50 OBJECTS 50 YEARS

CELEBRATING HOUSATONIC MUSEUM OF

ART Henri Cartier-Bresson French, 1908-2004 Mexico, Mexico City, 1963 Gelatin Silver Print, 1978 Gift of Nancy Miao Twitchell, 1992.20.11.04

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photojournalist renowned for his countless memorable images of 20th century individ- uals and events. After studying painting and becoming influenced by Surrealism, he began a career in photography in 1931. His works are remarkable for their flawless composition, and they capture what has been called “the decisive moment” in a situation, of time arrested. His photographs, characteristically taken with a 35-mm camera, are “straight” photographs meaning they have not been cropped or manipulated. Cartier-Bresson witnessed and photographed many of his era’s most historic events, from the Spanish Civil War, to the Partition of India, the Chinese Revolution, and France’s 1968 student rebellion. He made numerous photographs of the German occupation of France, and in 1944, after escaping from a Nazi prison camp, organized underground photography units. He was the author of many photographic books including The Decisive Moment (1952), People of Moscow (1955), China in Transition (1956), The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson (1968), The Face of Asia (1972), About Russia (1974), and the retrospective Henri Cartier-Bresson: Photogra- pher (1992). A founder (1947) of the Magnum photo agency, he virtually retired from photography in the early 1970s and devoted himself to drawing. “O bliss of the collector, bliss of the man of leisure!

Of no one has less been expected and no one has had a greater sense of well-being than... a collector.

Ownership is the most intimate relationship one can have to objects.

Cover: Pablo Picasso Spanish, 1881-1973 Not that they come Mask of a Picador with a Broken Nose, 1903-1960 alive in him; Bronze Gift of Herman and it is he who comes Wendy Klarsfeld, 2006.7.01 alive in them.” ― Picasso was only twenty-two years old when he executed this sculpture while living in Barcelona. Created in 1903, it was not cast until 1960 and is Walter Benjamin considered to be one of his most important works. Often related to Picasso’s melancholy Blue Period paintings, we nevertheless see a turn towards abstraction, witnessed by the slight asymme- try of the face and deconstruction of the features. Picasso and his colleagues, Derain and Vlaminck, were introduced to abstract forms through African or “Primitive” art and took this as confirmation to pursue a new artistic direction. Acknowledgements An exhibit of this size and scope takes many months of prepa- ration and, of course, many hours of physical labor. The objects must be cleaned and photographed, labels must be written, and plans are made for how and why to show them. These prepara- tions take time, intelligence and patience, skill and knowledge, and a little luck and many people. And I am lucky to work with people who possess all of the qualities as well as generous spir- its. I would like to thank the following people for all their efforts to develop the exhibition 50 Objects/50 Years: Back in January, our interns, Kurt Kochis and Jane Abbott, began cleaning the objects; Paul Mutino photographed all of the objects included in the catalog; Christopher Passehl of Passehl Design worked on the logo, invite and catalog design and preparation; Janet Zamparo edited and proofread the catalog entries and materials; Richard Hubbard and Susan Greene provided all in-house media and web support; and Esther Watstein contributed press support. The team in facilities deserves recognition for all they do for this and every show; and last, but never least, the HMA’s art handling staff Aidan Boyle and Chad Cunha. But above all others, I want to give special recognition to Courtney Linderman whose tireless ef- forts have been applied to this show, and every show. Courtney’s work as the HMA’s Collections Manager has been invaluable, and her love of art and artifacts, her attention to detail and ethic of care are evident in all that she does. Thank you, Courtney.

