ART-PRESENTATION: Louise Nevelson-Assemblages and Collages 1960-1980
Louise Nevelson was an iconoclast artist known for her monochromatic sculptures, she is fundamental to the history of Feminist art, as it challenged the dominant stereotype of the male sculptor. She emerged in the art world amidst the dominance of the Abstract Expressionist Movement. In her most iconic works, she utilized wooden objects that she gathered from urban debris piles to create her monumental installations. Nevelson carefully arranged the objects in order to historicize the debris within the new, narrative context of her wall sculptures.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Cortesi Gallery Archive
Τhe exhibition “Assemblages and Collages 1960-1980” at Cortesi Gallery in Lugano is a remarkable selection of 29 works realised by Louise Nevelson. Realised on wooden or paper boards the collages reveal the artist’s attention to perspective, chromaticism, spontaneity of execution and compositional balance. To this first kind of artistic production, Nevelson added assemblages, in both cases, the works are realised by collecting scrape wood and metals bits found in the streets of New York. In 1932, Nevelson traveled to Germany to study Cubism with Hans Hofmann, until the Nazis closed the school. She followed Hofmann to New York and enrolled at the Art Students League, an art school where Jackson Pollock and other Abstract Expressionists studied. She worked in various media, painting, sculpture and printing. In the ‘40s, Nevelson experimented with different styles and materials such as wood and junk that she found in the streets of New York. She began working with monochrome paint, particularly black, and assembled the sculpture pieces in groupings. Nevelson created works that illustrated how freedom of expression was a political act. While making a reputation with her art, she cultivated an extravagant personal lifestyle that included glamorous gowns, heavy face makeup and unconventional hairstyles. Nevelson’s real success came in the late ‘50s, when some of her works were featured at the Museum of Modern Art. Gradually, other big museums and collectors recognized her talent, and she rose through the ranks of the New York art world. But it wasn’t until she was well into her 60s that she could depend on a steady income from her work. Nevelson developed several large installations throughout the ‘70s and ’80s. Nevelson’s work stands out as a foundational contribution to feminist art challenging the stereotypical “male” sculptor style. She is admired for designing exhibitions with works that not only as individual objects, but as parts of a whole. Nevelson, not intimidated by new ideas or creativity, was an outstanding sculptor who redefined femininity in sculpture art.
Info: Curator: Bruno Corà, Cortesi Gallery, Via Frasca 5, Lugano, Duration 16/2-7/4/17, Days & Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, http://cortesigallery.com
