Palm Desert Gallery Besichtigungstour mit Tom Venditti - Saison 2022/2023

VERÖFFENTLICHT IN: Galerie Rundgänge

Begleiten Sie den Direktor von Heather James Fine Art, Tom Venditti, bei der Besichtigung unserer Flaggschiff-Galerie in Palm Desert, Kalifornien. Wir können uns glücklich schätzen, Tom zu haben. Bevor er zu Heather James Fine Art kam, war Tom Venditti 14 Jahre lang als Senior Director of Art für die atemberaubende Paul Allen Collection tätig , die kürzlich bei einer Auktion mehrere neue Rekorde aufstellte und damit die Stärke des Kunstmarktes triumphierend demonstrierte.

Heather James Fine Art ist bestrebt, eine große Auswahl an Kunst von historischer Bedeutung und ästhetischem Reiz anzubieten, und wir können uns niemanden vorstellen, der besser in der Lage ist, Einblicke in einen Claude Monet zu gewähren und gleichzeitig eine fundierte Sichtweise auf ein fabelhaftes neues Werk von Wayne Thiebaud anzubieten. Wir hoffen, dass Ihnen Toms kuratierte Reise durch verschiedene Genres und hochkarätige Künstler gefällt und dass sie Sie zu einem Besuch bei uns in Palm Desert inspirieren wird, um die Sammlung persönlich zu besichtigen.

Wir freuen uns, unsere Winteröffnungszeiten an unserem Standort in Palm Desert, 455188 Portola Avenue, bekannt zu geben: Montag bis Samstag von 9:00 - 5:00 Uhr.

KUNSTWERKE, DIE DERZEIT BEI HEATHER JAMES PALM DESERT ZU SEHEN SIND

Cottonwood Tree (Near Abiquiu), New Mexico (1943) by celebrated American artist Georgia O’Keeffe is exemplary of the airier, more naturalistic style that the desert inspired in her. O’Keeffe had great affinity for the distinctive beauty of the Southwest, and made her home there among the spindly trees, dramatic vistas, and bleached animal skulls that she so frequently painted. O’Keeffe took up residence at Ghost Ranch, a dude ranch twelve miles outside of the village of Abiquiú in northern New Mexico and painted this cottonwood tree around there. The softer style befitting this subject is a departure from her bold architectural landscapes and jewel-toned flowers.<br><br>The cottonwood tree is abstracted into soft patches of verdant greens through which more delineated branches are seen, spiraling in space against pockets of blue sky. The modeling of the trunk and delicate energy in the leaves carry forward past experimentations with the regional trees of the Northeast that had captivated O’Keeffe years earlier: maples, chestnuts, cedars, and poplars, among others. Two dramatic canvases from 1924, Autumn Trees, The Maple and The Chestnut Grey, are early instances of lyrical and resolute centrality, respectively. As seen in these early tree paintings, O’Keeffe exaggerated the sensibility of her subject with color and form.<br><br>In her 1974 book, O’Keeffe explained: “The meaning of a word— to me— is not as exact as the meaning of a color. Color and shapes make a more definite statement than words.” Her exacting, expressive color intrigued. The Precisionist painter Charles Demuth described how, in O’Keeffe’s work, “each color almost regains the fun it must have felt within itself on forming the first rainbow” (As quoted in C. Eldridge, Georgia O’Keeffe, New York, 1991, p. 33). As well, congruities between forms knit together her oeuvre. Subjects like hills and petals undulate alike, while antlers, trees, and tributaries correspond in their branching morphology.<br><br>The sinewy contours and gradated hues characteristic of O’Keeffe find an incredible range across decades of her tree paintings. In New Mexico, O’Keeffe returned to the cottonwood motif many times, and the seasonality of this desert tree inspired many forms. The vernal thrill of new growth was channeled into spiraling compositions like Spring Tree No.1 (1945). Then, cottonwood trees turned a vivid autumnal yellow provided a breathtaking compliment to the blue backdrop of Mount Pedernal. The ossified curves of Dead Cottonweed Tree (1943) contain dramatic pools of light and dark, providing a foil to the warm, breathing quality of this painting, Cottonwood Tree (Near Abiquiu). The aural quality of this feathered cottonwood compels a feeling guided by O’Keeffe’s use of form of color.

GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

<br>In Diego Rivera’s portrait of Enriqueta Dávila, the artist asserts a Mexicanidad, a quality of Mexican-ness, in the work along with his strong feelings towards the sitter. Moreover, this painting is unique amongst his portraiture in its use of symbolism, giving us a strong if opaque picture of the relationship between artist and sitter.<br><br>Enriqueta, a descendent of the prominent Goldbaum family, was married to the theater entrepreneur, José María Dávila. The two were close friends with Rivera, and the artist initially requested to paint Enriqueta’s portrait. Enriqueta found the request unconventional and relented on the condition that Rivera paints her daughter, Enriqueta “Quetita”. Rivera captures the spirit of the mother through the use of duality in different sections of the painting, from the floorboards to her hands, and even the flowers. Why the split in the horizon of the floorboard? Why the prominent cross while Enriqueta’s family is Jewish? Even her pose is interesting, showcasing a woman in control of her own power, highlighted by her hand on her hip which Rivera referred to as a claw, further complicating our understanding of her stature.<br><br>This use of flowers, along with her “rebozo” or shawl, asserts a Mexican identity. Rivera was adept at including and centering flowers in his works which became a kind of signature device. The flowers show bromeliads and roselles; the former is epiphytic and the latter known as flor de jamaica and often used in hibiscus tea and aguas frescas. There is a tension then between these two flowers, emphasizing the complicated relationship between Enriqueta and Rivera. On the one hand, Rivera demonstrates both his and the sitter’s Mexican identity despite the foreign root of Enriqueta’s family but there may be more pointed meaning revealing Rivera’s feelings to the subject. The flowers, as they often do in still life paintings, may also refer to the fleeting nature of life and beauty. The portrait for her daughter shares some similarities from the use of shawl and flowers, but through simple changes in gestures and type and placement of flowers, Rivera illuminates a stronger personality in Enriqueta and a more dynamic relationship as filtered through his lens.<br><br>A closer examination of even her clothing reveals profound meaning. Instead of a dress more in line for a socialite, Rivera has Enriqueta in a regional dress from Jalisco, emphasizing both of their Mexican identities. On the other hand, her coral jewelry, repeated in the color of her shoes, hints at multiple meanings from foreignness and exoticism to protection and vitality. From Ancient Egypt to Classical Rome to today, coral has been used for jewelry and to have been believed to have properties both real and symbolic. Coral jewelry is seen in Renaissance paintings indicating the vitality and purity of woman or as a protective amulet for infants. It is also used as a reminder, when paired with the infant Jesus, of his future sacrifice. Diego’s use of coral recalls these Renaissance portraits, supported by the plain background of the painting and the ribbon indicating the maker and date similar to Old Master works.<br><br>When combined in the portrait of Enriqueta, we get a layered and tense building of symbolism. Rivera both emphasizes her Mexican identity but also her foreign roots. He symbolizes her beauty and vitality but look closely at half of her face and it is as if Rivera has painted his own features onto hers. The richness of symbolism hints at the complex relationship between artist and sitter.

DIEGO RIVERA

Led by a triumvirate of painters of the American Scene, Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, and Grant Wood took on the task of exploring, defining, and celebrating the Midwest as a credible entity within the geographical, political, and mythological landscape of the United States. Their populist works were figurative and narrative-driven, and they gained widespread popularity among a Depression-weary American public. The landscapes Grant Wood painted, and the lithographs marketed by Associated American Artists were comforting reminders of traditional Midwestern values and the simplicity of country life. Yet, Wood's most iconic works, including American Gothic, were to be viewed through the lens of elusive narratives and witty ironies that reflect an artist who delighted in sharing his charming and humorous perspective on farm life. <br><br>In 1930, Wood achieved national fame and recognition with American Gothic, a fictionalized depiction of his sister, Nan, and his family dentist. Frequently regarded as the most famous American painting of the twentieth century, to fully grasp American Gothic's essential nature, one must recognize Wood's profound connection to his Iowan roots, a bond that borders on a singular fixation and the often-brutal confrontation between the moral and cultural rigidity of Midwest isolationism and the standards that prevailed elsewhere in America. This war of values and morality became dominant throughout Wood's oeuvre. Their fascination with American Gothic may have mystified the public, but the story, told in the attitude of a farmer and his wife, is as lean and brittle as the pitchfork he carries. Their attitude, as defiant as it is confrontational, is an unflinching dare to uppity gallery-goers to judge their immaculate well-scrubbed farm. American Gothic became an overnight sensation, an ambiguous national icon often interpreted as a self-effacing parody of midwestern life. Yet it also served as an unflinching mirror to urban elite attitudes and their often-derisive view of heartland values and way of life. In Grant Wood's hands, the people of the Midwest have stiffened and soured, their rectitude implacable.<br> <br>Portrait of Nan is Grant Wood's most intimate work. He may have been motivated to paint it to make amends for the significant scrutiny and harsh treatment his sister received as American Gothic's sternly posed female. Grant poured his heart into it as a sign of sibling love. Intent upon painting her as straightforward and simply as possible so as not to invite unintended interpretations, Wood's deep attachment to the portrait was significant enough for him to think of it as having irreplaceable value. When he moved from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City in 1935, he designed his entire living room around the work. It occupied the place of honor above the fireplace and was the only painting he refused to sell. <br> <br>The lithograph July Fifteenth, issued in 1938, proves his mystical vision of the Iowan heartland is anything but a pitchfork approach. Drawings assumed central importance in Wood's output, and this work is executed in meticulous detail, proving his drawings were at least as complex, if not more so, than his paintings. The surface of the present work takes on an elaborate, decorative rhythm, echoed throughout the land that is soft, verdant, and fertile. Structurally, it alludes in equal measure to the geometry of modern art and the decorative patterning of folk-art traditions. This is a magical place, a fulsome display of an idealized version of an eternal, lovely, and benign heartland. <br><br>The Young Artist, an en plein air sketch, may have been produced during, or slightly after, what Wood called his "palette-knife stage" that consumed him in 1925. Having not yet traveled to Munich where, in 1928, he worked on a stain-glass window commission and came under the influence of the Northern Renaissance painters that sparked his interest in the compositional severity and detailed technique associated with his mature works, here, he worked quickly, and decisively. The view is from a hilltop at Kenwood Park that overlooks the Cedar River Valley near Cedar Rapids, where he built a house for his sister, Nan.

