Art Knowledge News
Philadelphia Museum of Art Exhibits Hans Burkhardt Painting "Burial of Gorky" |
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| Written by Jack Rutberg |
| Wednesday, 25 November 2009 03:20 |
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That back-story to Los Angeles' connection to Arshile Gorky is underscored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art's current inclusion of a poignant painting by Hans Burkhardt entitled "Burial of Gorky" (1950), now on view in a special exhibition entitled "Arshile Gorky in Context," which runs concurrently with the Museum's present "Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective." Included with Burkhardt’s painting in "Arshile Gorky in Context" are works by other artists closely associated with Gorky, including Paul Cezanne, Wassily Kandinsky, Fernand Leger, Marcel Duchamp, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Reuben Nakian, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Adolph Gottlieb, Roberto Matta, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso and others. Both exhibitions were organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art curator, Michael Taylor.  When "Arshile
Gorky: A Retrospective" travels to Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art
(MOCA) in June of 2010, Burkhardt's "presence" in the exhibition will be evident
through the inclusion of Gorky's "Self Portrait" (1928), which Burkhardt donated
to the Los Angeles County Museum in 1947, in tribute to his friend and early
mentor, the year before Gorky's suicide. "Self Portrait" was the first painting
by Gorky in a Los Angeles Museum and probably the first in any West
Coast museum collection. Numerous paintings in the Gorky retrospective exhibition were painted during those
years that Burkhardt shared Gorky's studio, between 1928 and 1937. Also
included in the exhibition is Gorky’s masterful
painting, "Staten Island" (1928), dedicated by Gorky to Burkhardt. In addition,
Burkhardt's voice is among those evoked in the exhibition's audio tour, along
with other luminaries such as Willam deKooning, Barnett Newman and Clement
Greenberg, offering their reflections and memories about Gorky. As an influential artist and teacher in his own right, Hans Burkhardt's lifelong advocacy of Arshile Gorky in Los Angeles helped bring West Coast recognition of Gorky's unique significance to American painting, making the Gorky Retrospective a particularly fitting event in Los Angeles when it opens at MOCA in June of 2010. The Gorky retrospective exhibition and its accompanying publication offer new insights into Gorky's early personal history and his emergence in New York as a lightning rod in the development of American modern art. Brought into focus is Gorky’s Armenian heritage and his tragic odyssey that led this young precocious genius to America to become one of the most pivotal artists in American modern art. Giving special resonance to the exhibition when it travels to Los Angeles, is that L.A. has the largest Armenian community outside of Armenia. And what is made particularly evident is how Gorky's Armenian heritage informs the totality of his work in a deeply personal manner, arguably unrivaled in the art of his time. Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective is currently on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through January 10. The exhibition travels to the Tate Modern in London from February 10 through May 3, 2010. The exhibition travels to MOCA, Los Angeles opening June 6 and extending through September 20, 2010. The Estate of Hans Burkhardt is Represented by : JACK RUTBERG FINE ARTS 357 North La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036-2517 www.jackrutbergfinearts.com jrutberg@jackrutbergfinearts. Tel. (323) 938-5222 Fax. (323) 938-0577 Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~ |
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