The Housatonic Museum of Art is funded by the Werth Family Foundation, the Housatonic Community College, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, the Lumpkin Family Foundation and individual donors. Foreword Imagine a place, a kind of labyrinth, where every few feet a portal appears that can magically transport you to another place, another country or another time. The Housatonic Museum of Art is just such a place. Burt Chernow founded the collection in 1967, envisioning an environment that was enhanced and enriched by original works of art, art that could transform not only a room or a building but also individual lives. He saw the collection as a kind of library with each work of art imbued with the power to actively engage each viewer in a deep and meaningful dialogue. Over the course of thirty years, Burt developed a collection that allows students to traverse the globe without leaving the campus. He built a trove of treasures for enjoyment and learning. Today, the HMA continues to acquire works by local, regional, national and international artists. 50 Objects/50 Years includes works by Jeff Koons, Philip Jones Griffiths, Cindy Sher- man, Valerie Jaudon and Yoko Ono. In our permanent collection, we now have a variety of objects that help us to learn more about Native American cultures to include blankets, clothing, toys, and pipes, some on display here. No museum would be worth its salt if there weren’t at least one or two fakes found in its possession, and we have found one or two. Similarly, works that were acquired from relatively unknown artists have become our most significant and precious works. 50 Objects/50 Years has been a joy to organize, and though it is hardly comprehensive, and could not be given the size of the Burt Chernow Gallery space, it offers a trip through the unique, and sometimes unexpected, holdings of this important collection housed on the campus of Housatonic Community College in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Robbin Zella Torana Fragment 11th–12th Century Pala, India Shiva Nataraja within the heavens; this idea is Black Stone Indian Chola Bronze represented through the loop of Gift of Mr. and Mrs. 13th–14th Century flames. Shiva is shown dancing in Ramesh C. Kapoor, Hindu, India order to demonstrate the release 1992.3.01 Bronze of humans from illusion; the place Gift of Rudi Oriental Art, where a god performs the dance A torana (arched 1967.13.01 is considered to lie at the center portal or festoon), in the of the universe and within the ancient and medieval Ideally Chola bronzes are not human heart. architecture of South- intended to portray the literal and Southeast Asia, is human body; rather they are rep- a ceremonial gateway resentations that were inspired leading to a stupa or by the cosmic world and spiritual- Buddhist shrine. The Isamu Noguchi ism. The body of a Chola bronze spread of ideas associated with American, 1904-1988 must be smooth, and appear to Buddhism influenced Indian archi- Alpii be filled with the sacred breath tecture in eastern Asia. A number Green Marble on Stainless Steel of life, known as prana. It is a of Indian architectural features Set in Oiled Wood Base, 1960 figural representation of a body such as the temple mound or Gift of Fred Ossorio, 1969.22.07 that is purified of bone, veins, and Funnel Krater stupa, temple spire or sikhara, muscle; a symbolic body such as Daunia, Southern Italy temple tower The sculptures of Isamu Noguchi this one would have elements ca 5th– 3rd B.C. or pagoda, and temple gate or are renowned for their masterful within it that flow smoothly from Terracotta torana, have become famous fusing of Eastern and Western one to another. Gift of Peter and Pamela Werth, symbols of Asian culture used aesthetics. The son of a Japanese Shiva is one of the three 2009.7.01 extensively in East Asia and father and American mother, primary Hindu gods, and she Southeast Asia. The central spire Noguchi was raised in his father’s functions as sakti, also known as is also sometimes called a vima- homeland from the age of two to thirteen. In 1927, while in Paris female energy, thus embodying The Daunia region, known in nam. The variant southern temple on a grant from the Guggenheim the active principle and strength antiquity as Magna Graecia, was gate, or gopuram, is noted for its Foundation, Noguchi met and of the deity. She also represents located along the Adriatic Sea intricacy and majesty. The arch, apprenticed himself to Brancusi, the compassionate and generous where the native Daunians lived a cornerstone of world architec- a well-known sculptor and leader aspect of the Great Mother, the in proximity to the Greek settle- ture, was developed by the Indus of the Modernist movement in ancient Indian fertility goddess. ments. Known for their lively and Valley civilization and would France. The Hindu god Shiva is most unique pottery that incorporated eventually become an essential During the1930s, Noguchi commonly shown with four element of Indian architecture. linear and geometric patterns returned to Japan, where he arms and flying locks, and or on rounded forms using earthen was much influenced by the Zen dancing on a dwarf, which was tones, the Greeks adopted many gardens of the country. It is the a symbol of human ignorance, Daunian elements into their own Modernist teachings of Brancusi and as seen here, he was also designs especially for their askoi and the calming aesthetics of the often shown encircled by a ring (oil flasks) and trozzellae (wine Orient which are infused in both of flames.The Nataraja (Dancing bowls) pottery. the private sculptures and the Shiva) sculpture illustrates Shiva large-scale public works of the as the source of all movement artist. Chalkidian Amphora Possibly made in Rhegion (modern Reggio), Italy Greek, 560 B.C. - 510 B.C. Terracotta Gift of Robert Walzer, 1976.41.01

An amphora is a storage vessel used for dry or liquid goods and generally has an oval shape that tapers to a small ring base as seen here. There are many types of amphorae and this one is called a column-krater. Krater refers to the mouth of the vase which is wide to allow for the mixing of wine and water. Chal- kidian vase painting shows influ- ences from Attic, Corinthians and Ionian vase painting. Unique to the Chalkidian, however, are the bulbous bases of the interlaced lotus buds located just below the figures. Today, only 600 vases are known to exist and the krater vase, seen here, is the rarest form that was produced. Greenland Thule People 1200 A.D. Loon Game Piece Fossilized Ivory Gift of Herman and Wendy Klarsfeld, 2012.12.12.01