GRANT WOOD

WILLEM DE KOONING - Frau in einem Ruderboot - Öl auf Papier auf Masonit gelegt - 47 1/2 x 36 1/4 in.

WILLEM DE KOONING

Laut dem vom Brandywine River Museum of Art zusammengestellten Werkverzeichnis wurde die Vorzeichnung für Puritan Cod Fishers von N. C. Wyeth vor seinem Tod im Oktober 1945 fertiggestellt. Der Eintrag enthält eine Abbildung der Skizze sowie die Inschriften des Künstlers und den Titel Puritan Cod Fishers, der im Katalog als "alternativ" bezeichnet wird. In jedem Fall handelt es sich bei der großformatigen Leinwand um ein einzigartiges Werk, das, wie Andrew Wyeth sich später erinnerte, ausschließlich von seiner Hand gemalt wurde, eine abgegrenzte Zusammenarbeit von Entwurf und Komposition des Vaters, die von einem bemerkenswerten Sohn in die Tat umgesetzt wurde. Für Andrew Wyeth muss es eine tief empfundene und emotionale Erfahrung gewesen sein. Angesichts der Detailtreue und Authentizität seines Vaters stellen die Linien des kleinen Segelschiffs eine Schaluppe dar, wie sie im 16. Jahrhundert verwendet wurde. Jahrhundert gebräuchlich war. Andererseits hat Andrew die Farbtöne der unruhigen See wahrscheinlich stärker vertieft, als es sein Vater getan hätte - eine Wahl, die die Gefährlichkeit der Aufgabe angemessen unterstreicht.

Andrew Wyeth & N. C. Wyeth

Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.<br><br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.<br><br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.<br><br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others.

ALEXANDER KALANDER

N.C. Wyeth’s extraordinary skills as an illustrator were borne of impeccable draftsmanship and as a painter, his warmly rich, harmonious sense of color, and ability to capture the quality of light itself. But it is his unmatched artistry in vivifying story and character with a powerful sense of mood that we admire most of all — the ability to transport himself to the world and time of his creation and to convey it with a beguiling sense of conviction. That ability is as apparent in the compositional complexities of Treasure Island’s “One More Step, Mr. Hands!” as it is here, in the summary account of a square-rigged, seventeenth-century merchant ship tossed upon the seas. The Coming of the Mayflower in 1620 is a simple statement of observable facts, yet Wyeth’s impeccable genius as an illustrator imbues it with the bracing salt air and taste that captures the adventuresome spirit of the men and women who are largely credited with the founding of America. That spirit is carried on the wind and tautly billowed sails, the jaunty heeling of the ship at the nose of a stiff gale, the thrusting, streamed-limned clouds, and the gulls jauntily arranged to celebrate an arrival as they are the feathered angels of providence guiding it to safe harbor.<br><br>The Coming of the Mayflower in 1620 was based on two studies, a composition drawing in graphite and a small presentation painting. The finished mural appears to have been installed in 1941.

N.C. WYETH

Trained as a woodcarver, Emil Nolde was almost 30 years old before he made his first paintings. The early paintings resembled his drawings and woodcuts: grotesque figures with bold lines and strong contrasts. The style was new, and it inspired the nascent movement Die Brücke (The Bridge), whose members invited Nolde to join them in 1906. But, it was not until the garden became his locus operandi by 1915 that he built upon his mastery of contrasting luminosities to focus on color as the supreme means of expression. Later, Nolde claimed “color is strength, strength is life,” and he could not have better characterized why his flower paintings reinvigorate our perception of color.<br><br>Much of the strength of Nolde’s dramatic, Wagnerian-like color sensibilities is the effect of staging primary colors, such as the deep reds and golden yellows of Sonnenblumen, Abend II, against a somber palette. The contrast highlights and deepens the luminosity of the flowers, not just visually, but emotionally as well. In 1937, when Nolde’s art was rejected, confiscated, and defiled, his paintings were paraded as “degenerate art” throughout Nazi Germany in dimly lit galleries. Despite that treatment, Nolde’s status as a degenerate artist gave his art more breathing space because he seized the opportunity to produce more than 1,300 watercolors, which he called “unpainted pictures.” No novice in handling watercolor, his free-flowing style of painting had been a hallmark of his highly-charge, transparent washes since 1918. Sonnenblumen, Abend II, painted in 1944, is a rare wartime oil. He let his imagination run wild with this work, and his utilization of wet-on-wet techniques heightened the drama of each petal.<br><br>Nolde’s intense preoccupation with color and flowers, particularly sunflowers, reflects his continuing devotion to van Gogh. He was aware of van Gogh as early as 1899 and, during the 1920s and early 1930s, visited several exhibitions of the Dutch artist’s work. They shared a profound love of nature. Nolde’s dedication to expression and the symbolic use of color found fullness in the sunflower subject, and it became a personal symbol for him, as it did for Van Gogh.

EMIL NOLDE

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>From the earliest days of painting during the nineteenth century, which was precipitated by the advent of Impressionism, Renoir established a reputation as the finest portrait painter among the emerging landscapists. Works such as Lise with a Parasol (1867) demonstrated his ability to capture the essence of his subjects with a distinctive flair, setting him apart from his peers. Inspired by a transformative trip to Italy in 1882, Renoir shifted his approach, emphasizing modeling and contours with smooth, blended handling, integrating a new found rigor and clarity reminiscent of the old masters. Often referred to as Renoir’s “Ingres period,” he retained the reputation of the painter best suited to manage the traditional process of recording a sitter's likeness with the distinctive flair and vibrancy of an Impressionist. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>By 1890, Renoir’s style evolved again. He thinned his pigments to achieve a jewel-like translucence, infusing his works with a tender, ethereal quality. This final phase reflects the physical limitations of encroaching rheumatoid arthritis but also a deeper, more reflective approach to his subjects, capturing their inner light and character with subtle, luminous strokes. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>No longer obliged to rely upon society portrait commissions, by 1900, Renoir began to focus on portraits and studies of family, close friends, and neighbors. “Fillette à l’orange”, painted in 1911, extends our appreciation of his very personal, intimate style and reputation for imbuing his portraits of children with all the affectionate charm he could muster. It avoids the softer, generalized approach that prompted his son Jean’s remark that “we are all Renoir’s children, ”idealized versions of beauty and sensuality expressed in universal rather than with physiognomic specifics. We may never know her identity, but her likeness is vivid because Renoir concentrates on her face and expression. Nevertheless, the interplay of light and color highlights her features and brings to life the tender and affectionate nature characteristic of Renoir’s later portraits. An orange as an accessory is often included in portraiture as a symbol of fertility. Yet, here, it seems to serve as a formal element for the artist to demonstrate his skill at displaying its size, shape, and heft in this young girl's hand.</font></div>

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR

Alexander Calder executed a surprising number of oil paintings during the second half of the 1940s and early 1950s. By this time, the shock of his 1930 visit to Mondrian’s studio, where he was impressed not by the paintings but by the environment, had developed into an artistic language of Calder’s own. So, as Calder was painting The Cross in 1948, he was already on the cusp of international recognition and on his way to winning the XX VI Venice Biennale’s grand prize for sculpture in 1952. Working on his paintings in concert with his sculptural practice, Calder approached both mediums with the same formal language and mastery of shape and color.<br><br>Calder was deeply intrigued by the unseen forces that keep objects in motion. Taking this interest from sculpture to canvas, we see that Calder built a sense of torque within The Cross by shifting its planes and balance. Using these elements, he created implied motion suggesting that the figure is pressing forward or even descending from the skies above. The Cross’s determined momentum is further amplified by details such as the subject’s emphatically outstretched arms, the fist-like curlicue vector on the left, and the silhouetted serpentine figure.<br><br>Calder also adopts a strong thread of poetic abandon throughout The Cross’s surface. It resonates with his good friend Miró’s hieratic and distinctly personal visual language, but it is all Calder in the effective animation of this painting’s various elements. No artist has earned more poetic license than Calder, and throughout his career, the artist remained convivially flexible in his understanding of form and composition. He even welcomed the myriad interpretations of others, writing in 1951, “That others grasp what I have in mind seems unessential, at least as long as they have something else in theirs.”<br><br>Either way, it is important to remember that The Cross was painted shortly after the upheaval of the Second World War and to some appears to be a sobering reflection of the time. Most of all, The Cross proves that Alexander Calder loaded his brush first to work out ideas about form, structure, relationships in space, and most importantly, movement.

ALEXANDER KALANDER

In den frühen 1870er Jahren malte Winslow Homer häufig Szenen des Landlebens in der Nähe eines kleinen Bauerndorfes, das seit Generationen für seine bemerkenswerten Weizenbestände bekannt ist und zwischen dem Hudson River und den Catskills im Bundesstaat New York liegt. Heute ist Hurley weitaus bekannter als Inspiration für eines von Homers größten Werken, Snap the Whip, das im Sommer 1872 entstand. Unter den vielen anderen Gemälden, die von der Region inspiriert wurden, ist Girl Standing in the Wheatfield reich an Gefühlen, aber nicht übermäßig sentimental. Es steht in direktem Zusammenhang mit einer 1866 in Frankreich gemalten Studie mit dem Titel In the Wheatfields und einem weiteren Gemälde, das er im Jahr darauf nach seiner Rückkehr nach Amerika malte. Aber auf dieses Bild wäre Homer zweifellos am stolzesten gewesen. Es ist ein Porträt, eine Kostümstudie, ein Genrebild in der großen Tradition der europäischen Pastoralmalerei und eine dramatisch beleuchtete, stimmungsvolle Tour de Force, durchdrungen vom schnell schwindenden Licht der Abenddämmerung, aufgelockert durch zarte, blumige Noten und einen Hauch von Weizenähren. Im Jahr 1874 schickte Homer vier Gemälde zur Ausstellung der National Academy of Design. Eines trug den Titel "Mädchen". Könnte es sich nicht um dieses Gemälde handeln?

