Palm Desert Gallery Walkthrough - Saison 2023/2024

PUBLIÉ DANS : Visites de galeries

Jetez un coup d'œil à notre avant-première de la saison d'hiver, qui présente notre nouvelle exposition actuellement en cours dans notre galerie de Palm Desert, en Californie. Cette exposition présente des maîtres impressionnistes tels que Sisley, Pissarro et Frieseke, des pionniers de l'art moderne tels que Picasso et O'Keeffe, ainsi que des créateurs de l'après-guerre et de l'art contemporain tels qu'Indiana, De Kooning, Richter et bien d'autres encore.

Nous avons le plaisir d'annoncer nos horaires d'hiver dans notre établissement de Palm Desert, situé au 45188 Portola Avenue : Du lundi au samedi de 9h00 à 17h00.

ŒUVRES D'ART ACTUELLEMENT EXPOSÉES À HEATHER JAMES PALM DESERT

<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.

RIVERA DIEGO

WILLEM DE KOONING - Femme dans une barque - huile sur papier couché sur masonite - 47 1/2 x 36 1/4 in.

WILLEM DE KOONING

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

Au début des années 1870, Winslow Homer a souvent peint des scènes de la vie à la campagne près d'un petit hameau agricole réputé depuis des générations pour ses remarquables champs de blé, situé entre la rivière Hudson et les Catskills, dans l'État de New York. Aujourd'hui, Hurley est bien plus célèbre pour avoir inspiré l'une des plus grandes œuvres d'Homer, Snap the Whip, peinte au cours de l'été 1872. Parmi les nombreuses autres peintures inspirées par la région, Girl Standing in the Wheatfield est riche en sentiments, mais sans sentimentalisme excessif. Elle est directement liée à une étude peinte en France en 1866 et intitulée In the Wheatfields (Dans les champs de blé), ainsi qu'à une autre étude peinte l'année suivante, après son retour en Amérique. Mais Homère aurait sans doute été le plus fier de celle-ci. Il s'agit d'un portrait, d'une étude de costume, d'une peinture de genre dans la grande tradition de la peinture pastorale européenne, et d'un tour de force atmosphérique dramatiquement rétro-éclairé, imprégné de la lumière de l'heure qui s'estompe rapidement, avec des notes lambda et fleuries et des touches d'épis de blé. En 1874, Homer a envoyé quatre tableaux à l'exposition de la National Academy of Design. L'une d'entre elles était intitulée "Girl". Ne serait-ce pas celle-ci ?

WINSLOW HOMER

<div>In the mid-1920s, Rufino Tamayo embarked on the crucial development phase as a sophisticated, contemporary colorist. In New York, he encountered the groundbreaking works of Picasso, Braque, and Giorgio de Chirico, along with the enduring impact of Cubism. Exploring painterly and plastic values through subjects sourced from street scenes, popular culture, and the fabric of daily life, his unique approach to color and form began to take shape. It was a pivotal shift toward cosmopolitan aesthetics, setting him apart from the nationalist fervor championed by the politically charged narratives of the Mexican Muralist movement.  By focusing on the vitality of popular culture, he captured the essential Mexican identity that prioritized universal artistic values over explicit social and political commentary. The approach underscored his commitment to redefining Mexican art on the global stage and highlighted his innovative contributions to the modernist dialogue. </div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div>Like Cézanne, Tamayo elevated the still life genre to some of its most beautifully simple expressions. Yet high sophistication underlies the ease with which Tamayo melds vibrant Mexican motifs with the avant-garde influences of the School of Paris. As "Naturaleza Muerta" of 1935 reveals, Tamayo refused to lapse into the mere decoration that often characterizes the contemporary School of Paris art with which his work draws comparisons. Instead, his arrangement of watermelons, bottles, a coffee pot, and sundry items staged within a sobering, earthbound tonality and indeterminant, shallow space recalls Tamayo's early interest in Surrealism. An overlayed square matrix underscores the contrast between the organic subjects of the painting and the abstract, intellectualized structure imposed upon them, deepening the interpretation of the artist's exploration of visual perception and representation. In this way, the grid serves to navigate between the visible world and the underlying structures that inform our understanding of it, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between reality and abstraction, sensation and analysis.</div>