Small ivory carvings of loons, Icon of St. Nicholas ducks, and swans were pieces for 19th Century a gambling game played by Thule Russian Powder Horn people from Siberia to Alaska, Silver Metal and Oil on Wood Americana Canada and Greenland. Each Gift of Dr. Lee Goldstein, Horn incised with Bison, Wolf, player took a turn to throw the 1996.5.43.06 Eagle, Native Americans, birds that landed either upright or Weapons, US Flag and a Canoe, on their sides. Tipped-over birds Christo (Javacheff) Nicholas is Russia’s most 1860 were “dead,” and depending on Bulgaria, 1935 beloved saint and is known as Gift of Herman and local rules, the number of upright Jeanne-Claude the Wonder-Worker or Mira- Wendy Klarsfeld, 2014.13.10 or “dead” birds determined either Morocco, 1935-2009 cle-Worker. The patron saint of the winner or loser. Wrapped Modern Art Book, 1978 children, sailors and ships, he is Every powder horn tells its own Text Book, Plastic, Twine often depicted holding the Book story and conveys the thoughts Gift of the Artist, 1980.6.01 of Gospels in his hands and is of the man (or woman) who the only saint that appears in engraved it. The horns are Christo and Jeanne-Claude were three-dimensional form. The valued for the human interest born on the same day, met and silver material covering this icon of the inscription. Powder horns married in Paris, and were artistic is called a riza (“robe”) or oklad collaborators until Jeanne- (“covered”), which protects the Claude’s death in 2009, although icon. Usually made of gilt (gold) or she had not been formally silver metal, the riza is designed acknowledged as a co-creator specifically for the icon that it is until 1994. When Christo first meant to cover. Here the metal is arrived in Paris, he discovered pierced to create an open space Modernism and began wrapping for the painted face, hands, and small packages, like the one on feet of Saint Nicholas to be seen. view here, intrigued by the way were prized by their owners, a an ordinary object could be trans- companion piece to the musket, formed into something secretive ever present and indispensable and strange simply by obscuring for fighting enemies. Today these its contents. Conversely, Sur- horns are a symbol of the tenacity rounded Islands, Wrapped Coast, and strength of the people who and Valley Curtain (on view in the colonized this country. Museum), are site-specific works that create a sense of revealing in the viewer—a chance to see the environment from a new perspective. Jeff Koons American, 1955- Balloon Dog (Blue), 2002 Limited Edition, 50/2300 Cast Porcelain with Metallic Finish Housatonic Museum of Art Purchase, 2003.4.01

Jeff Koons is a controversial figure in the art world. Some critics see his work as derivative at best and, at worst, as a kind of caustic kitsch. Nevertheless, Koons’ artistic gestures are indebted to Marcel Du Champ, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg and Salvador Dali, as seen in his output of vacuum cleaners, basketballs in distilled water, puppies and balloon dogs. Although Koons’ own work may be seen by some as mere “quotation” of the avant-garde ideas and artists that went before him—ready-mades, mass-production and popular culture—he has become a superstar in his own right. Balloon Dog, seen here, is from his Celebration Series begun is 1994, which included Valentine Heart, Diamonds and Easter Eggs. Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Senufo People Poro Altar Figure (Male) 19th-mid 20th Century Wood Gift of Joan Peterdi, 2004.12.02

Although Poro figures are male, the society is guided by a female ancestor spirit known as the “Ancient Mother,” and divination is mostly the province of sandogo (women.) These sculptures are carried during funerals or memorial ceremonies for ancestors, and these sculptures reflect the status and position of their owners. Pablo Picasso and Fernand Léger were two of the leading avant-garde artists to find inspiration from the beautiful carvings of masks, figures and decorative arts that they encountered in the 1930s.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir French, 1841-1919 La Petite Laveuse Bronze Gift of Dr. Paul Brief, 1978.16.01

Introducing a new form of painting, Impressionism, to reluctant viewers, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, along with Monet, Cézanne, Degas and Cassatt were the revolutionary artists of their day. As popular as this artistic style is today, it was once considered shocking with its loose brush strokes and bright palette. Although Renoir dabbled in sculpture, it wasn’t until the last few years of his life when his hands were crippled from rheumatism that he began to seriously sculpt. Encouraged by his friend and fellow sculptor, Aristide Maillol, and with physical assistance from a young apprentice, Richard Guino, Renoir produced some of his greatest masterworks until his death at the age of 78. China Batik Press, ca 1850 Gilt and Wood Gift of Herman and Wendy Klarsfeld, 2011.23.06 Qajar Period, Iran Persian Lacquered Case, ca 1850 The exact date when the art of Pen-Box of Papier-Mâché with Mochica Avian Stirrup Vessel batik began in China is unknown, Sliding Top Moche Culture, Peru Francois Auguste René Rodin but it is believed to have emerged Gift of Herman and Terracotta French, 1840-1917 during the Western Han Dynasty Wendy Klarsfeld, 1978.33.06 Gift of Herbert Lust, III, Study for Man with a Broken (206 BC-24 AD). Initially, batik 1980.11.02 Nose, 1863 was a method of dyeing cloth This is a presentation pen- Bronze that was passed down through box which was produced in the The Moche, an Andean civiliza- Gift of Dr. and Mrs. the generations, but over time, 19th century and was covered tion (also called Mochica), Arthur Kahn 1981.18.01 the tradition was abandoned. with miniature painting; the inhabited northern Peru between Utilizing vibrant designs, batik subjects portrayed were a the first to the eighth century. The Largely self-taught, Rodin is preserves the ancient tales of a panoply of Persian kings with Moche produced sophisticated considered the father of Modern culture or the personal memories their courts or Bahram Gur (an mold-made pottery, used for sculpture. Having broken with of the artist who creates it. Batik epic romance) being entertained everyday as well as ceremonial traditional sculpture by introduc- is a method of applying wax to by seven princesses in a variety activities. This is a stirrup spout ing realism into an art that had the surface of textiles to preserve of pavilions. This Persian lacquer vessel, (so called because of its become decorative and formulaic, the original color of the cloth. box is made of papier-mâché. resemblance to a stirrup), a type Rodin sculpted the human body Once the wax is applied and Initially, the surface is coated of ceramic vessel common among with a real physicality and indi- seeps deep into the weave, the with a thin layer of plaster. Then several Pre-Columbian cultures viduality. His break with tradition cloth is dipped into the dye of the the piece is painted and covered like the Chavin of South America caused controversy; however, preferred color. Once the dyeing with a transparent layer of beginning in the early 2nd mil- his reputation grew within the process is complete, the cloth lacquer that enhances the color lennium BCE. In these vessels, artistic community, and he was is submerged in hot water to of the paint as well as seals the the stirrup handle actually forms awarded major commissions, release the wax, completing the surface. Lacquer painting was a part of the spout, which emerges such as The Burghers of Calais process. branch of miniature painting that from the top of the stirrup. and The Gates of Hell (never offered the artist an opportunity This jar, decorated with a bird completed) but the sculptures to be creative, a welcome relief that has a fish in its claws, would that were to be included in this from the meticulous illustrations have been cast from a mold, with work, The Thinker and The Kiss, for the Court that he was required the stirrup spout built by hand are themselves considered mas- to produce. and secured to the vessel with terpieces. Man with the Broken slip. Nose, the study of which is on view here, was the first sculpture Rodin submitted to the Paris Salon, which rejected it. This bust of a street porter, with imperfect features, emphasizes the psycho- logical and emotional depth of an “ordinary” man awhile displaying the skill and mastery of its maker. Romare Howard Bearden American, 1911-1988 Carolina Red, 1972 Oil Paint and Collage on Wood Friends of Housatonic Museum Purchase, 1975.10.01