WINSLOW HOMER

No artist bridged the gap between European Modernism and American Abstract Expressionism the same way Hans Hofmann did. The reason is simple. He was trained in Parisian academies prior to World War I and was friendly with Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and, most significantly, Robert and Sonia Delaunay. Conversely, his endeavors as a teacher and later, as a mature artist in full command of his abilities were stimulated — made possible even — by the exhilarating New York milieu that gave rise to Abstract Expressionism. So perhaps it is not surprising that unlike most of the Abstract Expressionists who pursued a single iconographic look — Rothko’s soft-edged rectangles, Franz Klein’s enlarged calligraphic strokes, Clyfford Still’s dark, ragged shapes — Hofmann was constantly reaching for different and contradictory effects. That meant his paintings were wildly varied and that they carved a wide swath toward the most exciting avenues available to contemporary abstraction. Hofmann proved to be a gallant experimenter, refusing to settle on a single style for long.<br><br>The Climb was painted in 1960 at a time when most American painters were pushing abstraction in new directions. Not surprisingly, as an outlier, it does not evoke Hofmann’s usual “push and pull’ technique. But it is very much a painting of its time, marked by a sensuousness and a deft, painterly touch. It suggests what Irving Sandler characterized as Hofmann’s hedonistic touch, an optimistic celebration of the lyrical abstraction that overcame the burning darkness of painting in the 40s and trumped even the lighter palette of Pollock or Pousette-Dart that emerged later. While the passages of The Climb are brushed rather than poured or stained, it reflects the delicate lyricism of his former student, Helen Frankenthaler who, since 1952 had experimented with floating areas of color, absorbed into the canvas with watercolor-like ease. She, in turn, had inspired a generation of Color Field painters including Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland. On the other hand, these short bands and prismatic slurries recall those halcyon days in Paris when Hofmann worked through color theory with his good friend Robert Delaunay and thought a lot about prisms. Hofmann not only retained elements of Synthetic Cubism, but the lessons he learned from the Fauves and the artists who verily invented abstraction, Wassily Kandinsky, Kasimir Malevich, Frantisek Kupka, and Piet Mondrian to name a few of the key players. The Climb is a glorious expression of a painter drawing from both the past and the present, painting in a playful, but not frivolous manner fully informed and prepared to express his abilities as a painter, simply, and with great conviction.<br><br>As New York City became the avant-garde’s global hub in the 1940s, radical, new approaches to art, such as action painting and abstraction, took root among the informally grouped New York School painters. By 1950, Abstract Expressionism was well underway, but the movement was often overlooked by institutions. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced its plan to exhibit a survey of contemporary American painting, many of the New York School painters felt there was a bias against more “progressive” art in the museum’s selection process, prompting them to draft an open letter protesting the show.<br><br>The letter garnered attention, and Life magazine published an article on the protest in January 1951, “The Irascible Group of Advanced Artists Led Fight Against Show.” To accompany the article, Nina Lee photographed 15 of the 18 painters who signed the letter, including Hans Hofmann, Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, Ad Reinhardt, Richard Pousette-Dart, William Baziotes, Jackson Pollock, Clyford Still, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko. Today, this article is considered a turning point in the prominence of Abstract Expressionism, and the artists involved are often referred to as the “Irascibles.”

HANS HOFMANN

The frame of reference for Irish American Sean Scully’s signature blocks and stripes is vast. From Malevich’s central premise that geometry can provide the means for universal understanding to Rothko’s impassioned approach to color and rendering of the dramatic sublime, Scully learned how to condense the splendor of the natural world into simple modes of color, light, and composition. Born in Dublin in 1945 and London-raised, Scully was well-schooled in figurative drawing when he decided to catch the spirit of his lodestar, Henri Matisse, by visiting Morocco in 1969. He was captivated by the dazzling tessellated mosaics and richly dyed fabrics and began to paint grids and stipes of color. Subsequent adventures provided further inspiration as the play of intense light on the reflective surfaces of Mayan ruins and the ancient slabs of stone at Stonehenge brought the sensation of light, space, and geometric movement to Scully’s paintings. The ability to trace the impact of Scully’s travels throughout his paintings reaffirms the value of abstract art as a touchstone for real-life experience.<br><br><br>Painted in rich, deep hues and layered, nuanced surfaces, Grey Red is both poetic and full of muscular formalism. Scully appropriately refers to these elemental forms as ‘bricks,’ suggesting the formal calculations of an architect. As he explained, “these relationships that I see in the street doorways, in windows between buildings, and in the traces of structures that were once full of life, I take for my work. I use these colors and forms and put them together in a way that perhaps reminds you of something, though you’re not sure of that” (David Carrier, Sean Scully, 2004, pg. 98). His approach is organic, less formulaic; intuitive painter’s choices are layering one color upon another so that contrasting hues and colors vibrate with subliminal energy. Diebenkorn comes to mind in his pursuit of radiant light. But here, the radiant bands of terracotta red, gray, taupe, and black of Grey Red resonate with deep, smoldering energy and evoke far more affecting passion than you would think it could impart. As his good friend, Bono wrote, “Sean approaches the canvas like a kickboxer, a plasterer, a builder. The quality of painting screams of a life being lived.”

SEAN SCULLY

Die Welt von Marc Chagall lässt sich nicht eindämmen oder begrenzen durch die Etiketten, die wir ihr anheften. Es ist eine Welt der Bilder und Bedeutungen, die ihren eigenen, herrlich mystischen Diskurs bilden. Les Mariés sous le baldaquin (Die Braut und der Bräutigam unter dem Baldachin) entstand zu Beginn des 90. Lebensjahres des Künstlers, eines Mannes, der Tragödien und Kämpfe erlebt hatte, der aber nie die Momente der Freude im Leben vergaß. Hier werden uns die träumerischen Freuden einer russischen Dorfhochzeit mit ihren Arrangements aus altgedienten Teilnehmern mit so viel fröhlichem Witz und heiterer Unschuld vor Augen geführt, dass man sich ihrem Charme nicht entziehen kann. Durch die Verwendung einer goldfarbenen Emulsion, die eine Kombination aus Öl und opaker Gouache auf Wasserbasis darstellt, wird die Wärme, das Glück und der Optimismus von Chagalls üblichem Positivismus in einen leuchtenden Glanz gehüllt, der an den Einfluss von religiösen Ikonen mit Blattgold oder an die Malerei der Frührenaissance erinnert, die den Eindruck von göttlichem Licht oder spiritueller Erleuchtung vermitteln wollte. Die Kombination von Öl und Gouache kann eine Herausforderung sein. Aber hier, in Les Mariés sous le baldaquin, setzt Chagall sie ein, um der Szene eine jenseitige Qualität zu verleihen, fast so, als ob sie sich vor seinem geistigen Auge materialisiert hätte. Die zarte Textur erweckt den Eindruck, dass das Licht vom Werk selbst ausgeht, und verleiht den im Himmel schwebenden Figuren eine gespenstische Qualität.

MARC CHAGALL

Located on the French Riviera between Nice and Monte Carlo, the Bay of Eze is renowned for its stunning location and spectacular views. As you can see on pages 80-81 of Rafferty's book, this painting skillfully captures the dizzying heights, set just west of Lou Sueil, the home of Jacques and Consuelo Balsan, close friends of Winston and Clementine.<br> <br>The painting manipulates perspective and depth, a nod to the dramatic shifts of artists including Monet and Cézanne, who challenged traditional vantage points of landscapes. The portrait (i.e. vertical) orientation of the canvas combined with the trees, and the rhyming coastline channels the viewer’s gaze. The perceived tilting of the water's plane imbues the painting with dynamic tension.

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

<div>Still lifes like<em> Oranges and Lemons (C 455) </em>give us an insight to the rich and colorful life of Churchill, just as his landscapes and seascapes do. Churchill painted <em>Oranges and Lemons</em> at La Pausa. Churchill would often frequent La Pausa as the guest of his literary agent, Emery Reves and his wife, Wendy.  Reves purchased the home from Coco Chanel.  While other members of the Churchill family did not share his enthusiasm, Churchill and his daughter Sarah loved the place, which Churchill affectionately called “LaPausaland”.  To avoid painting outside on a chilly January morning, Wendy Reves arranged the fruit for Churchill to paint. Surrounded by the Reves’s superb collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, including a number of paintings by Paul Cézanne, Oranges and Lemons illuminates Churchill’s relationships and the influence of Cézanne, who he admired. The painting, like Churchill, has lived a colorful life, exhibited at both the 1959 Royal Academy of Art exhibition of his paintings and the 1965 New York World’s Fair.</div>

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

JULIAN SCHNABEL - Ohne Titel - Öl und Wachs auf Plane - 120 x 96 Zoll.

JULIANISCHES SCHNABEL

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Fernando Botero's legendary ascension as an international sensation began when Museum of Modern Art curator Dorothy Miller stumbled upon his Greenwich Village studio in 1961 and purchased "<em>Mona Lisa, Age Twelve</em>." His trademark portly figures and playful, lighthearted humor became known as "Boterismo." More importantly, the art leaving his easel revealed an unbridled respect for the Old Masters, the compelling chiaroscuro of a Zurbarán still life, the sfumato of da Vinci, and always the craftsmanship of van Eyck, Dürer, or Rubens. Botero continues that thread of technical mastery with "<em>L'Atelier de Sánchez Cotán</em>" even as he reshapes these classical themes through his unique lens. A mixed media collage and oil on canvas, the work pays homage to the Spanish Baroque still life painter Juan Sánchez Cotán by subverting and modernizing the traditional still life genre. Botero captures Cotán's hyperrealism with a surreal, almost whimsical aesthetic. An oversized apple suspended on a string dominates the composition, a nod to Cotán's meticulously arranged still life paintings, known for the striking suspended effect of fruit or vegetables. Botero's rendition, however, imbues the scene with a sense of playfulness and detachment from reality, as seen in the box-like contraption, resembling a stage or a viewing device containing miniature versions of objects within the painting. The stark, flat backdrop, devoid of Cotán's characteristic chiaroscuro, accentuates the sense of artifice.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Fernando Botero's death on September 15, 2023, was a significant loss for the art world. Although his roots are deeply Colombian, his appeal is global, coupling commercial success with critical acclaim—a balance few artists have achieved. Works such as “<em>L'Atelier de Sánchez Cotán</em>” are not just whimsical or aesthetic; they prompt the viewer to appreciate the enduring dialogue between tradition and innovation, showcasing an artist of great technical finesse and mastery.</font></div>

FERNANDO BOTERO

Der junge Grant Wood malte das Bild kurz nach der zweiten von drei Europareisen, die er in den 1920er Jahren unternahm, und setzte damit sein in Nordfrankreich begonnenes Interesse an der Pleinairmalerei fort. Der Pointillismus von Seurat gefiel Wood, und die Spachtelmalerei zog ihn 1925 in ihren Bann. Aber er war noch nicht nach München gereist, wo er 1928 unter den Einfluss der Maler der nördlichen Renaissance geriet, was sein Interesse an der kompositorischen Strenge und der detaillierten Technik weckte, die er in seinen reifen Werken anwendet. Wood malte schnell und entschlossen und schuf The Young Artist von einem Hügel im Kenwood Park aus, der das Cedar River Valley in der Nähe von Cedar Rapids überblickt, wo er ein Haus für seine Schwester Nan baute.