TAMAYO RUFINO

Le monde de Marc Chagall ne peut être contenu ou limité par les étiquettes que nous lui attachons. C'est un monde d'images et de significations qui forment leur propre discours splendidement mystique. Les Mariés sous le baldaquin a été entrepris alors que l'artiste entrait dans sa 90e année, un homme qui avait connu la tragédie et le conflit, mais qui n'avait jamais oublié les moments de plaisir de la vie. Ici, les délices rêveurs d'un mariage dans un village russe, avec ses arrangements de participants bien rodés, nous sont présentés avec un esprit si joyeux et une innocence si gaie qu'il est impossible de résister à son charme. En utilisant une émulsion dorée combinant l'huile et la gouache opaque à base d'eau, la chaleur, le bonheur et l'optimisme du positivisme habituel de Chagall sont enveloppés d'un éclat lumineux suggérant l'influence des icônes religieuses à feuilles d'or ou de la peinture du début de la Renaissance qui cherchait à donner l'impression d'une lumière divine ou d'une illumination spirituelle. L'utilisation d'une combinaison d'huile et de gouache peut s'avérer difficile. Mais ici, dans Les Mariés sous le baldaquin, Chagall l'utilise pour donner à la scène une qualité d'un autre monde, presque comme si elle venait de se matérialiser à partir de l'œil de son esprit. La finesse de sa texture donne l'impression que la lumière émane de l'œuvre elle-même et confère une qualité spectrale aux personnages qui flottent dans le ciel.

MARC CHAGALL

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 (EN)

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann's <em>Baal</em> channels the charged energy of its evocative title, rooted in ancient Semitic tradition. The name refers to a lord or master but also carries associations with primal forces of nature, chaos, and creation. Hofmann's work reflects this duality, blending structured design with the untamed vitality of gestural abstraction to create a composition oscillating between entropy and order.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Painted at age 65, <em>Baal</em> also showcases Hofmann's willingness to revisit earlier disciplines while addressing the challenges of mid-century abstraction. Its vibrant palette and bold use of complementary colors, particularly the juxtaposition of red and green, heightens the painting's dynamism. His muscular brushwork also reflects his lifelong experimentation with the tension between form and freedom; undulating lines and biomorphic forms evoke the surrealist influence of Miró and the spiritual resonance of Kandinsky's gestural abstractions. Like these predecessors, Hofmann sought to translate "inner necessity" into visual expression, guided by his fertile imagination. Yet the planal elements and curvilinear shapes of <em>Baal</em> also reflect the influence of improvisational painting, a hallmark of Abstract Expressionism as practiced by contemporaries like Arshile Gorky, among others. It is a composition that teems with movement and energy, suggesting a cosmos in flux—chaotic yet deliberate.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Exhibited the same year at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York, <em>Baal</em> signals Hofmann's evolution as a master and innovator. With its vivid dynamism and symbolic title, the painting epitomizes Hofmann's ability to infuse abstraction with elemental power, crafting a deeply personal exploration of form and color.</font></div>

HOFMANN HANS

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.”

HOFMANN HANS

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann's "<em>Astral Image #1"</em> of 1947 captures a pivotal moment in his artistic evolution as he wrestled with the competing forces of linearity and painterly abstraction. Exhibited in the same year at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York—Hofmann's first show with Parsons — the painting represents a phase of intense experimentation in which Cubist-inspired linear elements took center stage. Lines arc and stretch across the canvas, creating a dynamic framework that opens into areas filled with flatly applied alizarin crimson. These contrasting forces give the work a sense of tension and vitality.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>During this period, Hofmann's reliance on linearity provided a departure from the more fluid, painterly dynamism of his earlier works. From 1944 to 1951, this linear impulse permeated his practice, signaling a prolonged exploration of modes of expression in which he grappled with reconciling abstraction and structure. While some viewed this phase as a retreat from the energetic breakthroughs that defined American art's rise to global prominence, others recognized the distinctiveness of these paintings. <em>Astral Image #1</em> challenged the framework of Hofmann's singular vision, blending Cubist discipline with the vibrant, unruly energy that remained a hallmark of his oeuvre.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The work's flat planes of bright alizarin crimson, contrasted with the angular momentum of the lines, evoke a cosmos of restless energy, hinting at the celestial themes suggested by its title. This painting reflects Hofmann's deliberate explorations during the late 1940s that underscore his unique ability to create works that resist easy categorization, standing apart as deeply personal explorations of form and color.</font></div><br><br><div> </div>

HOFMANN HANS

PIERRE BONNARD - Soleil Couchant - huile sur toile - 14 1/2 x 22 1/2 in.