Bearden was raised in a middle-class, African-American family in Harlem. His parents were both college-educated and he enjoyed a childhood that mixed the cultural and intellec- tual stimulation of Harlem in the 1920s with the traditions of Southern, rural life in North Car- olina. Bearden graduated from NYU with an education degree and attended the Art Students League where he took classes taught by George Grosz. In 1963 he created a series of collages which earned him critical acclaim. This work is an example of his Cubist-influenced collages where- by Bearden juxtaposes large flat areas of bold, contrasting colors to accentuate the energy and Suzanne Valadon Degas. Never affiliated with a intensity of the image. French, 1865-1938 particular movement or style, Still Life, 1921 Valadon forged her own way as a Oil on Canvas woman artist, painting still lifes, Gift of Dr. Herzl Friedlander, landscapes and, most notably, 1982.3.01 women. Criticized for presenting working-class women with imper- The daughter of an unmarried fect bodies and coarse features, laundress, Suzanne Valadon her work was considered too worked at a number of odd “masculine” while she, herself, jobs including waitress, nanny, was characterized as “unfemi- funeral wreath maker and trapeze nine.” Today her work is prized for artist before she began modeling its strong composition and vibrant for such artists as Renoir and use of color. Toulouse-Lautrec. She began to teach herself to paint and was mentored by her friend Edgar The Monkey Warrior Jane Peterson Hanuman (Hanoman), aide American, 1876-1965 to Rama Lady in Yellow, n.d. Wayang Golek Rod Puppet Oil on Canvas Java, Indonesia Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Wood, Polychrome, Hyman, 1997.7.01 Cloth and String Gift of Dr. Gerald Novak, Jane Peterson traveled exten- 1975.41.04 sively through Europe, Algeria and Turkey, an unusual activity Wayang is the name given for an unmarried woman at that to both Indonesian puppets time. She recorded street scenes, and puppet theater. Dating seascapes, and casual portraits back to the 16th century, of women, like this one, before traditional Javanese tales turning to floral still-lifes done in and plays incorporated the studio. Through her travels Hindu stories along with Navajo People, Native American the best weavers in the region, she gained first-hand knowledge Buddhist and Muslim ideas Four Corners Region and blankets were produced for of Impressionism, Post-Impres- reflecting the interaction between Second Phase Chief’s Blanket trade with the white populations sionism, Neo-Impressionism, and the cultures over time. During with Transitional Design, that began to settle in the area Fauvism, borrowing the emphasis a play, the puppets occupy the ca 1880-1885 and, by the 1880s, for tourists on light, the spontaneous appli- stage in specific locations with Wool with classical alternating who traveled there by railroad. cation of paint, and the bold color characters on the left (kasars) brown, indigo and cream According to author and antiques denoted as evil and those on the effects, yet using them all in her bands overlaid with terraces dealer Tyrone Campbell, Navajo right (halus) as good. Each puppet own unique way. and diamonds of red and blue. blankets were highly prized for has an elaborately carved head Gift of Herman and their beauty and workmanship. with a neck that can swivel and Wendy Klarsfeld, 2010.17.1.07 They are called chief’s blankets a center rod that attaches to a because only wealthy individuals stationary base. The rods that Oral tradition holds that the are attached to the arms of the could afford them. To put it in Navajo learned to weave from the puppet allow the puppeteer to perspective, the blankets could operate two puppets at a time. earth goddess “Spider Woman,” sell upwards from $100 dollars The headdress, costume and but it may be more likely that while a home, at that time, might face color also alert the audience the skill was acquired from their cost $200 dollars. Today they are to the character of the puppet social interaction with the Pueblo valued as timeless portraits of the with white faces belonging to when they settled in the Four Navajo people. the good, and red, associated Corners region (Arizona, Utah, with anger and aggressiveness, New Mexico and Colorado) be- with kasars (bad). Wayang Golek tween 1300 and 1500 AD. Navajo performances celebrate births blankets were traditionally worn and weddings and are usually as serapes or used as saddle accompanied with percussion blankets, dresses or breech- orchestra (gamelan) and singers. cloths. By the 19th century, the Navajo were considered to be Benny Andrews American, 1930-2006 Theodore Robinson Bea, 1969 American, 1852–1896 Oil and Collage on Canvas Hudson River, Upper West Side Gift of the Black Students Com- Oil on Canvas mitted to Action, 1975.16.01 Gift of Dr. Paul Brief, 1980.34.01