GRANT WOOD

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Martha's Vineyard played a pivotal role in Thomas Hart Benton's artistic journey, offering him both inspiration and respite from urban life. His first visit to the sparsely populated island in 1920 marked a turning point, allowing him to escape the sweltering New York summers and find clarity in the island's serene environment. At a time before the island was deluged by the fabulously wealthy, Vineyard was a freewheeling community of artists and intellectuals that gave the ever-inquisitive Benton much-needed stimulation. It is here that Benton's bold colors and dynamic compositions achieved contour inflections, pictorial rhythms, and a strong-hued palette, which we associate with his mature style. Inspired early by Cézanne, Benton's landscapes transcend fleeting impressions. Yet he never abandoned the influence of Synchronism and its focus on color harmonies, tempo, and rhythm. That latter influence drives the energy and spirit of "Keith's Farm, Chilmark," organized into horizontal bands of visual information, creating a sense of motion and unity.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>With its rolling pastures to the Atlantic Ocean and tranquil cloud formations beyond, the view over the Keith Farm pastures is one of the island's most spectacular. Overlooking Menemsha Pond to the Vineyard Sound, Benton captured and distilled the essential nature of the place, transforming it into a picturesque and personally significant composition. His use of modern techniques to strip the landscape down to its basic tendencies embodies pride in regional America and a reverence for the country's natural beauty in ways the streets of New York never could. Simultaneously, Benton imbues the work with what his daughter, Jessie, noted: music played a vital role in her father's art, informing a sense of motion using sinuous forms, each rendered in flowing complementary and contrasting colors and 'twisting, always moving, moving, moving.' Typical of Benton's best paintings, "Keith's Farm, Chilmark" is a well-orchestrated work that pulls individual elements into a unifying scheme of visual rhythm — a testament to his mastery of landscape painting and deep connection to Martha's Vineyard.</font></div>

THOMAS HART BENTON

The Pop Art Movement is notable for its rewriting of Art History and the idea of what could be considered a work of art. Larry Rivers association with Pop-Art and the New York School set him aside as one of the great American painters of the Post-War period. <br><br>In addition to being a visual artist, Larry Rivers was a jazz saxophonist who studied at the Juilliard School of Music from 1945-1946. This painting's subject echoes the artists' interest in Jazz and the musical scene in New York City, particularly Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. <br><br>“Untitled” (1958) is notable bas the same owner has held it since the work was acquired directly from the artist several decades ago. This work is from the apex of the artists' career in New York and could comfortably hang in a museum's permanent collection.

STEUERFLÜSSE

PIERRE BONNARD - Soleil Couchant - Öl auf Leinwand - 14 1/2 x 22 1/2 Zoll.

PIERRE BONNARD

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Born in 1982, French native and Brooklyn-based artist Julie Curtiss is celebrated for her beguiling paintings that reimagine a surrealist's conceptual and aesthetic principles for the contemporary era. Her work draws heavily on the Surrealist fascination with Freudian psychology and the subconscious, themes championed by figures like André Breton and Louis Aragon. By blending these Surrealist influences with the dreamlike, graphic qualities reminiscent of the Chicago Imagists, Curtiss creates a visual language that is both referential and distinctly hers. Her imagery often focuses on deconstructing the female form and symbolically representing stereotypical feminine aesthetics, echoing the work of early 20th-century female Surrealists who used dreamlike settings and humor to explore and critique the female experience.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black><em>“D'apres l'Olympia”</em> epitomizes Curtiss's painterly approach to 21st-century sexuality, combining a distinctive yet referential visual lexicon that has earned her international acclaim. By destabilizing the art historical trope of the female nude and reinterpreting Manet's iconic painting of the same name, Curtiss melds elements of French modernism with the graphic sensibilities she developed after moving to Tokyo in 2006, where she honed her signature comic book-like aesthetic. The large red shoes—a striking departure from Manet's original—introduce a sense of humor, simultaneously evoking pop-cultural references while critiquing stereotypical femininity. These oversized, vivid shoes might symbolize the exaggerated expectations placed upon women or serve as a playful nod to the absurdity of societal norms. While her admiration for Manet is evident, it is Curtiss's ability to merge these historical references with contemporary concerns and aesthetics that makes<em> “D'apres l'Olympia”</em> a powerful commentary on the evolving nature of female.</font></div>

JULIE CURTISS

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Camille Claudel's life story reflects an era when societal constraints often dimmed the brilliance of women; their genius was viewed as a threat to the male-dominated world. Most introductions to Claudel are steeped in misleading biographical details related to her as Rodin's assistant, mistress, or lover, associations that diminish her achievements as a first-rate sculptor whose work borrows little from Rodin in style or subject matter. Despite these challenges, Claudel's legacy has endured, celebrated through exhibitions, biographies, and films since her rediscovery in 1982. </font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black><em>“La Vague (The Wave),”</em> a remarkable sculpture of three women frolicking joyfully, embodies Claudel's passion for art and connection to nature. The women, their hair unruly like the sea, are depicted in a moment of freedom and abandon, yet the looming wave hints at the inevitable sorrow to come—a metaphor for Claudel's life, shadowed by fate. This piece, initially shown in plaster and later cast in bronze with an onyx marble wave, draws direct inspiration from Hokusai's <em>“The Great Wave,”</em> reflecting the Parisian fascination with Japanese art at the time. While <em>“La Vague”</em> showcases Claudel's technical mastery and the influence of Japanese aesthetics, it also poignantly symbolizes her acceptance of the overpowering forces of nature and the tragic course her life would ultimately take. This bronze, cast in 1997, is one of only two not held in a museum, further emphasizing the rarity of and reverence for Claudel's work.</font></div>

CAMILLE CLAUDEL

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT - Ohne Titel (Anatomie der Taube) - Öl, Graphit und Kreide auf Papier - 22 x 30 Zoll.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

DAMIEN HIRST - Forgotten Thoughts - Schmetterlinge und Haushaltsglanz auf Leinwand - 48 x 48 in.

DAMIEN HIRST

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Deeply influenced by his populist views and commitment to social realism, Thomas Hart Benton became an advocate for the common man, often depicting the struggles and resilience of ordinary Americans in his work. Coal strikes were frequent occurrences in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and <em>"Mine Strike"</em> is a visually compelling account of such an uprising, rich with social commentary. At the time, Benton traveled the nation seeking inspiration for a mural project and was particularly interested in social issues. In 1933, he illustrated the modern social history of the United States for <em>“We the People”,</em> published by Harper & Brothers, New York. <em>"Mine Strike"</em> is carefully constructed to highlight the chaos and human drama. </font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>The figures are robust and grounded, reflecting Benton's signature style of muscular forms. The scene, though aggressive and violent, displays commitment and sacrifice. Two officers fire on the strikers, one of whom has fallen to the ground, shot. Set against the backdrop of an imposing mining complex, a towering black structure known as a 'tipple' looms ominously over the strikers. Its darkly sinister anthropomorphic shape contrasts sharply with the lighter, more organic human figures — an appearance intensified by its coal chutes resembling mechanical arms. This visual metaphor of industrial oppression underscores the pervasive threat posed by the coal mining industry and those paid to protect its interests.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Through <em>"Mine Strike,"</em> Benton not only documents a specific historical moment but also critiques the broader socio-economic conditions of his time. His depiction of the workers' plight is a powerful statement on the exploitation and struggles the working-class faces. Benton's political leanings towards advocating for social justice and his commitment to portraying the reality of American life are vividly encapsulated in this painting, making it a poignant and enduring piece of art.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Benton made two compositions about strike activities during this time: this painting and another, <em>“Strikebreakers”</em>, painted in 1931. Of the two, Benton used <em>"Mine Strike"</em> as the basis for a well-known lithograph issued in 1933. Benton described the scene as a "Strike battle" in the coal country. This is an imaginary reconstruction of a situation only too common in the late twenties and early thirties."</font></div>

THOMAS HART BENTON

HANS HOFMANN - Lied der Liebe - Öl auf Leinwand - 36 1/4 x 48 1/4 Zoll.

HANS HOFMANN

AMEDEO MODIGLIANI - Cariatide - blaue Kreide auf chamoisfarbenem Papier - 24 x 18 in.

AMEDEO MODIGLIANI

A major figure in both the Abstract Expressionist and American Figurative Expressionist movements of the 1940s and 1950s, Elaine de Kooning's prolific output defied singular categorization. Her versatile styles explored the spectrum of realism to abstraction, resulting in a career characterized by intense expression and artistic boundary-pushing. A striking example of de Kooning's explosive creativity is Untitled (Totem Pole), an extremely rare sculptural painting by the artist that showcases her command of color. <br><br>She created this piece around 1960, the same period as her well-known bullfight paintings. She left New York in 1957 to begin teaching at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and from there would visit Ciudad Juárez, where she observed the bullfights that inspired her work. An avid traveler, de Kooning drew inspiration from various sources, resulting in a diverse and experimental body of work.