PIERRE BONNARD

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann explored linearity and color with persistence during the late 1940s, creating a tension between Cubist structure and gestural abstraction. In this painting, <em>Fruit Bowl #1</em>, the linear impulse takes center stage, with dynamic black contours weaving and unspooling across the canvas, limning forms that merely hint at a still-life composition. Hofmann's approach is far from conventional; the traditional fruit bowl is fractured and reimagined into an abstract interplay of geometric and organic shapes. The addition of bright, flatly applied patches and demarcation of green, red, and yellow punctuates the composition, adding an energetic entropy and vitality. Hofmann's raw, alluring, yet slightly uncomfortable palette and gestural freedom elevate the piece beyond its Cubist origins, revealing an artist deeply engaged with the challenges of mid-20th-century abstraction. Hofmann's lines and color fields balance spontaneity with control, oscillating between chaos and structure.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Fruit Bowl #1</em> reflects Hofmann's ongoing dialogue with earlier European modernists while pushing toward the freer instincts of American Abstract Expressionism. Often criticized as misaligned with the rising dominance of gestural abstraction, paintings from this period in Hofmann's career remain his own—vibrant, exploratory, and unapologetically personal.</font></div>

HOFMANN HANS

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Any analysis of Hans Hofmann’s oeuvre is incomplete without considering his small landscapes, which occupied him between 1940 and 1944. These works capture a pivotal moment in his artistic evolution, transitioning from Matisse-inspired figurative still lifes, portraits, and interiors to the pure abstraction that would later define his career. “Landscape #108” exemplifies this shift. Its compressed composition and severe clustering of intense colors prefigure the artist’s mature works, channeling the same ferocious dynamism that is the hallmark of our appreciation for the artist. The Fauvist palette and electric strokes vibrate with energy, their interplay of light and dark creating a rhythmic tension that feels almost musical. While modest in scale, the painting’s boldness and dynamism hint at the daring risks Hofmann would later embrace in his larger abstractions. Rooted in Fauvism and resonant with Kandinsky’s early work, “Landscape #108” remains a robust testament to Hofmann’s evolving visual language during this transformative period.</font></div>

HOFMANN HANS

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

HANS HOFMANN - Sans titre - huile sur toile - 25 x 30 1/4 in.

HOFMANN HANS

<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 - Song of Love - huile sur toile - 36 1/4 x 48 1/4 in.

HOFMANN HANS

ANDREW WYETH - Quart and a Half - aquarelle sur papier - 21 x 29 1/4 in.

WYETH ANDREW

HERB ALPERT - Arrowhead - bronze - 201 x 48 x 48 po.

ALPERT HERB

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

<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>

BERTOIA HARRY

CAMILLE PISSARRO - Paysage avec batteuse a Montfoucault - pastel sur papier posé sur carton - 10 3/8 x 14 3/4 in.

PISSARRO CAMILLE

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Executed in mixed media on paper, <em>The Indian</em> from 1944 showcases Hofmann’s ability to offer a powerful interplay between abstraction and figuration. Surrounded by an atmospheric expanse of deep blues and punctuated by vivid accents of red and yellow, the central form suggests the stylized head of a Native American. Shaped not by direct detailing techniques but subtractive reduction, Hofmann shaped the figure by enclosing it with dynamic strokes of the deep blue surround, punctuated by vivid reds and yellows, as if carving the form out of the surrounding space. This approach emphasizes the figure’s presence while allowing it to remain enigmatic, suspended within an atmospheric mélange of bold, gestural marks.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The tension between the central form and its vibrant background exemplifies Hofmann’s transition during the 1940s from Cubist rigor to more unrestricted, expressionistic techniques. <em>The Indian</em> captures the energy of this pivotal period, with its layered abstraction and symbolic undertones reflecting Hofmann’s ability to unite gestural spontaneity with deliberate compositional balance.</font></div>

HOFMANN HANS

This painting has remained in the same private collection since its creation. Along with its companion work, "Untitled" (1991) was on display in the lobby of Chicago's Heller International Building at 500 West Monroe Street from the building's opening in 1992 until its renovation in 2015.<br><br>The November 2018 sale of Schnabel's "Large Rose Painting, (Near Van Gogh's Grave)" for $1.2 million at auction demonstrates a strong demand for the artist's work. This major sale was only the second-highest price paid for a Schnabel at auction: the record was set in November of 2017 when "Ethnic Type #14" sold for $1.4 million. <br><br>A recent museum exhibition, "Julian Schnabel: Symbols of Actual Life" at the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, in 2018, featured several of Schnabel's large-scale paintings.

JULIAN SCHNABEL

JOHN CHAMBERLAIN - ASARABACA - feuille d'aluminium de poids industriel avec laque acrylique et résine de polyester - 20 x 23 x 22 po.

JOHN CHAMBERLAIN (EN)

Max Weber s’installe à Paris en 1905, alors que la ville est l’épicentre de l’innovation artistique. Ses premières œuvres démontrent l’influence contemporaine de la palette de couleurs audacieuses du fauvisme et de la représentation fragmentée de la réalité du cubisme. Cependant, Weber ne s’est pas contenté d’imiter ces styles ; Il les a intégrées et réinterprétées pour créer quelque chose qui lui appartient. L’importance de Weber ne réside pas seulement dans ses œuvres abstraites, mais aussi dans son rôle de vecteur d’idées modernistes. Weber a joué un rôle crucial dans le dialogue transatlantique qui a contribué à façonner le cours de l’art américain au XXe siècle. Ses représentations de figures féminines présentent une synthèse de l’abstrait et du figuratif, capturant l’essence de ses sujets tout en rompant avec les œuvres figuratives traditionnelles.