Benny Andrews, one of the most Theodore Robinson was one of important African-American the most important American artists of the twentieth century, George Inness painters at the turn of the century. was the son of a Georgia share- American, 1825-1894 During a stay in Europe, Robinson Untitled, ca 1860-1864 came into contact with Impres- Oil on Canvas sionism, and by 1887 he was Gift of Dr. Enrique Erga, working as an informal student of 1977.43.01 Claude Monet. Robinson’s early paintings were darker in tone and George Inness is considered the color and he was less concerned father of American landscape with the dissolution of forms than painting, and his work was influ- Monet, but works like this one enced in turn by the old masters, clearly show the influence of his the Hudson River school and teacher. the Barbizon school. A life-long With New York City as his student of philosophy, Inness was base, Robinson became affiliated a dedicated follower of Emanuel with a number of American Swedenborg whose philosophy artists pursuing Impressionism. of nature became widely known He was particularly close to John through the 19th century Tran- Henry Twachtman and Julian scendentalists. Inness devoted Alden Weir and was a part of the his life to describing the natural Cos Cob Colony in Connecticut. world and spiritual world through There he painted a series of boat his painting of the landscape. scenes at the Riverside Yacht Club which have come to be re- garded as among his finest works. cropper and grew up with ten siblings. He joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the Korean War and after being honorably discharged in 1954, attended the School of the Art Institute in Chicago on the GI Bill. After completing his studies, Andrews settled on Suffolk Street in New York City and began painting and drawing the denizens of the jazz clubs he frequented. Andrews found city life to be much harder than life on the farm and this is reflected in the technique he developed called “rough collage.” By utilizing coarse bits of rag, paper and paint, Andrews created textured surfaces that expressed the harsh effects of city living on one’s spirit. Arshile Gorky Armenian, American, 1905-1948 Still Life with Fruit, n.d Oil on canvas Gift of Wayne Thiebaud, 1980.21.01

Arshile Gorky, along with Rothko, Pollock and Willem De Kooning, has been recognized as one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century especially for his influence on Abstract Expressionism. Although this work is undated, we know that it was painted in the 1920s by its sculptural quality and planar composition that reflect Cézanne’s influence. By the 1930s, Gorky had created a new style, lyrical abstraction, incorporating the les- sons learned from Surrealism and Synthetic Cubism. Considered the father of Abstract Expression- ism, Gorky’s contribution to the field of art is not to be under- estimated; he developed a new language for the artists that came after him. Gorky’s achievements are even more impressive when Alex Katz one learns of the sorrows and American, 1927 tragedies that punctuated his life: The Incident, 1961 He fled to America in the wake of Oil on canvas the Armenian Genocide; his moth- Gift of the Artist, 1967.6.01 er died of starvation in 1919; in 1946, most of his paintings were Alex Katz produced simplified yet lost in a fire; his wife left him thought-provoking compositions for his friend, Roberto Matta; he seemingly void of complicated developed colon cancer; and his subject matter. His figures, as neck was broken in a car accident seen in this work, are isolated and his arm temporarily paralyz- from their surroundings, displayed ed. He committed suicide in 1948 against a monochrome back- and is buried in North Cemetery ground, and do not interact. The in Sherman, Connecticut. incident depicted is that of an interview with two reporters and his wife, Ada. Katz painted them as they interviewed him. Ilya Bolotowsky Russian, American, 1907-1981 Oval Blue, 1962 Oil on Canvas