ELAINE DE KOONING

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Known for his ability to blend traditional Japanese techniques with modern aesthetics, Hiroshi Senju's sublime depictions of bands of cascading veils of paint evoke sensations of tranquility and awe. Senju began exploring waterfall imagery in the early 1990s, pouring translucent pigment onto mulberry paper mounted on board, creating cascading movement. In this work, "<em>Waterfall," </em>he masterfully bonds ribbons of cascading water into two curtain-like ethereal panels. Senju's interest in synesthesia is undeniable. "<em>Waterfall</em>" conjures sound, smell, and feel sensations as much as the rushing water's appearance. In the present work, he placed these dynamic elements in a context that grounds the viewer's sense of place within the natural world. A wedge of blue in the upper left corner contrasts the otherwise monochromatic palette, providing a sky association bounded by a hillside or cliff (for which Senju is known). Additionally, as the cascading water descends, it reaches a destination expanse at the bottom of the picture plane, where the force of the water disperses into a fine mist at the point of contact, serving as a visual anchor. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Senju's finesse is evident throughout. He uses mulberry paper, a traditional Japanese material known for its delicate texture and strength. The paper's natural fibers absorb pigments in ways that create subtle gradients and fluidity, enhancing the visual effect of the cascading water. He employs traditional Nihonga techniques, such as layering washes to build depth and movement and utilizing varied brush strokes to achieve different effects. Additionally, he incorporates modern methods like the airbrush to apply fine mists of pigment, creating smooth and seamless gradients that mimic the delicate spray and vapor associated with cascading water.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hiroshi Senju pays homage to the traditional art forms of his heritage while pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. His ability to convey the sublime through simplicity and abstraction makes this artwork a testament to his unique vision and artistic mastery. It stands as a serene reminder of nature's timeless beauty, captured through the ability of a master painter and artist.  </font></div>

HIROSHI SENJU

HANS HOFMANN - Ohne Titel - Öl auf Leinwand - 25 x 30 1/4 Zoll.

HANS HOFMANN

Max Weber zog 1905 nach Paris, als die Stadt das Epizentrum der künstlerischen Innovation war. Seine frühen Werke zeigen den gleichzeitigen Einfluss der kühnen Farbpalette des Fauvismus und der fragmentierten Darstellung der Realität durch den Kubismus. Weber imitierte diese Stile jedoch nicht einfach, sondern integrierte und interpretierte sie neu, um etwas Eigenes zu schaffen. Webers Bedeutung liegt nicht nur in seinen abstrakten Werken, sondern auch in seiner Rolle als Vermittler von Ideen der Moderne. Weber spielte eine entscheidende Rolle im transatlantischen Dialog, der die Entwicklung der amerikanischen Kunst im 20. Seine Darstellungen von Frauenfiguren stellen eine Synthese aus Abstraktion und Gegenständlichkeit dar, die das Wesen seiner Sujets einfängt und sich von den traditionellen figurativen Werken löst.

MAX WEBER

Mel Ramos is best known for his paintings of superheroes and female nudes juxtaposed with pop culture imagery. Many of the subjects in his paintings emerge from iconic brands or cultural touchstones like Chiquita bananas, M&M bags, or Snickers. In these works, visual delight is combined with suggested edible and commercial indulgence.<br><br>Leta and the Hill Myna diverges from some of Ramos’ other nudes. Here Ramos depicts his wife, whom he spoke of as his greatest muse. Like his works depicting superheroes, Leta and the Hill Myna is imbued with mythos and lore. Myna birds are native to South Asia where some are taught to speak, often to recite religious. Furthermore, playing on his wife’s name and the avian theme, Ramos is referencing the famous tale of Leda and the Swan in which Zeus embodies a bird to rape Leda. The story has been reinterpreted throughout history, including by great artists such as Paul Cezanne, Cy Twombly and Fernando Botero. With this depiction, Ramos places himself in that same art historical lineage.

MEL RAMOS

HERB ALPERT - Pfeilspitze - Bronze - 201 x 48 x 48 x 48 in.

HERB ALPERT

Die künstlerische Entwicklung von Rouault, die von seinem frommen katholischen Glauben geprägt ist, ist einzigartig unter den Modernisten. Fasziniert von den leuchtenden Farben und der Art und Weise, wie das Licht durch die mittelalterlichen Kirchenfenster fällt, trug er dicke, satte Farbschichten auf und verstärkte die rohen und kühnen Formen, die von tiefen Blautönen durchzogen waren, mit schweren schwarzen Linien. Rouault unterstützte oft starke, wiederkehrende religiöse Themen, die der Macht der Erlösung gewidmet sind. Carlotta dient weder dieser höheren Berufung noch dem marginalisierten Leiden der Motive, zu denen Clowns, Prostituierte und Kreuzigungen gehören. Stattdessen ist Carlotta eine Gelegenheit, Rouaults subtilere Farbvariationen und das dynamische Zusammenspiel zwischen der rauen, taktilen Qualität des Impastos und der weicheren, diffuseren Wirkung der verkrümelten Passagen eines Modells zu bewundern, das nicht durch Themen des menschlichen Schmerzes und der Verzweiflung belastet ist.

GEORGES ROUAULT

Francisco Zúñiga begann schon als Junge mit der Bildhauerei, als er seinem Vater, einem lokalen Bildhauer von Holzsantos, assistierte. Nachdem er 1936 aus seinem Heimatland Costa Rica nach Mexiko gekommen war, wandte er sich endgültig der Bildhauerei zu und entwickelte ein breit gefächertes, auf der Figur basierendes Werk, das die direkte Schnitzerei in Holz, das Modellieren in Ton, die direkte Bearbeitung von hartem Stein und den Bronzeguss umfasst. "Desnundo Reclinado de Dolores" ist insofern ein Novum, als es weder sein Interesse an präkolumbianischer Kunst noch seine Beharrlichkeit widerspiegelt, indianisch aussehende Frauen mit übertriebenen Hüften und Bäuchen darzustellen. Stattdessen handelt es sich um eine klassisch modellierte Meisterleistung einer hüftdrehenden, auf die Unterarme gestützten knienden Frau, die Rodin mit Stolz als seine eigene bezeichnen würde.

FRANCISCO ZUNIGA

In "Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2" verbindet Mel Ramos spielerisch das Erbe von Marcel Duchamps modernistischem Meisterwerk mit der lebendigen Ästhetik der Pop Art und schafft so eine clevere und visuell anregende Neuinterpretation. Indem er Duchamps abstrakte Bewegung mit seinem charakteristischen Pin-up-Stil verbindet, schafft Ramos einen dynamischen Dialog zwischen den verehrten Traditionen der bildenden Kunst und den kühnen, grafischen Qualitäten der kommerziellen Bilderwelt. Dieses Werk ist ein Beispiel für Ramos' Fähigkeit, sich in der Kunstgeschichte und der zeitgenössischen Kultur zurechtzufinden, indem er die Anziehungskraft der weiblichen Nacktheit nutzt, um die gesellschaftliche Besessenheit von Schönheit, Begehren und Kommerzialisierung zu erkunden und zu persiflieren. Auf diese Weise wird Ramos' Werk zu einer Quintessenz der Pop Art, die in ihrer spielerischen Assoziation mit Duchamp schwelgt und gleichzeitig die visuelle Kultur ihrer Zeit kritisiert und feiert.

MEL RAMOS

Genieve Figgis ist eine bemerkenswerte Figur in der zeitgenössischen irischen Kunstszene. Sie ist bekannt für ihre klugen und kritischen Gruppenporträts, die sich oft über längst vergangene gesellschaftliche Konventionen lustig machen. Als relative Späteinsteigerin in die Malerei erregte sie über Twitter die Aufmerksamkeit des amerikanischen Appropriation-Künstlers Richard Prince, der daraufhin eines ihrer Werke erwarb und sie in die einflussreichen Kreise der New Yorker Kunstszene einführte. Figgis' Werk kritisiert spielerisch die Konsumgewohnheiten der wohlhabenden Mittelschicht und den luxuriösen Lebensstil, wie er von Künstlern der Vergangenheit verewigt wurde, und holt diese Themen mit einer Mischung aus Satire und rohen, authentischen Darstellungen des Lebens in die Gegenwart. Figgis schlägt eine Brücke zu Daumier oder Hogarth, deren Werke häufig einen satirischen Blick auf die zeitgenössische Gesellschaft werfen, und schließt sich Künstlern an, die sich der Gesellschaftssatire verschrieben haben und für ihre scharfe Beobachtungsgabe bekannt sind.

GENIEVE FIGGIS

JOHN CHAMBERLAIN - ASARABACA - Aluminiumfolie in Industriequalität mit Acryllack und Polyesterharz - 20 x 23 x 22 Zoll.

JOHN CHAMBERLAIN

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Standing at an impressive 103 inches, this elegantly spare “Sonambient” sculpture by Harry Bertoia allows us to marvel at one of the finest artisans of his generation. This piece, the tallest in the series currently available here at Heather James Fine Art, features a precise arrangement of 36 slender tines in a 6 x 6 grid. This arrangement's uniformity and symmetry are visually captivating and crucial for the sculpture's acoustic properties. The rods, austere and uncapped by finials, have an aged patina with copper undertones, suggesting Bertoia's use of copper or a similar alloy known for its resonant qualities and distinctive coloration. Given the outstanding length of these rods, the attachment method is particularly noteworthy. Bertoia meticulously inserted each rod into individual holes in the base plate using precision drilling and securing techniques such as welding that ensured the rods were firmly anchored and stable, maintaining the structural integrity essential for consistent acoustic performance.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Beyond his uncompromising nature, Bertoia's work draws significant inspiration from natural elements. This sculpture's tall, slender rods evoke images of reeds or tall grasses swaying gently in the wind. This dynamic interaction between the sculpture and its environment mirrors the movement of plants, creating an immersive, naturalistic experience. Yet when activated or moved by air currents, the rods of this monumental work initiate metallic undertones that confirm its materiality without betraying its profound connection to the natural world.</font></div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Integrating technical precision and natural inspiration depends on exacting construction that ensures durability and acoustic consistency, while its kinetic and auditory nature imbues the piece with a sense of vitality. This fusion invites viewers to engage with the sculpture on multiple sensory levels, appreciating its robust craftsmanship and evocative, naturalistic qualities. Bertoia's ability to blend these elements results in a work that is both a technical marvel and a tribute to the beauty of the natural world.</font></div>

HARRY BERTOIA

After disappointing sales at Weyhe Gallery in 1928, Calder turned from sculpted wire portraits and figures to the more conventional medium of wood. On the advice of sculptor Chaim Gross, he purchased small blocks of wood from Monteath, a Brooklyn supplier of tropical woods. He spent much of that summer on a Peekskill, New York farm carving. In each case, the woodblock suggested how he might preserve its overall shape and character as he subsumed those attributes in a single form. There was a directness about working in wood that appealed to him. Carved from a single block of wood, Woman with Square Umbrella is not very different from the subjects of his wire sculptures except that he supplanted the ethereal nature of using wire with a more corporeal medium.<br>© 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

ALEXANDER KALANDER

Von Herb Alberts vielen in Bronze gegossenen, seidig-schwarz patinierten Geistertotems haben nur wenige eine so ausgeprägt männliche Ausstrahlung wie Warrior. Der Titel "Warrior" ist eine treffende Beschreibung, die unter anderem die Attribute Stärke, Mut und unzerbrechlicher Geist anspricht, und wird von einer absteigenden, gezackten Krone gekrönt, die sich ebenso gut auf den Kamm eines Raubvogels wie auf den Kopfschmuck eines Häuptlings der Prärieindianer beziehen könnte. Ähnlich wie bei den Arbeiten von Henry Moore hängen diese Assoziationen zum Teil vom Negativraum ab, um den dynamischen und starken Eindruck zu erzeugen, den diese beeindruckende Skulptur vermittelt.