MAX WEBER

ROLAND PETERSEN - Figure en attente - huile sur toile - 68 x 56 in.

ROLAND PETERSEN

GEORGE RICKEY - Space Churn with Squares - sculpture cinétique en acier inoxydable - 35 1/2 x 20 x 13 in.

GEORGE RICKEY

Roger Brown est connu pour son imagerie personnelle et souvent fantastique et ses peintures très stylisées avec des figures et des objets qui reflètent son intérêt pour les expériences quotidiennes. Acid Rain explore des thèmes de la vie moderne et des commentaires sociaux qui reflètent le rôle de l'artiste dans la société et le potentiel de l'art à susciter le changement. D'un point de vue plus personnel, le thème des pluies acides peut symboliser des états émotionnels ou psychologiques corrosifs, tels que la dépression, l'anxiété ou le sentiment d'être dépassé par des circonstances indépendantes de sa volonté. Tout comme les pluies acides étaient un problème environnemental largement invisible mais dévastateur, la crise de l'épidémie émergente de VIH/SIDA a probablement motivé Brown à créer l'œuvre pour traiter son chagrin personnel, critiquer la réponse inadéquate des dirigeants politiques et plaider en faveur de la compassion, de la compréhension et de la recherche médicale.

ROGER BROWN

© 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York<br>Two Crosses by Alexander Calder is a striking work on paper, blending transparent watercolor and gouache, showcasing his signature repertoire of shapes and symbols. At its heart lies a large, black 'X' on a fluid, grayish wash, and nearby, a smaller, opaque black cross overlapping a semi-opaque red ball, and to its left, a roundish transparent wash patch hosts a black crescent shape. Several spheres in black provide accompaniment, and the artist's favored primary colors, and at the lower margin, his charming undulating line. Calder's sparing use of watercolor allows the paper's white to showcase the forms and symbols, creating a dynamic, impactful artwork where simplicity and the interplay of transparent and opaque elements captivate the viewer.

ALEXANDRE CALDER

Andy Warhol est synonyme de l'art américain de la seconde moitié du XXe siècle. Il est connu pour ses portraits iconiques et ses produits de consommation, mêlant culture populaire et beaux-arts, redéfinissant ainsi ce que l'art pouvait être et la manière dont nous l'abordons. Si de nombreuses œuvres de Warhol ne représentent pas des personnes célèbres, ses représentations d'objets inanimés élèvent ses sujets à un niveau de célébrité. Warhol a représenté des chaussures pour la première fois au début de sa carrière, alors qu'il travaillait comme illustrateur de mode. Il est revenu à ce thème dans les années 1980, combinant sa fascination pour le consumérisme et le glamour. Dans son désir constant de fusionner la haute et la basse culture, Warhol a choisi de mettre en avant un objet aussi omniprésent que les chaussures. Le sujet peut dénoter la pauvreté ou la richesse, la fonction ou la mode. Warhol donne un aspect glamour à la pile de chaussures, en les recouvrant d'une patine de poussière de diamant brillante, brouillant encore plus le sens entre besoin utilitaire et pièce de style.

ANDY WARHOL (EN)

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

ALEXANDRE CALDER

Rouge Mouille d'Alexander Calder présente un fond de cercles rouges, certains se dispersant comme des explosions, créant un sentiment d'expansion énergétique, et d'autres s'écoulant vers le bas comme s'il s'agissait des traînées d'un feu d'artifice. Cette toile de fond animée est ornée de nombreuses boules rondes opaques, principalement noires, mais parsemées de sphères bleues, rouges et d'un jaune subtil. L'emplacement stratégique des sphères colorées par rapport aux rouges explosifs capture l'émerveillement et le spectacle d'un feu d'artifice, transformant la peinture en une métaphore visuelle de cet événement éblouissant et festif. L'œuvre d'art résonne avec l'excitation et la vivacité, encapsulant sa beauté éphémère dans un support statique.