Bolotowsky was inspired by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian’s the- The son of a sharecropper, Willie ory of art called Neo-Plasticism. Jinks was one of thirteen children Mondrian’s canvases consisted born and raised in Locust Grove, solely of the three primary Georgia. Jinks’ love of nature, colors plus white and black lines animals and all things mechanical arranged in vertical and horizontal began in childhood, and as an compositions. In this way, he adult working for the sanitation eliminated references to any department in Atlanta, he began object or image of the world. In collecting salvage. When Willie 1933, Bolotowsky painted his first retired, he started drawing and nonobjective painting, and by the painting on all the reclaimed late 1940s, he had begun creating materials he had acquired over canvases that displayed varia- the course of his work life essen- tions of Mondrian’s theories. This tially turning trash into treasure! painting exemplifies Bolotowsky’s His raw and exuberant works search for “an ideal harmony and often include a character named order.” “Hoperman” (Hobbyman) that appears in many pieces accom- Willie Jinks panied by cryptic messages that American, 1921-2012 are sometimes hard to decipher Untitled, ca 1990 but nevertheless add to their aes- Oil, Felt Pen on Wood thetic appeal. Jinks is considered Cabinet Door an Outsider artist which simply Gift from the Collection means that he is not part of an of Benjamin Ortiz and established tradition. Victor P. Torchia, Jr., 2015.7.01 Valerie Jaudon American, 1945 Rosedale, 1976 Acrylic on canvas Gift of Dr. Donald Dworken, 2000.5.03

One of the original artists associated with the Pattern and Decoration movement of the 1970s, Valerie Jaudon remains committed to art that is geomet- ric, ornamental and abstract. Jaudon’s paintings owe a debt to Celtic, Byzantine and Islamic designs, illuminated manu- scripts and textile designs. The complexity of the design, with no foreground or background, creates a bold and commanding presence. An overlay of order, combined with the rhythmic pat- tern of interlacing forms, reveals, Willem De Kooning Kooning remained committed to on close inspection, both the Dutch, American, 1904-1997 the figurative tradition. Woman I mind and the hand of the artist. Untitled (Standing Woman), (1950-1952), with its glaring black Jaudon, along with Miriam Shap- 1951-52 eyes and disturbing grin, pro- iro and Joyce Kozloff, took the Oil Enamel, Charcoal and Collage voked dismay amongst critics and notion of women’s work, seen as on Cream Paper public alike, yet it became one of merely utilitarian and decorative Gift of Herman and the most reproduced paintings (feminine), and elevated its status Wendy Klarsfeld, 2007.13.03 in America. De Kooning’s oeuvre by wedding it to non-representa- utilizes all the lessons of Cubism, tional abstraction, thus conferring A first generation Abstract-Ex- Surrealism and Expressionism the highly prized (and masculine) pressionist, Willem De Kooning is with collage, spontaneity and title of “fine art” on the work. one of the most important artists aggressive brush work informing of the twentieth century. While his signature style. Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline pursued pure abstraction, De Hale Woodruff invitation of his friend, Wood- American, 1900-1980 ruff was invited to start an art Two Figures, n.d. department at Atlanta University, Oil on canvas which soon became the regional Gift of the Artist, center for aspiring art students. 1968.16.01 Woodruff is best remembered for his murals, commissioned by Tal- Hale Woodruff began ladega College in Alabama, that drawing and painting as depicted the Amistad mutiny and a young child and served the Amistad trial, held in New as the cartoonist for his Haven, Connecticut. Throughout Leonard Baskin major work created upon his high school newspaper his life as an artist and educator, American, 1922 - 2000 return to the U.S. after a year in Nashville, Tennessee. After Woodruff sought to highlight Man of Peace, 1952 abroad. Printed from a matrix winning second place in the the role of African-Americans in Woodcut made up of multiple blocks of prestigious Harmon Foundation history as well as the influence of Gift of Student Government, wood joined together, it is, in Award for Fine Art competition in African art in Modernism. 1969.23.04 many ways, an extension of his New York, which included a $100 life-size, figurative sculptures. cash award, Woodruff left for Despite the fact that Baskin He printed the woodcut himself, Paris to study art. There he met considered himself a sculptor at taking several hours to ink it fellow African-American artist, the time that he made this print, properly and hand-rub the back of Henry Ossawa Tanner, the fore- with its creation, he established the sheet to print it. Unlike the most figurative painter of his day, himself publicly as a printmaker. abstract work of his contemporar- studied with him before returning The first of twelve monumental ies, Baskin never abandoned the to Cagnes-Su-Mer in the South woodcuts that he made between human figure in his art. of France, and became a part of 1952 and 1963, it was his first his circle of friends that included Renoir and Chaim Soutine. At the Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn Dutch, 1606-1669 The Artist’s Mother Seated at a Table Looking Right: Three-Quar- ters Length, ca 1631 Etching on Cream Wove Paper 1981.35.01

