Hollis Taggart will open an exhibition of early Abstract Expressionist works by Audrey Flack, including…
From May 26 to June 24, Hollis Taggart will present Audrey Flack: Force of nature, a selection of abstract expressionist works, including unpublished early works on paper, by the renowned artist. Opening just three days before Flack’s 91st birthday, the exhibit is his first Abstract Expressionist exhibit at Hollis Taggart since 2015. Audrey Flack: the abstract expressionist years, which provided a broad overview of his paintings from the 1950s and 1960s. The upcoming exhibition provides a deeper insight into the development of his early practice, revealing fresh works from the late 1940s to early 1950s. abstract expressionism and photorealism movements.
On May 26, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the press and the public are invited to celebrate Flack’s 91st birthday and the opening of the exhibition. It will be a unique opportunity to connect with the artist, a luminary of abstract expressionism, and discover these early works with her. The works of the 1940s were instrumental in setting Flack on an artistic trajectory that led to success within the Abstract Expressionist movement, a movement in which she was one of many women who have still not attracted critical attention. they deserve.
The unpublished treasure of works on paper of Audrey Flack: Force of naturenamed after the series of abstract forests and landscape themes presented in the exhibition, dates from 1948 to 1954 were recently rediscovered in his studio as part of an archiving and cataloging process. The works span the period immediately after his graduation from the High School of Music and Arts in Harlem through his tenure at the Cooper Union in New York and later through his studies with Josef Albers at Yale, a transitional period where she developed her artistic voice and became fully immersed in the abstract expressionist movement.
Some of the earliest works shown are three paintings dated to the late 1940s. Even as she painted nature, she was inspired by the cityscape of her hometown of New York and rendered the scene in oranges, bright blues and greens. Afterwards, during her time at Cooper Union, she was influenced by the German Expressionist Ludwig Kirchner, Fauve Henri Matisse, the 19th century German Romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich and the landscapes of Piet Mondrian, as well as her friendships with Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. After being recruited to Yale in 1950 by Josef Albers when he left Black Mountain College, her work moved away from the visibly natural towards more purely abstract and geometric forms. In 1954 she began experimenting with the bright, rich colors that would pave the way for her photorealistic work for which she received critical acclaim, showing her skill in layering the vibrant, quick-drying colors.
Flack never saw his watercolors as a study or preparation for oil paintings, but as a finished work in their own right, according to author and historian Samantha Baskind, whose essay is the anchor. of the exhibition catalog that accompanies it. The watercolors show his intuitive engagement with abstraction, essential to understanding the full trajectory of his career in photorealism, figurative sculpture and post-pop baroque. Flack’s work can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. His work is featured in ongoing exhibitions, including Carlo Crivelli: Shadows on the Sky at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England, and Fruit Soup: Contemporary Vanity by Audrey Flack and Gracelee Lawrence at the University of Albany Museum of Art and was included in the 2021 exhibition Based on Art: 150 Years of Women at Yale. Flack is working on a memoir, titled With the darkness come the starsto be published in 2023 by Pennsylvania State University Press.
“The fact that we can celebrate the opening just three days before Audrey’s 91st birthday is a treat. It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with these early works of Abstract Expressionism, some of which have never been seen before, and to re-examine this interesting moment in Audrey’s incredible multifaceted career.In our more than 40 years of history as a gallery, we have championed women artists and continue to be inspired and excited about Audrey’s incredible work, past and present. We are thrilled to share this show and continue to bring attention to her practice,” said Hollis Taggart.
About Hollis Taggart
Founded in 1979, Hollis Taggart showcases significant works of American art, showcasing the trajectory of American art movements from the Hudson River School to American Modernism and the postwar and contemporary eras. Its program is characterized by a deep commitment to scholarship and the highlighting of the work of under-recognized artists. The gallery has sponsored several catalog raisonné projects, most recently for American surrealist artist Kay Sage, and has been instrumental in advancing the knowledge of artists such as Alfred Maurer, Arthur B. Carles and, more recently, Theodoros Stamos, Marjorie Strider and Michael. (Corinne) West. In the summer of 2019, the gallery announced the formal expansion of its activity in the primary market and focuses on the presentation of contemporary works. It continues to expand its roster of contemporary artists, focusing on emerging and mid-career talent. With over 40 years of experience, Hollis Taggart is widely recognized by collectors and curators for her leadership, expertise and openness to art historical issues, trends and market opportunities. The gallery’s flagship location is in Chelsea, and it also operates a space in Southport, Connecticut.
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About Hollis Taggart
Hollis Taggart – formerly known as Hollis Taggart Galleries – was founded in 1979, with a mission to present museum-quality works of art, maintain a scholarship-driven program and offer personalized support in all aspects of art collecting. For nearly 40 years, the gallery has featured significant American art – showcasing the trajectory of American art movements from the Hudson River School to American Modernism and the postwar and contemporary eras – and has curated countless exhibitions critically acclaimed collaborations with top leaders. In the field. Hollis Taggart has also worked with over thirty museums and institutions to produce scholarly catalogs. In addition, Hollis Taggart has sponsored three catalog raisonné projects. The first was Pennsylvania impressionist Daniel Garber’s two-volume catalog raisonné, which was published in 2006 and includes more than 1,500 entries. In 2000, the gallery launched the catalog raisonné Frederick Carl Frieseke, currently being compiled by the artist’s grandson. More recently, the gallery has undertaken the compilation of surrealist artist Kay Sage’s catalog raisonné, in partnership with Mark Kelman and Sage scholar Stephen Robeson Miller. In the summer of 2015, Hollis Taggart opened its first space in Chelsea, moving out of the Upper East Side where it had operated since its inception. In the fall of 2018, Hollis Taggart will move into the street-level space at 521 W. 26th Street and open a private viewing and storage annex across the street, fully consolidating its operations in Chelsea. Together, the spaces provide Hollis Taggart with nearly 4,000 square feet to host exhibits and engage customers with curated artwork from its inventory, while improving ease of access between its locations. Today, the gallery’s program has grown to encompass contemporary practitioners, as an essential component of art historical discourse. It also continues to show significant works of historic American art, with a particular emphasis on the post-war period. These two cross threads provide the public and Hollis Taggart customers with a dynamic and diverse set of offerings. As the gallery looks to the future, fostering scholarship and dialogue about American art through time remains central to its work with artists, scholars, and curators. In addition to its public program, the gallery also advises private collectors, companies and museums on acquisitions and supports its clients in the development of their personal collections. Hollis Taggart welcomes all inquiries from collectors wishing to sell or consign works of art or estates. The gallery may also provide appraisal services.