ALEXANDRE CALDER

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Michael Corinne West’s story is a significant one. A prolific painter and poet at the forefront of the Abstract Expressionist movement, West is the artist least likely to be acknowledged as standing among the first generation with the core group of male artists. Placed in a confrontational role as one of the few women defying a male-dominated mythology, she shifted to gestural painting in the mid-1940s, often laying the canvases on the floor and working like Jackson Pollock. Her earliest work in black and white predates Franz Kline’s by several years. It included “<em>Black and White” </em>of 1947, which impressed Clement Greenberg, who was never inclined to dish a gratuitous compliment. Despite the changing tides of art and fashion, her devotion to mysticism, inner emotional states, and the subconscious as they relate to Abstract Expressionism continued unfazed and steady.  </font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>“<em>The Day After</em>,” painted in 1963, is West’s visceral, abstract response to a pivotal moment in American history — the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The overlapping layers of saturated blood-red tones clashing with forceful strokes of black suggest the rupture in the national consciousness and evoke feelings of disruption and confusion, embodying the artist’s internalized grief. West transformed the event into a deeply personal expression of mourning, capturing the weight of a nation’s sorrow in a form that defies literal representation yet speaks volumes emotionally.  </font></div>

MICHAEL CORINNE OUEST

PAUL JENKINS - Phénomènes par retour - acrylique sur toile - 104 3/4 x 49 5/8 in.

PAUL JENKINS (EN)

"Wigwam rouge et jaune", une captivante peinture à la gouache d'Alexander Calder, est une exploration vibrante du design et de la couleur. Dominée par un treillis de lignes diagonales se croisant près de leur point culminant, la composition dégage un équilibre dynamique. Calder introduit un élément de fantaisie avec des losanges rouges et jaunes, qui confèrent à l'œuvre un caractère ludique et créent une atmosphère de fête. Les boules rouges au sommet des lignes de droite évoquent une impression de fantaisie, tandis que les petites sphères grises au sommet des lignes de gauche offrent un contraste et un équilibre. La fusion magistrale de la simplicité et des éléments de conception essentiels de Calder fait de Wigwam rouge et jaune un délice visuel.

ALEXANDRE CALDER

Fille du sculpteur minimaliste Tony Smith, l'art de Kiki ne se limite pas à un seul médium ou à une seule technique, et son travail invite souvent à de multiples interprétations. Club incarne la forme et les dimensions d'une jambe humaine, élément essentiel du mouvement et de la stabilité. Le titre de Smith invite le spectateur à réimaginer une jambe comme une arme et à réfléchir à la fragilité de la condition humaine, à la dynamique de pouvoir de l'autonomie corporelle et à l'interaction complexe entre la force et la vulnérabilité. Cette transformation d'une partie du corps en objet véhicule à la fois la protection et l'agression et réfléchit à la manière dont les corps sexués naviguent dans notre environnement social et personnel. Club illustre la capacité de Smith à créer des œuvres riches en symboles, ouvertes à l'interprétation, et à susciter une réflexion sur l'expérience humaine.

KIKI SMITH

<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

"A Dream Within a Dream" est une importante série de peintures et de sérigraphies de Ryan McGinnes qui tire son nom d'un célèbre poème d'Edgar Allan Poe. Explorant les thèmes de la perception, de la réalité et du subconscient, McGinnes incorpore une variété de symboles et de motifs, notamment des formes géométriques, des éléments botaniques et des motifs figuratifs, qu'il organise en motifs complexes qui semblent se déplacer et se transformer sous les yeux du spectateur. Le titre suggère un sentiment d'ambiguïté et d'incertitude, reflétant la nature insaisissable de la réalité et la qualité de fuite de l'expérience humaine. En abordant les thèmes de la perception et de l'illusion, McGinnes encourage les spectateurs à remettre en question leurs hypothèses sur le monde et à envisager la possibilité que la réalité soit plus fluide et subjective qu'il n'y paraît.

RYAN MCGINNESS

"A drawing is simply a line going for a walk."<br>-Paul Klee<br><br>A significant draftsman, Paul Klee's works on paper rival his works on canvas in their technical proficiency and attention to his modern aesthetic. As an early teacher at the Bauhaus school, Klee traveled extensively and inspired a generation of 20th Century Artists. <br><br>Klee transcended a particular style, instead creating his own unique visual vocabulary. In Klee's work, we see a return to basic, geometric forms and a removal of artistic embellishment. "Der Hafen von Plit" was once owned by Alfred H. Barr, Jr., the First Director of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

PAUL KLEE

Deborah Butterfield est une sculptrice américaine, surtout connue pour ses sculptures de chevaux faites d'objets en bois, en métal et autres objets trouvés. La pièce de 1981, Untitled (Cheval), est composée de bâtons et de papier sur armature métallique. L'échelle impressionnante de cette pièce crée un effet remarquable en personne, présentant un exemple frappant du célèbre sujet de Butterfield. À l'origine, Butterfield a créé les chevaux à partir du bois et d'autres matériaux trouvés sur sa propriété à Bozeman, au Montana, et a vu les chevaux comme un autoportrait métaphorique, exploitant la résonance émotionnelle de ces formes.

