Robert Motherwell

Robert Motherwell (January 24, 1915 -- July 16, 1991) was an American abstract expressionist painter and printmaker. He was one of the youngest of the New York School (a phrase he coined), which also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Philip Guston

Motherwell was born in Aberdeen, Washington. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Stanford University in 1937 before completing one year of a philosophy Ph.D. at Harvard before shifting fields to art and art history, studying under Meyer Schapiro at Columbia University. His rigorous background in rhetoric would serve him and the abstract expressionists well, as he was able to tour the country giving speeches that articulated to the public what it was that he and his friends were doing in New York. Without his tireless devotion to communication (in addition to his prolific painting), well-known abstract expressionists like Rothko, who was extremely shy and rarely left his studio, might not have made it into the public eye. Motherwell's collected writings are a truly exceptional window into the abstract expressionist world. He was a lucid and engaging writer, and his essays are considered a bridge for those who want to learn more about non-representational art but who are put off by dense art criticism.

Motherwell spent significant time in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Cy Twombly studied under him.

Motherwell's greatest goal was to use the staging of his work to convey to the viewer the mental and physical engagement of the artist with the canvas. He preferred using the starkness of black paint as one of the basic elements of his paintings. One of his more well-known techniques involved diluting his paint with turpentine to create a shadow effect. His long-running series of paintings "Elegies for the Spanish Republic" is generally considered his most significant project.

Motherwell was a member of the editorial board of the surrealist magazine VVV and a contributor of Wolfgang Paalens journal Dyn, which was adited 1942-44 in six numbers. He also edited Paalens collected essays Form and Sense in 1945 as the first Number of Problems of Contemporary Art.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth houses the largest collection of Motherwell's works. The Walker Art Center also has a nearly-complete collection of his prints. The Empire State Plaza holds some of his work.

He was married to artist Helen Frankenthaler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Motherwell

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• Motherwell
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• music
• Léo
• Ferré
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[uweetnix]

Hello. Although I've collected the work of Leo Ferre for several decades, it seems he rarely if ever had his words translated into English. The music, in my experience, often transcends the need for a literal translation, as you've no doubt noticed. And although virtually unknown in the US, he remains a God in France.

[1886wand]

This makes it clear that Motherwell is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. The pictures are very powerful. And the music is haunting.

[adelle0001]

amazing video! thanks

[polymath7]

@Zalbeon It's called 'Elegy for the Spanish Republic'.

[Chronolie]

magnifique!

[lefroy1]

like the mood setting trumpet in the beginning. would be nice to linger on the large paintings a bit longer, rather than giving them the same facetime as his numerous ink on paper studies. but overall, i like.

[saraswati108]

fantastic...the best 7.40 minutes I've had all week! Great to see so much of his work all in one place Thanks

[lomasbois]

chez le vieillard glacé dans la chambre sans feu

(en la vieja hielera en un cuarto sin alumbre)

[Zalbeon]

You know the name of the painting on 2:16?

[lolipuf]

Robert Motherwell is included in the books:

New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists

ISBN: 0967799406

American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s An Illustrated Survey ISBN:0967799414

[artgal28]

Powerful work.

[simplerainbow]

What a kind... kind man, Robert was.