NYAB Event - Daniel Greene “At the Auction”

Daniel Greene “At the Auction”

Gallery Henoch

This event has ended.

The seasonal art auctions, where a raised paddle can signal a bid of tens of millions of dollars, have long captivated the public’s imagination. Greene’s new series of paintings depicts moments of high drama that make acquiring these trophies of modern art so rousing. The paintings begin as sketches of compelling moments on location. Greene then moves production to his North Salem, NY studio where he paints using live models-often friends and family members-standing in for the bidders and auctioneers. Greene first started attending auctions four decades ago. “I couldn’t help but notice,” he recalls, “that the bidding was sometimes fast and furious-very agitated.” The paintings in this series capture these turbulent moments-the climactic win in Rothko & Diebenkorn for example-alongside periods of measured anticipation, such as the suspenseful phone deal, presumably with a client halfway around the world, in Lot 134 - The Water’s Fine (below).

While the theater of these compositions make the drama palpable, the deeper significance of this series is in seeing the fine art auction portrayed through the lens of an artist who is himself widely considered a modern-day master. The auction confers a kind of prestige on the artists it sells, securing a place for them in the art history books. With this series Greene pays homage to these great artists while also engaging their legacies in a more competitive spirit.

At 80 years old, Daniel Greene has influenced a generation of American painters. His virtuosity is expressed in the range of his subject matter and in the brilliance of his technique. The series of paintings in this exhibition grows out of his ongoing interest in the interface of art and life. Also included in this exhibition will be paintings of New York’s iconic underground mosaics found in the century old subway system.

Greene’s work hangs in over 700 public and private collections, including the Clinton Presidential Library and the F.D.R. Memorial Library. Recognition from leading organizations for his work includes awards and honors from The Pastel Society of America, which elected Greene to the Pastel Hall of Fame-the first living artist so honored-as well as from The Oil Painters of America Society, which named him to the group’s Hall of Fame. American Artist Magazine honored Greene with the publication’s first lifetime achievement award in the category of oil painting. Greene was also presented with the John Singer Sargent award from the American Society of Portrait Artists for “lifelong dedication to the achievement of excellence in portraiture.” More recently, Greene was awarded medals from the Portrait Society of America and from The Artists Fellowship in New York City.