HERB ALPERT

Roger Brown ist bekannt für seine persönliche und oft fantastische Bildsprache und seine stark stilisierten Gemälde mit Figuren und Objekten, die sein Interesse an alltäglichen Erfahrungen widerspiegeln. Acid Rain erforscht Themen des modernen Lebens und soziale Kommentare, die die Rolle des Künstlers in der Gesellschaft und das Potenzial der Kunst, Veränderungen zu bewirken, widerspiegeln. Auf einer persönlicheren Ebene kann das Thema des sauren Regens zersetzende emotionale oder psychologische Zustände symbolisieren, wie Depression, Angst oder das Gefühl, von Umständen überwältigt zu werden, die sich der eigenen Kontrolle entziehen. So wie der saure Regen ein weitgehend unsichtbares, aber verheerendes Umweltproblem darstellte, motivierte die Krise der aufkommenden HIV/AIDS-Epidemie Brown wahrscheinlich dazu, das Werk zu schaffen, um persönlichen Kummer zu verarbeiten, die unzureichende Reaktion der politischen Führung zu kritisieren und für Mitgefühl, Verständnis und medizinische Forschung einzutreten.

ROGER BROWN

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Donald Judd's role in defining the Minimalist movement is pivotal. He rejected traditional modes of representation, favoring the creation of objects that challenge viewers to find beauty in simplicity and the precision of industrial materials. Judd transformed the landscape of modern art with forms that are clean, unembellished, and elegant in their simplicity.<em> "Untitled"</em> exemplifies this minimalist approach, where form, material, and longevity are the primary focus.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>In the context of Judd's oeuvre, the anodized aluminum surface of <em>"Untitled"</em> allows for a smooth, consistent finish that enhances the minimalist aesthetic by highlighting pure form and material, free from the distractions of imperfections or the need for additional surface treatments like paint. More significantly, an anodized surface is corrosion-resistant, underscoring that Judd is not merely creating art for the present moment but crafting pieces intended to endure indefinitely, preserving their pristine, minimalist aesthetic for posterity. Created in an edition of 12 and measuring 41.5 inches in length, with a depth and height of 6.25 inches, <em>"Untitled" </em>exemplifies this meticulous approach, showcasing the industrial aesthetic that Judd so effectively brought into the realm of fine art. Its clean, unembellished form emphasizes the importance of material and the geometric purity that Judd sought to achieve.</font></div>

DONALD JUDD

JOAN MIRO - L'Oiseau - Bronze und Ziegelstein - 23 7/8 x 20 x 16 1/8 in.

JOAN MIRO

© 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

ALEXANDER KALANDER

KEITH HARING - Ohne Titel (Figur auf Hund balancierend) - Aluminium - 35 1/2 x 25 x 29 Zoll.

KEITH HARING

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Richard Prince's "<em>Untitled</em>" from 2009 is a provocative and multilayered piece that engages with the themes of censorship, appropriation, and the boundaries of art. Prince uses a photographic montage of naked, intertwined bodies—imagery that evokes the explicit nature of an orgy and obscures its tawdry nature with a pattern of pink, egg-shaped acrylic elements covering much of the underlying image. The placement of these shapes is seemingly arbitrary, yet they play a crucial role in how the viewer perceives the piece. This obscuring overlay can be interpreted as a visual metaphor for censorship, alluding to how society imposes restrictions on what is deemed acceptable for public consumption. By covering parts of the bodies, Prince draws attention to the act of censorship itself rather than merely the content being censored. The viewer is left to imagine what lies beneath, heightening the sense of curiosity and the taboo.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Prince's work often critiques mass media and the commercialization of culture, and this piece is no exception. By altering found images, he questions the ownership and authorship of visual culture. The "censorship" elements in this work might also reference the commodification of sex and how the media sanitizes or obscures the raw, human aspects of such imagery to make it more palatable for the public.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>In "<em>Untitled</em>," Prince challenges viewers to confront their perceptions of morality, art, and the power dynamics inherent in censorship. The work serves as a commentary on how images are manipulated and controlled in society, pushing the boundaries of what is considered art and what is considered obscene. Through this layered approach, Prince continues his exploration of the intersections between art, culture, and societal norms.</font></div>

RICHARD PRINCE

"Wigwam rouge et jaune", ein fesselndes Gouache-Gemälde von Alexander Calder, ist eine lebendige Erkundung von Design und Farbe. Die Komposition wird von einem Gitter aus diagonalen Linien dominiert, die sich in der Nähe ihres Scheitelpunkts kreuzen, und strahlt ein dynamisches Gleichgewicht aus. Calder bringt mit roten und gelben Rautenformen ein Element der Laune ins Spiel, das dem Werk Verspieltheit verleiht und eine festliche Atmosphäre schafft. Rote Kugeln am Scheitelpunkt der rechten Linien erwecken einen skurrilen Eindruck, während kleinere graue Kugeln auf den linken Linien für Kontrast und Gleichgewicht sorgen. Calders meisterhafte Verschmelzung von Einfachheit und lebendigen Designelementen macht Wigwam rouge et jaune zu einem visuellen Vergnügen.

ALEXANDER KALANDER

Manuel Neri war eine zentrale Figur in der figurativen Bewegung der Bay Area in den 1960er Jahren. Anstelle abstrakter Formen betonte die Gruppe die Emotionen durch die Kraft der menschlichen Form. Das vorliegende Werk, "Ohne Titel" (1982), erforscht die weibliche Form in Lebensgröße. Neri zog es vor, während seiner 60-jährigen Karriere mit nur einem Modell zu arbeiten, Maria Julia Klimenko. Das Fehlen eines Gesichts in vielen seiner Skulpturen verleiht ihm ein Element des Geheimnisses und der Mehrdeutigkeit. Der Schwerpunkt der Komposition in "Ohne Titel" liegt auf der Struktur und Form der Figur. Manuel Neri ist in zahlreichen Museumssammlungen weltweit vertreten, darunter die Addison Gallery/Phillips Academy, die Anderson Collection der Stanford University, das Art Institute of Chicago, das Cantor Arts Center der Stanford University, das Cincinnati Art Museum, das Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA, das Denver Art Museum, das El Paso Museum of Art, Texas, die Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, die Harvard University Art Museums, das Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Honolulu Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York und die National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

MANUEL NERI

Deborah Butterfield nimmt einen bedeutenden Platz im Pantheon der amerikanischen Bildhauer ein und ist bekannt für ihren Pioniergeist und ihre Beherrschung verschiedener Medien. "Beacon" ist aus geformtem Stahl gefertigt und ein Beweis für ihren Mut und ihre Hingabe, künstlerische Grenzen zu überschreiten. Butterfield hat sich den Herausforderungen dieses anspruchsvollen Mediums gestellt, und es ist eine Verschmelzung von Innovation und Tradition. Mit ihrer modernen Ästhetik, die sich durch geschwungene, elegante Linien auszeichnet, ist diese Pferdeskulptur eine Quelle der Verzauberung und lädt den Betrachter in ein Reich ein, in dem zeitgenössische Kunst mit zeitloser Schönheit zusammentrifft. Beacon ehrt die klassische Anmut der Pferdeform und bekräftigt Butterfields Position als Visionär in der Landschaft der modernen Bildhauerei.

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD

Als Tochter des minimalistischen Bildhauers Tony Smith ist Kikis Kunst nicht auf ein einziges Medium oder eine einzige Technik beschränkt, und ihre Arbeiten laden oft zu vielfältigen Interpretationen ein. Club verkörpert die Form und die Dimensionen eines menschlichen Beins, des wesentlichen Elements für Bewegung und Stabilität. Smiths Titel lädt den Betrachter dazu ein, sich ein Bein als Waffe vorzustellen und über die Zerbrechlichkeit des menschlichen Zustands, die Machtdynamik der körperlichen Autonomie und das komplexe Wechselspiel zwischen Stärke und Verletzlichkeit nachzudenken. Eine solche Verwandlung eines Körperteils in ein Objekt vermittelt sowohl Schutz als auch Aggression und reflektiert darüber, wie geschlechtsspezifische Körper in unserem sozialen und persönlichen Umfeld navigieren. Club ist ein Beispiel für Smiths Fähigkeit, symbolträchtige Werke zu schaffen, die offen für Interpretationen sind und zum Nachdenken über die menschliche Erfahrung anregen.

KIKI SMITH

Wenn sich ein Pferd hinlegt, dann deshalb, weil es sich sicher fühlt. Für Deborah Butterfield ist das eine Art zu sagen, dass es in Ordnung ist, sich verletzlich zu machen. "Echo", konstruiert auf eine Art und Weise, die ihre Fähigkeiten bei der Futtersuche und beim Schweißen von Metallteilen respektiert, hält sich nicht an die traditionelle Darstellung eines Pferdes, sondern enthüllt stattdessen etwas von dessen Wesen. Das aus zusammengesetzten Stahlblechen konstruierte Werk, von denen einige geriffelt, andere gefaltet oder gewellt sind, trägt die Spuren der Zeit, ist zu einer rostbraunen Patina gealtert, und die Unvollkommenheiten werden eher zelebriert als kaschiert. Butterfields bewusste Wahl der Materialien und deren Behandlung verleiht dem Werk Tiefe und Charakter und verwandelt Untitled, Echo in mehr als nur eine Pferdedarstellung - es spiegelt die raue Schönheit und die Widerstandsfähigkeit des Tieres wider, das es darstellt.