Japanese the middle-class with images of Rembrandt is considered one of Untitled, Ukiyo-e actors, courtesans, erotica and the greatest painters and print- Honoré Daumier 19th Century landscapes. These pictures were makers in European history and French, 1808-1879 Woodblock Print used to illustrate books and later certainly in the history of Dutch Le Barbe Bleue Prussien se Collection of the Housatonic as posters to promote kabuki and painting. Although this print is a Disposant à Occire une Nouvelle Museum of Art, 2009.18.01 theater. Eventually, they were posthumous impression* of an Chambre mass-produced making art acces- original Rembrandt printed more from the Actualités series, 1866 Floating world pictures, known sible to an audience that would than 300 years after his death, it Lithograph as Ukiyo-e, are prints that were not otherwise have the means to nevertheless provides an opportu- Gift of Robert Doty, 1970.3.03 developed in Edo (now Tokyo) purchase an original. Generally, nity to view the work of a Master during the Edo Period (1615-1868) three people were required to artist. We see the fine detailing Daumier made over 4,000 litho- when shoguns were the ruling make a print: the master artist to of the face and hands accentuat- graphs in his lifetime. Known for class. Wealthy merchants, under make the drawing, the craftsman ed by the rich tones of black and his scathing, political caricatures, shogunal rule, lost their social to carve the wood blocks (each gray achieved through the use of he created images which were standing in Japanese society and color requires a block), and the cross-hatching and an elaborate social commentaries on the turned their attention to art. Uki- printer to apply the inks. layering of line.*An impression times. This work depicts Otto yo-e was developed to entertain made after an von Bismarck, the Ambassador original edition to France, hiding in the wings of has been com- Parliament, waiting to attack. pleted is called Bismarck formed the German a restrike. Confederation in 1866 and Daum- ier capitalized on this perceived threat to France. The artist lampooned the political leader in 55 of his lithographs. Pablo Picasso Albrecht Dürer, Spanish, 1881-1973 German, 1471-1528 Bouteille De Rhum Paillee, Verre The Four Witches, 1497 Et “Le Journal,” 19/100, 1966 Engraving on Cream Paper Offset Lithograph with Collage Gift of Stanley Manasevit, Gift of Dr. Barnet Fine, 1981.15.03 1976.2.01

One of the most highly regarded Dürer stands as one of the and well-known artists of the giants in the history of art and twentieth century, Picasso was a printmaking. Recognized as one prolific, creative force, producing of the Northern Renaissance over 20,000 objects in his life- masters, he imbued his work time. A co-creator of Cubism with with classical motifs that showed fellow artist, Georges Braque, his knowledge of Italian art. Picasso was a key figure in The This particular print has many School of Paris and influenced interpretations, but some scholars Gustav Klimt countless artists. He was well- see it as the artist’s 15th century Austrian, 1862-1918 versed in all media, and created representation of the mythologi- Reclining Nude, ca 1912 paintings, sculptures, drawings, cal story, The Judgment of Paris. Etching on Cream Paper ceramics and prints throughout In the story, Paris judges a beauty Gift of Dr. Paul Brief, 1979.8.01 his lifetime. This work is an contest among three candidates, example of Synthetic Cubism the goddesses Hera, Athena and Gustav Klimt was a founding whereby real bits of newspaper Aphrodite. By choosing Aphrodite, member and first president of replace a representation of one, Paris inadvertently causes the the Vienna Secession. He is a technique called collage. Syn- Trojan War and his own demise. associated with Symbolism, a thetic Cubism lasted well into the group that espoused art for art’s Victor Vasarely twentieth century and influenced sake, and Art Nouveau, which French, born Hungary, artists like Jacob Lawrence and held that art should be integrat- 1906/1908-1997 Romare Bearden. ed with architecture, furniture, Orion Negatif, 1963 clothing, textiles, silverware and Screenprint on Aluminum; the like. Klimt is best known for Published by Denise René his “golden phase,” fantastically Gift of Mark Greenstein, elaborate patterning covering 2011.20.24 the surfaces of hyper-realistic portraits of women. Replete The father of Op Art, Vasarely with glittering silver and gold explored kinetics via the plastic leaf, geometric shapes veil the arts. Juxtaposing areas of hard- sexual nature of his portraits of edged, flat color in black and women. But Klimt also explored white or complimentary colors a more direct, naturalistic form (see sculpture in Atrium), the of art-making, of which this work artist sought to give the viewer is an example. He depicted all a nontraditional experience of aspects of the female experience: light, movement and illusion. The pregnancy, aging and the loss of Vega Series, begun in 1968, was physical beauty. Vasarely’s source of artistic explo- ration for over ten years. A study in surface distortion, works from this series show the important link the artist saw between form and color. At first Vasarely began painting his Vega Series but eventually turned to silkscreen on paper, and here, on aluminum. Andy Warhol polished steel, with American, 1928-1987 photorealist paintings or Flowers, 1964 silkscreens. The concept SilkscreenExtra, Out of the behind the practice was Edition. Designated for Research to integrate the viewer Purposes Only. into the work of art, to Gift of the Andy Warhol raise the question of Foundation for the Visual Arts, what is real and what 2013.07.01 is illusion. Every viewer, in the whole of time, Andy Warhol was one of the essentially becomes a Mary Stevenson Cassatt leading figures in the Pop Art part of the work of art, American, 1844-1926 movement and his work focused and the work, in return, Margot Wearing a Bonnet, on mass-production, advertise- remains ever active. ca 1902 ments and celebrity culture. Andy Pistoletto is closely Etching on Cream Paper Warhol started his career as a associated with the Gift of Student Government, magazine illustrator and record movement Arte Povera 1969.23.02 cover designer for vinyl albums that used every-day, or before he made the leap to fine mundane objects, to cre- Blazing a path for other women Michaelangelo Pistoletto art. Flowers, begun in 1964, de- ate works, for example his Venus artists, Mary Cassatt is widely parts from Warhol’s popular Italian, 1933 of the Rags that combined a clas- considered a pioneer in the world images gleaned from mass-pro- Autoritratto (Self-portrait), sical statue of the Roman god- of art. So unusual was her life duced commercial products like 41/100, 1970 dess with old clothes and fabric choice at that time, her father Brillo Boxes and Campbell Soup Steel and Collage of Photograph remnants. Today Pistoletto lives declared he would rather see her cans. Instead, Warhol appropri- Gift of Jill Kornblee, 1986.5.01 in Biello and Turin, and is working dead than live the life of a bohe- ated this photograph by Patricia on his Third Phase project that mian. At sixteen, Cassatt enrolled Caulfield, an editor with Modern Michaelangelo Pistoletto aspired seeks to unite art and social in classes at the Pennsylvania Photography, and arranged it in a to the ideal of creating a univer- activism. Pistoletto has received Academy of Fine Arts in Philadel- new composition using a square sal or “total work of art” when he numerous awards throughout his phia, but she was disappointed format. Warhol chose this shape began, in the 1960s, his Mirror career including the Leone d’Oro by the curriculum and was because it offered flexibility; the Paintings combining mirrors, for lifetime achievement. rejected by the faculty and her image could be rotated four times and later reflective surfaces like fellow students, all male. In allowing new ar- 1866, she left for Paris and, by rangements within a 1868, one her paintings had been grid formation (these accepted into the prestigious pieces are also print- government-sponsored exhibition, ed in a wide range Paris Salon, under the name Mary of color variations). Stevenson. When Cassatt met the Warhol was later Impressionist artist Edgar Degas, sued for copyright she found a friend and a mentor, infringement in 1966, and thereafter and was soon exhibiting with the began taking his own group, whose aesthetic sensibil- photographs of which ities matched her own. Cassatt’s three are included in subject matter, however, differed this exhibit. from the Impressionists. While they worked outdoors (plein air), she explored the relationship between mothers and children in intimate, domestic settings. Mar- got Wearing a Bonnet is an ex- ample of a drypoint etching which allows the artist to draw directly on the plate and yet retains all the subtle qualities of a drawing. Cindy Sherman American, 1954 Untitled, 1998 Cibachrome Housatonic Museum of Art Purchase, 1999.11.01