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD (EN)

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The monotype holds a distinctive place within Gauguin's oeuvre, offering a window into the artist's innovative process and his quest to reconcile the challenge of unifying painting and drawing. This medium became the foundation of an impressive corpus that evolved from his innovative Brittany woodcuts and, later, as the means to reimagine the boundaries between printmaking, drawing, and painting during his years in Tahiti and the Marquesas. </font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>“<em>Bathers”</em> belongs to Gauguin's 1899–1903 series of "traced monotypes," a technique where the artist drew or pressed on the back of paper placed over an inked or painted surface, resulting in a single reversed impression. This process introduced subtle textures and a sense of immediacy while allowing Gauguin to explore the interplay of positive and negative forms. By late 1902, the artist had begun keying the drawings on the versos of these monotypes to the direction of his paintings, resulting in a deliberate reversal of themes. The reversed orientation of this monotype, for example, is associated with the painting "<em>Famille tahitienne</em>" (W.618, Stephen A. Cohen collection, a.k.a., “<em>A Walk by the Sea</em>”), and it exemplifies this practice, raising intriguing questions about the creation sequence.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The reversed orientation offers a compelling argument for understanding the monotype as a concurrent experiment rather than a preparatory study. Rather than serving as a preliminary blueprint, the monotype served as a dynamic tool for experimentation, allowing Gauguin to analyze and retest compositional ideas, color harmonies, and spatial relationships in real-time. The act of transferring the image introduced an element of unpredictability—textures softened, colors became more fluid, and linear forms took on painterly qualities. This spontaneity enabled Gauguin to step outside the constraints of oil painting, offering him fresh insights into how elements of the composition could evolve. Through this iterative process, the monotype would have informed adjustments to “<em>Famille tahitienne</em>,” enriching the painting's vibrancy, depth, and compositional balance. The interplay between the two mediums underscores Gauguin's innovative approach, treating the monotype not as a secondary exercise but as an integral part of his artistic vision.</font></div><br><br><div> </div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>While the monotype lacks the polished refinement of the painting, its raw immediacy and formal sensitivity reveal Gauguin's fascination with experimentation and spontaneity. Far from being a preparatory study, “<em>Bathers”</em> likely enabled Gauguin to deconstruct and reimagine <em>“Famille tahitienne” </em>as he worked. This creative interplay underscores Gauguin's broader artistic quest during his later years: to distill the essence of life and nature into forms that combine immediacy with timeless resonance.</font></div>

PAUL GAUGUIN

HARRY BERTOIA - Willow Sculpture - acier inoxydable - 61 1/2 x 39 x 39 in.

BERTOIA HARRY

HARRY BERTOIA - Untitled (Sounding Sculpture) - cuivre au béryllium et bronze avec base en bois - 36 1/2 x 8 x 8 in.

BERTOIA HARRY

Manuel Neri était une figure centrale du Bay Area Figurative Movement dans les années 1960. Au lieu de formes abstraites, le groupe mettait l'accent sur l'émotion à travers la puissance de la forme humaine. La présente œuvre, "Sans titre" (1982), explore la forme féminine à l'échelle réelle. Tout au long de ses 60 ans de carrière, Neri a préféré travailler avec un seul modèle, Maria Julia Klimenko. L'absence de visage dans de nombreuses sculptures ajoute un élément de mystère et d'ambiguïté. Dans "Sans titre", la composition est axée sur la structure et la forme de la figure. Manuel Neri est représenté dans de nombreuses collections de musées à travers le monde, notamment à la Addison Gallery/Phillips Academy, à la Anderson Collection de l'université de Stanford, à l'Art Institute of Chicago, au Cantor Arts Center de l'université de Stanford, au Cincinnati Art Museum, au Crocker Art Museum de Sacramento, en Californie, au Denver Art Museum, au El Paso Museum of Art, au Texas, aux Fine Arts Museums de San Francisco, aux Harvard University Art Museums, au Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden de Washington, D. C., au Honolulu Museum of Art, à l'Université de Californie du Sud, à l'Université de Californie du Sud et à l'Université de Californie du Sud.C. ; Honolulu Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York et la National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

NERI MANUEL

Lorsqu’un cheval se couche, c’est parce qu’il se sent en sécurité, ce qui, pour Deborah Butterfield, est une façon de dire qu’il est normal de se rendre vulnérable. « Echo », construit de manière à respecter ses compétences en matière de recherche de nourriture et sa capacité à souder le métal, n’adhère pas à une représentation traditionnelle d’un cheval, mais révèle plutôt quelque chose de sa nature essentielle. Construite à partir de tôles d’acier assemblées, certaines ondulées, d’autres pliées ou serties, c’est une pièce qui porte la marque du temps, vieillie jusqu’à une patine brun rouille, des imperfections célébrées plutôt que dissimulées. Le choix délibéré des matériaux et de leur traitement par Butterfield ajoute de la profondeur et du caractère, transformant Untitled, Echo en plus d’une simple représentation équine - il reflète la beauté sauvage et la résilience de l’animal qu’il représente.

DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD (EN)

<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

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.

CHINOIS

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.

CHINOIS

WALEAD BESHTY - Los Caballos en la Conquista - Vestiges d'engobe de Ceramica Suro, glaçure et plaque de cuisson - 9 1/2 x 32 1/4 x 21 1/2 in.

WALEAD BESHTY

<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>

BERTOIA HARRY

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>In Harry Bertoia's oeuvre, "<em>Willow</em>" stands apart as an extraordinary synthesis of natural inspiration and innovative metalwork. Its cascading strands of stainless-steel capture the weeping elegance of a willow tree's drooping branches while introducing a dynamic, interactive quality through its shimmering surface and subtle responsiveness to movement. The strands—whether referred to as "tinsels," "filaments," or "tendrils"—reflect the delicacy of natural forms, blending artistry with technical mastery.</font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Bertoia, a visionary sculptor with an unparalleled ability to transform industrial materials into organic beauty, likely employed meticulous processes to create "<em>Willow,</em>" cutting thin sheets of stainless steel into fine strips and expertly attaching them to a central core, positioning each strand to flow like water or sway like leaves in the breeze. The tactile quality of the strands, which respond to air currents or touch, invites the viewer into a contemplative engagement with the work, much like one might feel beneath the canopy of a willow tree.</font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>This piece epitomizes Bertoia's lifelong fascination with nature, stemming from his early years in the rural village of San Lorenzo, Italy. His sensitivity to the organic world continually informed his artistic practice, from his celebrated Sonambient sound sculptures to creations like “<em>Willow</em>, “which reimagine the relationship between form and environment. As he once said, "I no longer hold onto terms like music and sculpture. Those old distinctions have lost all their meaning."</font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Once again , Bertoia captivates us by reaching beyond the traditional boundaries of sculpture, delivering a work that is as much a sensory experience as a visual one. It is a harmonious blend of natural inspiration and innovative artistry, a reminder of the sacred beauty found in the intersection of art and the natural world.</font></div>

BERTOIA HARRY

Façonné par son Italie natale et l’Amérique d’adoption, Joseph Stella a exploré une gamme extraordinaire de styles et de médiums dans des œuvres d’une diversité et d’une originalité étonnantes. En 1911, Stella surfe sur la vague avant-gardiste des tendances fauvistes, cubistes et futuristes, mais il est le seul moderniste américain à vivre au jour le jour avec les maîtres anciens italiens. La pose et le traitement de « Nu couché » sont liés à une série d’œuvres que Stella a peintes dans les années 1920 représentant des femmes séduisantes provenant de sources mythologiques ou fantastiques telles que « Léda et le cygne » et Ondine, une belle nymphe de l’eau d’un conte de fées allemand romantique populaire du XIXe siècle. Représenté sans imagerie florale ou symboliste, Nu couché, peint dans les années 1930, reflète mieux cette période qui donne à réfléchir.

JOSEPH STELLA

Les premières œuvres en papier mâché de Manuel Neri ont ouvert la voie à la technique sculpturale, et son approche de la peinture de ses sculptures reflète son profond engagement dans le potentiel expressif de la couleur et de la forme. Le choix et la disposition des couleurs dans Hombre Colorado II créent une réponse particulièrement viscérale qui reflète sa compréhension nuancée de la dimension psychologique et émotionnelle de la couleur. Conçu et produit en 1958, Hombre Colorado II reflète une époque où Neri et sa femme Joan Brown étaient engagés dans un riche échange artistique et contribuaient de manière significative à l'évolution de leurs styles respectifs et du mouvement figuratif de la Bay Area, dans lequel ils jouaient un rôle essentiel.

NERI MANUEL

CHARLES ARNOLDI - Sticky Wicket - acrylique, pâte à modeler et bâtons sur contreplaqué - 44 1/4 x 91 x 3 in.

CHARLES ARNOLDI

WILLIAM WENDT - Laguna Hills - huile sur toile - 25 x 30 in.