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Born in 1881, the same year as fellow Spaniard Pablo Picasso, María Blanchard carved her distinct path within modernist art, blending Cubist influences with emotional depth. <em>"La Comida" </em>demonstrates Blanchard's evolution towards a more figurative style while retaining explicit Cubist references. This shift aligns her work with the “<em>Retour à l'ordre”</em> movement, a tendency many fellow artists embraced at the time. Thematically, “<em>La  Comida</em>” recalls van Gogh's early works, particularly "<em>The Potato Eaters</em>" (1885), in both palette and subject matter. Like van Gogh, Blanchard draws attention to the simplicity of rural life, using muted tones of browns, reds, and ochres to convey the grounded, almost austere nature of the figures around the table.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard’s work after 1921 progressively bridged the gap between the rigid forms of early Cubism and a more emotive, personal representation of her subjects. Geometric rigors are present, but the scene's naturalistic light and volumetric composition echo Cézanne's influence. The sharp brushstrokes and angular figures evoke a sense of protection, reflecting Blanchard's intention to shield the inner spirit of her characters from the gaze of others. Yet, her sensitive portrayal invites viewers to connect emotionally with her work, engendering a sense of intimacy and quiet communion. Despite the somber palette, there is a subtle warmth, with the figures' inner spirit shielded from judgment, much like those in van Gogh's painting. Yet in synthesizing elements of Cubism, Blanchard added emotional complexity to the rural themes van Gogh explored, making her contribution distinct yet reflective of earlier artistic traditions.</font></div>

MARIA BLANCHARD

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>María Blanchard, born in 1881, initially emerged as a committed Cubist painter, heavily influenced by her friendships with Juan Gris and other avant-garde figures. Her work in the 1910s showcased rigorous geometric abstraction, yet by the early 1920s, she began to transition toward a more figurative style. This shift aligned her with the “<em>Retour à l'ordre”</em> movement, in which many artists returned to more classical forms after the upheavals of war and early avant-garde experimentation. Blanchard's increasing focus on emotional depth and human subjects became a defining feature of these later works, culminating in pieces like "<em>Fillette à la pomme</em>."</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard's Cubist roots, prominent in the angular treatment of the hands and apple, are softened throughout the girl's modest attire, suggesting a spiritual or religious significance. The model's pious countenance and the muted palette of browns, grays, and blues further reinforce that the painting continues a thread of religious themes, as seen in Picasso's early masterwork, "<em>The First Communion</em>," and Blanchard's own "<em>Girl at her First Communion</em>." The apple held in hand introduces layers of symbolism, often representing knowledge, innocence, or temptation, an association that suggests an emotional transition, bridging childhood and deeper awareness.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard's ability to fuse Cubist form with symbolic narrative and emotional complexity makes this painting a poignant reflection of her evolution as an artist. She humanizes the rigid forms of Cubism while imbuing her subjects with depth and inner life.</font></div>

MARIA BLANCHARD

Manuel Neris frühe Pappmaché-Arbeiten waren bahnbrechend für die bildhauerische Technik, und seine Herangehensweise an die Bemalung seiner Skulpturen spiegelt seine tiefe Auseinandersetzung mit dem Ausdruckspotenzial von Farbe und Form wider. Die Wahl und Platzierung der Farben in Hombre Colorado II erzeugt eine besonders intensive Reaktion, die sein nuanciertes Verständnis der psychologischen und emotionalen Dimension von Farbe widerspiegelt. Das 1958 konzipierte und produzierte Werk Hombre Colorado II spiegelt eine Zeit wider, in der Neri und seine Frau Joan Brown in einem reichen künstlerischen Austausch standen und maßgeblich zur Entwicklung ihres jeweiligen Stils und der figurativen Bewegung der Bay Area beitrugen, in der sie eine wichtige Rolle spielten.

MANUEL NERI

"A Dream Within a Dream" ist eine bedeutende Serie von Gemälden und Siebdrucken von Ryan McGinnes, die ihren Namen von einem berühmten Gedicht von Edgar Allan Poe hat. McGinnes erforscht Themen der Wahrnehmung, der Realität und des Unterbewusstseins und verwendet eine Vielzahl von Symbolen und Motiven, darunter geometrische Formen, botanische Elemente und figurative Motive, die er in komplizierten Mustern arrangiert, die sich vor den Augen des Betrachters zu verändern und zu wandeln scheinen. Der Titel suggeriert ein Gefühl der Mehrdeutigkeit und Ungewissheit und spiegelt die schwer fassbare Natur der Realität und die fliehende Qualität der menschlichen Erfahrung wider. Indem er sich mit den Themen Wahrnehmung und Illusion auseinandersetzt, ermutigt McGinnes die Betrachter, ihre Annahmen über die Welt zu hinterfragen und die Möglichkeit in Betracht zu ziehen, dass die Realität möglicherweise fließender und subjektiver ist als sie erscheint.

RYAN MCGINNESS

Deborah Butterfield ist eine amerikanische Bildhauerin, die vor allem für ihre Skulpturen von Pferden aus Holz, Metall und anderen gefundenen Objekten bekannt ist. Das 1981er Stück Ohne Titel (Pferd) besteht aus Sticks und Papier auf Drahtarmatur. Die beeindruckende Größe dieses Stückes erzeugt eine bemerkenswerte Wirkung in Person und stellt ein eindrucksvolles Beispiel für Butterfields gefeiertes Thema dar. Butterfield schuf die Pferde ursprünglich aus Holz und anderen Materialien, die auf ihrem Grundstück in Bozeman, Montana, zu finden waren, und sah die Pferde als metaphorisches Selbstporträt, das die emotionale Resonanz dieser Formen aufgreift.

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD

HERB ALPERT - Inspiriert - Bronze - 100 x 20 x 12 Zoll.

HERB ALPERT

Andy Warhol, der für seine Faszination für Ruhm, Berühmtheit und kulturelle Ikonen bekannt ist, ging gelegentlich über seine Zeitgenossen hinaus und bezog historische Persönlichkeiten mit ein. Von besonderem Interesse sind Goethes Farbtheorien, die die Wahrnehmung von Farben und ihre psychologische Wirkung betonen und im Gegensatz zum vorherrschenden, auf der Newtonschen Physik basierenden Verständnis von Farbe als wissenschaftlichem Phänomen stehen. Obwohl es keine direkte Verbindung gibt, dass Goethes Farbtheorie Warhol direkt dazu inspiriert hat, ihn als Sujet auszuwählen, unterstreicht sie thematisch, wie wir Warhols Kunst als Auseinandersetzung mit historischen Traditionen betrachten, um eine Verbindung zwischen ihren jeweiligen Bereichen und Epochen zu symbolisieren. In diesem Sinne ist das Werk eine Hommage und eine zeitübergreifende Zusammenarbeit, die Warhols Bildsprache mit Goethes Bewusstsein für Farbe als starkes, stimulierendes Element der Wahrnehmung verbindet.

ANDY WARHOL

Geprägt von seiner Heimat Italien und seiner Wahlheimat Amerika, erforschte Joseph Stella eine außergewöhnliche Bandbreite an Stilen und Medien in Kunstwerken von erstaunlicher Vielfalt und Originalität. Im Jahr 1911 ritt Stella auf der Avantgarde-Welle der fauvistischen, kubistischen und futuristischen Strömungen, doch er war der einzige amerikanische Modernist, der täglich mit den italienischen Alten Meistern zusammenlebte. Die Pose und Handhabung von "Reclining Nude" bezieht sich auf eine Reihe von Werken, die Stella in den 1920er Jahren malte und in denen er verführerische Frauen aus mythologischen oder fantastischen Quellen darstellte, wie "Leda und der Schwan" und Ondine, eine schöne Wassernymphe aus einem beliebten romantischen deutschen Märchen des 19. Der Liegende Akt, der in den 1930er Jahren gemalt wurde, spiegelt diese ernüchternde Zeit angemessener wider, da er ohne florale oder symbolistische Bilder dargestellt ist.

JOSEPH STELLA

In den späten 1990er Jahren begann Manuel Neri, zahlreiche Gipsskulpturen in Bronze umzuwandeln, wobei er häufig zu früheren Werken zurückkehrte, um neu erdachte Wiedergaben der einzelnen Stücke zu schaffen. Diese Serien, die sich in Form und Oberflächendetails kaum voneinander unterscheiden, erforschen die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Farbschemata und Markierungen, die durch Einschneiden, Pinseln, Schaben oder Schichtung von Materialien entstehen. Durch das Experimentieren mit verschiedenen Markierungstechniken konnte Neri das Zusammenspiel von Form, Farbe, Textur und Licht erkunden. Im Zusammenhang mit der Stehenden Figur Nr. 3 beschränkte Neri seine Palette auf ein analoges Farbschema und verdünnte die Farbe, um subtile Abstufungen zu erzeugen, die das glatte, raffinierte Äußere der Skulptur hervorheben.

MANUEL NERI

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Harry Bertoia was an authentic visionary in art, and they are rare. Of those whose métier is sculpture, Alexander Calder and Harry Bertoia are the twentieth-century American standouts. They are engineers of beauty; their creative currency is feats of invention and pure artistry that honor our experience of them (if we are willing to quiet our mind) as if a sacred event. It was Duchamp who suggested Calder call his kinetic works “mobiles”, but it was up to Bertoia himself to coin a word to describe something for which there was little precedent. Visually precise, kinetic, and offering resonant, vibratory sound, a “Sonambient” sculpture is at once a metaphor for our sentient experience in the world yet capable of inducing an aura of transcendent experience. Given that insight, it is easy to understand Bertoia’s view that “I don’t hold onto terms like music and sculpture anymore. Those old distinctions have lost all their meaning.”</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>The present “Sonambient” sculpture is a forty-eight-inch-tall curtain of thin-gauged tines. Once activated, it becomes a 15 3/4 inch long, 8 inches deep wall of sound. Five rows of narrow tines are staggered in number, alternating between 30 and 29 tines that, when activated, present as an undulating wall of sound. When touched or moved by air currents, the rods produce a sound that, while metallic, does not betray its source of inspiration: the serene connection Bertoia felt in observing the gentle undulating movement of desert grasses. As always, this is a Bertoia sculpture that invites participation in the experience of changing shapes and sounds, a participatory work that asks us to be present in the moment, to connect across time with the object and its creator.</font></div>

HARRY BERTOIA

ALEX KATZ - Peter - Öl auf Masonitplatte - 15 7/8 x 7 1/8 Zoll.

