibited five works that directed modern sculpture on a radical new path.
Housed at the 27th Street location of the Kasmin Gallery, Brancusi in New York includes five bronze masterpieces by Brancusi: Head, Mademoiselle Pogany II, The Newborn, Sleeping Muse II and Fish; all presented in a contemporary context as a testament to Brancusi’s continued relevance in today’s art world.
The Newborn
Sleeping Muse
Fish
In the gallery’s rear room, there’s a beautiful collection of black and white photographs of several pieces you see in the exhibit. The photos’ monochromatic, matte finishes stand in striking contrast to the highly reflective surfaces of the bronze works. There are also a pair of inspirational quotes attributed to Brancusi painted directly on the gallery walls. This is a nice touch.
A fully illustrated catalogue, Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013, published by Assouline, chronicles the sculptor’s success in New York City and his impact on its artistic social environment. The exhibition was produced in partnership with the Brancusi Estate and is curated by Jérôme Neutres, who is the catalogue’s author.
The Brancusi exhibit will be up into the beginning of January 2o14, so you have a decent amount of time to see it, but with the hectic pace of the holidays nearly upon us, don’t wait too long and risk missing what could be a once in lifetime treat!
Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013 will be on Exhibit Through January 11, 2014 at the Paul Kasmin Gallery, located at 515 West 27th Street, Chelsea Gallery District, New York.
Meat Someone by Douglas Kolk (Click Image to Enlarge)
Geoffrey took this picture (with his hand) at the recent Armory Art Show. It has my name on it, so he sent it over to me for bloggishness. What a pal. You can see why I love him so very, very much.