WILLIAM WENDT

À la fin des années 1990, Manuel Neri a commencé à transformer de nombreuses sculptures en plâtre en bronze, revenant souvent à des œuvres antérieures pour produire de nouvelles interprétations imaginées de chaque pièce. Ces séries, presque indiscernables en termes de forme et de détails de surface, explorent l'impact de différentes combinaisons de couleurs et de marquages qui impliquent diverses actions, notamment l'incision, le brossage, le grattage ou la superposition de matériaux. En expérimentant différentes techniques de marquage, Neri a pu explorer l'interaction entre la forme, la couleur, la texture et la lumière. Dans le contexte de la Figure debout n° 3, Neri a limité sa palette à une palette de couleurs analogues, en diluant la peinture pour créer des gradations subtiles qui mettent en valeur l'extérieur lisse et raffiné de la sculpture.

NERI MANUEL

MARC QUINN - Lovebomb - photo laminée sur aluminium - 108 1/4 x 71 3/4 x 37 3/4 in.

MARC QUINN

Connu pour sa fascination pour la gloire, la célébrité et les icônes culturelles, Andy Warhol a parfois dépassé le cadre de ses contemporains pour s'intéresser à des personnages historiques. Les théories de Goethe sur la couleur mettent l'accent sur la manière dont les couleurs sont perçues et sur leur impact psychologique, ce qui contraste avec la compréhension de la couleur en tant que phénomène scientifique, basée sur la physique newtonienne. Bien qu'il n'y ait pas de lien direct entre la théorie des couleurs de Goethe et le fait que Warhol l'ait choisi comme sujet, cela met en évidence la façon dont nous considérons l'art de Warhol comme s'engageant dans des traditions historiques pour symboliser un lien entre leurs domaines et leurs époques respectives. En ce sens, l'œuvre constitue un hommage et une collaboration intertemporelle, reliant le langage visuel de Warhol à la conscience qu'avait Goethe de la couleur en tant qu'élément puissant et stimulant de la perception.

ANDY WARHOL (EN)

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

EDGAR ALWIN PAYNE - Bateaux vénitiens à Sotto Marino - huile sur panneau - 23 3/8 x 26 1/4 in.

EDGAR ALWIN PAYNE

Karl Benjamin et ses pairs Lorser Feitelson, Frederick Hammersley et John McLaughlin occupent une place à part dans l'histoire de l'art abstrait américain. Connus pour leurs formes géométriques précises et leurs bords nets soulignant la planéité, ils sont les peintres californiens de la "Hard Edge" qui ont émergé à la fin des années 1950. Contrairement à Ellsworth Kelly, par exemple, leurs œuvres reflètent une luminosité, une clarté et une palette qui suggèrent l'environnement naturel et bâti de la Californie plutôt que les influences plus urbaines et industrielles ressenties sur la côte est. En outre, comparé à la scène artistique compétitive de la côte Est, le groupe californien était une communauté d'artistes relativement petite et soudée, avec un sens de la collaboration et de l'exploration partagée qui a contribué à un mouvement cohésif avec une identité distincte.

KARL BENJAMIN (EN)

La sculpture de saule de Harry Bertoia résonne comme une expression de grâce et de délicatesse, des qualités qui démentent les associations habituelles que nous avons avec les propriétés intrinsèques de l'alliage dont elle est faite. Cette version suspendue - la rare version de Willow - semble avoir une présence consciente d'elle-même, qui se réjouit de ce contraste de propriétés. Pourtant, elle n'invite rien de plus qu'un plaisir existentiel à la regarder. Pensez à Willow comme une version audacieusement articulée de Calder si ce dernier maître avait une évocation plus organique ou corporelle à l'esprit. Suspendue, elle commande sa zone tout en respectant sa relation spatiale avec son environnement. Lumière, forme, espace - ce sont les outils conceptuels du sculpteur. Mais qui d'autre penserait à utiliser un matériau réfléchissant plus facilement associé à l'inflexibilité et à la force du tenseur pour créer un bouquet de brins d'acier inoxydable en cascade, suspendus dans l'espace, ressemblant à une fleur et d'une beauté si gracieuse ?

BERTOIA HARRY

JOANNA POUSETTE-DART - Sans titre (Étude du désert rouge) - acrylique sur panneau de bois - 33 1/2 x 42 x 3/4 in.

JOANNA POUSETTE-DART

SETH KAUFMAN - Lignum Spire - bronze à patine verte - 103 1/2 x 22 x 17 in.

SETH KAUFMAN

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.

CHINOIS

LÉON AUGUSTIN LHERMITTE - Laveuses, le soir - pastel sur papier marouflé sur toile - 17 1/2 x 13 3/4 po.

LÉON AUGUSTIN LHERMITTE

MEL RAMOS - Tomato Catsup ; A.C. Annie ; Lola Cola ; Tobacco Red - quatre lithographies offset imprimées en couleurs - 30 3/4 x 25 1/4 in. ea.

MEL RAMOS

AI WEIWEI - Chaises "Fairytale" - bois - 49 x 45 x 17 1/2 in.

AI WEIWEI

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

CHINOIS