ALEX KATZ

JESSIE ARMS BOTKE - Zwei weiße Pfaue - Öl auf Karton - 29 1/4 x 24 1/2 Zoll.

JESSIE ARMS BOTKE

A veteran of the battle of Verdun, Fernand Leger witnessed the horror and staggering loss of over 1 Million of his fellow countrymen during World War I. This horrific experience of fighting in the trenches of Europe left an indelible mark on the artist. The modern and mechanized aspects of this new form of warfare, with tanks, modern artillery, and gruesome tactics, inspired Leger to create some of his greatest masterpieces. <br><br>The Present drawing, executed in 1930, is a relic from the decade following the First World War. Untitled (1930) was purchased from the Katherine Kuh galley in Chicago- and has been impeccably preserved by the family of the original purchaser. It is exceedingly rare to find drawings like Untitled outside of Museum collections.

FERNAND LEGER

The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was a prosperous period that helped shape Chinese history's foundations for future centuries. This era was marked by notable technological and cultural advances, including gunpowder and printing. Among artistic advances during this period was the perfection of the sancai glaze technique, which was a prominent attribute of sculpture during this period. Sancai (tri-colored) glazing used the three glaze-colors were ochre or brown, green and clear. Glazed wares were much more costly to produce than other terracotta wares, and were therefore only reserved for the wealthiest patrons. <br><br>This Sancai-Glazed Horse would have been an incredible status symbol for its owner and many have been lost to time. This sculpture is comparable to examples held in museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

CHINESISCH

The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was a prosperous cultural period that helped shape Chinese history's foundations for future centuries. This era was marked by notable technological and cultural advances, including gunpowder and printing. Among artistic advances during this period was the perfection of the sancai glaze technique, which was a prominent attribute of sculpture during this period. Sancai (tri-colored) glazing; the three glaze-colors used were ochre or brown, green and clear. Glazed wares where much more costly to produce than other terracotta wares, and were therefore only reserved for the wealthiest patrons. <br><br>The Sancai-Glazed Earth Spirit offered here depicts a "Zhenmushou." These are mythical hybrid creatures whose bodies are a combination of dogs, lions, boars and other animals. These fierce looking beasts would be found in pairs guarding the entrance of Tang Dynasty tombs.

CHINESISCH

MARC QUINN - Lovebomb - Fotolaminat auf Aluminium - 108 1/4 x 71 3/4 x 37 3/4 Zoll.

MARC QUINN

CHARLES ARNOLDI - Sticky Wicket - Acryl, Modellierpaste und Stäbchen auf Sperrholz - 44 1/4 x 91 x 3 in.

CHARLES ARNOLDI

WILLIAM WENDT - Laguna Hills - Öl auf Leinwand - 25 x 30 in.

WILLIAM WENDT

Jaudon was one of the founders of the Pattern and Decoration movement. With a foundation of feminist theory, Jaudon repositioned what were considered trivial art forms and minor visual images. These forms and symbols were relegated because of their association with the feminine or non-Western. <br><br>At the same time, Palmyra exemplifies the ability of Jaudon to create aesthetically beautiful works. Jaudon interweaves shades of red into ornate arabesques recalling gothic stonework, celtic knots, and Islamic calligraphy. The crispness of the lines against the impasto and the layering of red tones makes it appear that the lines are carved like stone.

VALERIE JAUDON

<div><font size=3 color=black>Harry Bertoia's “Sonambient” sculptures are renowned for their meditative qualities, inviting viewers into a serene and contemplative state. Among the five “Sonambients” in our exhibition, even this most petite sculpture stands out with its remarkable sonic capabilities. This work, with its 64 tines, each capped with long, slender finials, produces a high-timbered sonority that is surprisingly robust. The delicate yet powerful sound offers an auditory experience that encourages reflection and heightened awareness.</font></div><br><br><div><font size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font size=3 color=black>A pivotal aspect of the “Sonambient” sculptures' evolution was the involvement of Bertoia's brother, Oreste, whose expertise as a musician enabled him to help Harry reconceptualize these sculptures, not just as visual or kinetic art but as instruments capable of producing an immersive soundscape. This collaboration highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of Bertoia's work, merging the worlds of sculpture and music. Experimenting with rods and tines of different metals, varying in length and thickness, he discovered a wide range of tones and textural droning sounds. Exhilarated by their ethereal, otherworldly resonance and his brother's encouragement, Bertoia filled his historic barn in Bally, Pennsylvania, with more than sixty “Sonambient” sculptures. It became a kind of orchestral studio and laboratory where he recorded albums and held concerts, and the once lowly barn became a hallowed place—a chapel of sorts—where visitors experienced it as a pilgrimage and a place of profound inspiration and meditation.</font></div>

HARRY BERTOIA

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Trace a line from Alexander Calder to the kinetic achievements of George Rickey, and it is clear both are engineers of beauty. Their creations are feats of invention and artistry that honor our experience of them. The present Rickey sculpture "Eight Lines II – Sketch for Twenty-Four Lines" exemplifies the artist's intentions to bridge the gap between engineering precision and artistic expression, offering a mesmerizing display of motion and balance. Measuring 57 inches by 54 inches by 54 inches, the arms of this sculpture move within spherical parameters deliberately yet unpredictably, responding to the slightest movement of air. This intricate dance of elements, driven by natural forces, transforms the sculpture into a dynamic interplay of mechanical precision and organic fluidity.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>A generation removed from Calder, Rickey came of age during World War II and widespread devastation. Ironically, yet without apology, Rickey honed his skills in precision and complex mechanical systems due to his military experience as a design technician focusing on the maintenance and instruction of aircraft gun turrets. These skills, of course, would later serve him well in fashioning his kinetic sculptures. With that in mind, the precise engineering and organic movement inherent in a Rickey kinetic sculpture symbolizes a bridge between destruction and renewal and serves as a testament to the resilience and innovative spirit of the post-war ethos.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>With its radiating arms extending in multiple directions, "Eight Lines II – Sketch for Twenty-Four Lines" captures the essence of Rickey's meticulous design and engineering prowess. A design full of complexities, each arm, crafted from sleek stainless steel, moves gracefully, reflecting light and creating an ever-changing visual experience. This attention to detail highlights Rickey's skill in making connections that allow fluid movement while maintaining structural integrity.</font></div>

GEORGE RICKEY

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>In 1853, a twenty-three-year-old Bierstadt commenced study at the Düsseldorf Academy, the school primarily responsible for shaping the technical precision and atmospheric depth of the preeminent American landscape painters of the second half of the 19th century. Four years later, in the company of fellow artist Sanford Robinson Gifford, he painted <em>“Capri.”</em> Inscribed with the title and dated “June 11, 1857,” it is a striking example of the young artist’s early mastery, painted just two years before his watershed campaign in 1859 in the company of Frederick W. Lander, a land surveyor for the United States government. It is a fully realized study emphasizing the precision, detailed observation, and careful glazing technique indicative of the academic tradition of gradually building up the surface. He would begin with a detailed drawing, followed by monochromatic underpainting and successive layers of thin, transparent color glazes that achieve depth and luminosity in the translucent hues of the seawater rarely matched in the annals of landscape painting. <em>“Capri”</em> is a lovely achievement that foreshadows the drama and grandeur that would define Bierstadt’s later work, illustrating how his time in Italy helped shape his approach to landscape painting.</font></div>

ALBERT BIERSTADT

LÉON AUGUSTIN LHERMITTE - Laveuses, le soir - Pastell auf Papier auf Leinwand - 17 1/2 x 13 3/4 Zoll.

LÉON AUGUSTIN LHERMITTE

The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was a prosperous cultural period that helped shape Chinese history's foundations for future centuries. This era was marked by notable technological and cultural advances, including gunpowder and printing. Among artistic advances during this period was the perfection of the sancai glaze technique, which was a prominent attribute of sculpture during this period. Sancai (tri-colored) glazing; the three glaze-colors used were ochre or brown, green and clear. Glazed wares where much more costly to produce than other terracotta wares, and were therefore only reserved for the wealthiest patrons. <br><br>The Sancai-Glazed Earth Spirit offered here depicts a "Zhenmushou." These are mythical hybrid creatures whose bodies are a combination of dogs, lions, boars and other animals. These fierce looking beasts would be found in pairs guarding the entrance of Tang Dynasty tombs.

CHINESISCH

MARY ABBOTT - Ohne Titel - Öl und Ölstift auf Papier auf Leinwand aufgezogen - 23 x 29 in.

MARY ABBOTT

EDGAR ALWIN PAYNE - Venezianische Boote auf Sotto Marino - Öl auf Platte - 23 3/8 x 26 1/4 Zoll.

EDGAR ALWIN PAYNE

JOANNA POUSETTE-DART - Ohne Titel (Red Desert Study) - Acryl auf Holzplatte - 33 1/2 x 42 x 3/4 Zoll.

JOANNA POUSETTE-DART

SETH KAUFMAN - Lignum Spire - Bronze mit grüner Patina - 103 1/2 x 22 x 17 in.

SETH KAUFMAN

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>After leaving Picasso in 1953, Françoise Gilot set out to redefine herself and build an independent career. Never a one-dimensional artist, she moved through various styles, absorbed the lessons of Léger and Matisse, and by the 1980s, had become emboldened by colorful harmonies and an organic interplay of shapes that suggests an affinity with Friedensreich Hundertwasser's aesthetic. "<em>Maison Naïve</em>" celebrates Gilot's use of bold, organic shapes and vibrant, fluid colors that echo Hundertwasser's vision of architecture as an extension of nature, blending structure with an undulating, harmonious environment that reflects her creative evolution. </font></div>

FRANCOISE GILOT

FRANCISCO TOLEDO - Ohne Titel - Mischtechnik auf Papier - 8 x 10 1/4 Zoll

FRANCISCO TOLEDO

AI WEIWEI - "Fairytale" Stühle - Holz - 49 x 45 x 17 1/2 in.

AI WEIWEIWEI

HENRI MATISSE

LOUISE NEVELSON - Kanada-Serie - Plexiglas mit Metallverschlüssen - 44 1/4 x 31 x 11 1/2 Zoll.

LOUISE NEVELSON

Provenance: <br>Heather James, CA<br>Private collection, NV (acquired from above May, 2000)

CHINESISCH