"Art Couple: Work of the 1950's" Exhibition
Anita Shapolsky Gallery
This event has ended.
Anita Shapolsky Gallery is hosting a show on the unique art couple, featuring abstract mosaics by Jeanne Reynal (1903 - 1983) and paintings by Thomas Sills (1914 -2000) from the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Jeanne Reynal, the mosaicist, was inspired by luminous gold mosaic of ancient architecture of Byzantium. In the times of Renaissance, as she observed, mosaic work was conflated to mere juxtaposition of stones and her project, as a mosaicist, was to recover the lost quality of light. Jeanne Reynal developed the "direct method" and has given the ancient art new dimension. In order to rescue the lost quality of light, her “direct method” of laying pieces of stone, shells, marble and semi-precious stones in various patterns let the light glitter on the surface.
Thomas Sills, a self-taught artist, inspired by his wife’s collection of abstract art, began working with materials that his wife used in her mosaics, but soon branched out to oil on wood as well as canvas. In his compositions of bright oils he mimicked luminous mosaics of Jeanne Reynal. His provocative handling of color and innovative use of media attracted the attention of the New York avant-garde.
Jeanne Reynal and Thomas Sills, a biracial couple, married in the 1950’s. They both part of the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York City in the middle of the 20th century. They were friends of artists: Arshile Gorky, Buffie Johnson, Franz Kline, William de Kooning, Barnet Newman, Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko.
Media
Schedule
from February 09, 2008 to April 26, 2008