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About the artist: Native of New York, Ethel Schwabacher (1903-1984) spent much of her career within the city’s vibrant and dynamic art scene, and today is recognized as an important and influential member of the Abstract Expressionist movement. While current art historical scholarship frequently studies the work of women artists who have been overlooked, Schwabacher is significant in that she was quite well known in her day. She was represented by the famous Betty Parsons Gallery, a hub of avant-garde art in the 1940s and 1950s, and moved in the same circles as artists like Willem de Kooning, Kenzo Okada and José Guerrero. Archie Gorky, an artist considered a major influence on Abstract Expressionism, was a close friend and mentor of Schwabacher, and she eventually wrote and published Gorky’s biography in 1957. Gorky introduced Schwabacher to Automatism in the 1930s , a mode of artistic creation that emphasizes the subconscious mind. , which, in conjunction with the prevailing abstract trends in the art world, led the artist to develop his own distinct and inimitable artistic style. His work is now held in many important collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA; and Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, among others.
Ethel Schwabacher (circa 1920s). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
What do you want to know: Opening tomorrow April 20 with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and until May 26, 2023, Berry Campbell in New York presentsEthel Schwabacher: Woman in Nature (1950s Paintings)», the gallery’s first exhibition on Schwabacher and the artist’s first solo exhibition in New York in 30 years. Berry Campbell specialized in important female artists of the 1950s, and Schwabacher is a fitting addition to the gallery’s list. Many of the works on display have not been exhibited since being included in one of the artist’s five solo exhibitions with the Betty Parsons Gallery, counting the large-scale capstone of the present exhibition. Prometheus (1959). Accompanied by a 26-page exhibition catalog Featuring an essay by Dr. Joan M. Marter, the exhibit offers an exciting opportunity to see one of Abstract Expressionism’s most prominent female artists.
Ethel Schwabacher (circa 1955). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
Why we love it: Schwabacher’s vivid, gestural compositions in Berry Campbell’s exhibition exemplify the confluence of influences and inspirations she employed. While each painting contains its own inherent logic and balance, the unencumbered brushstrokes and free use of color convey a sense of immediacy and vigor. Works such as Seasons and Days: July (1955) offers a tantalizing insight into his world and vision, evoking the sense of a landscape or filtered window view through his own finely honed abstract style – and highlighting the continued influence of automatism. Later in the decade, Origins i (1958) avoids all allusion to representation and embodies total abstraction. Although Schwabacher established a presence and a career for herself during her lifetime, her work has still not attracted the same academic or critical attention as her male counterparts. This exhibition presents the opportunity not only to bring Schwabacher’s work back into the spotlight, but also to initiate a renewed interest in his work in the art world at large.
See the featured works from the exhibition below.
Ethel Schwabacher, Seasons and Days: July (1955). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
Ethel Schwabacher, Footsteps of the Sun (1957). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
Ethel Schwabacher, Return no. 3 (1957). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
Ethel Schwabacher, Origins i (1958). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
Ethel Schwabacher, Prometheus (1959). Courtesy of Berry Campbell, New York.
“Ethel Schwabacher: Woman in Nature (1950s Paintings)is on view in Berry Campbell, New York, through May 26, 2023.
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