Widely recognized as one of the Ansel Adams most influential artists, Cindy American, 1902-1984 a few. Fred Archer and Adams Sherman has made a career of Wood Stump, n.d. developed a photographic tech- turning the camera on herself in Philip Jones Griffiths Gelatin Silver Print nique called the Zone System, order to reveal us to ourselves. British (Welsh), 1936-2008 Gift of Student Government which helped photographers de- Her groundbreaking series Penh (Agent Orange Series), 2000 termine the optimal exposure and Untitled Film Stills used com- Gelatin Silver Print A renowned photographer and development for film. This new mon female stereotypes from Gift of the Artist and Magnum environmentalist, Ansel Adams technique coupled with visuali- Hollywood B movies and film Photo, 2005.21.01 began taking photographs when zation—seeing the picture in the noir to examine the sociocultural he received a Brownie camera mind’s eye before snapping the construction of female identity. While studying pharmacy in on his thirteenth birthday. The shot-- resulted in sharp focus and Using the tradition of portraiture, Liverpool, Griffiths worked as a National Park Service commis- carefully framed images. Adams Sherman created many guises: freelance photographer for the sioned Adams in 1941 to docu- founded the Group f/64, Aperture starlets, aristocrats, clergy and British Observer. By 1962, he was ment America’s national treasures Magazine and the Center for a series that explored aging covering the war in Algeria and and natural wonders that resulted Creative Photography at the Uni- females in a youth obsessed had embarked on a career that in what are now considered versity of Arizona and served as society. Sherman turned a sharp would take him to over 120 coun- iconic images of Yosemite, a consultant to Polaroid for over eye, and her camera, to offer a tries. From 1966 to 1971, Griffiths Denali, Canyon de Chelly, Death twenty years at the invitation of critique, and a portrait, of our photographed the toll the Viet- Valley and Kings Canyon, to name his good friend, Edwin Land. society’s beliefs and values. nam War took on both soldiers and civilians, and published a book titled Vietnam, Inc., which effectively turned American public opinion against the conflict. His second visit to Vietnam culminated in his book Agent Orange, published in 2003. Revealing the long-term effects of the defoliant on the post-war population, this book chronicles the genetically muti- lated generations of Vietnamese. Philip Jones Griffiths was a member of the photojournalist co- operative Magnum Photo and served as its president from 1980 to 1985. Henri Cartier-Bres- son said of him, “Not since Goya has anyone portrayed war like Philip Jones Griffiths.” Herb Ritts Back Cover: American, Carlotta Corpron 1952-2002 American, 1901-1988 Mask, Hollywood, Chambered Nautilus 9/25, 1989 in Space Composi- Gelatin Silver Print tion, 1950 Gift of Dr. Lee Gelatin Silver Print Goldstein, Gift of Herbert 1996.5.43.17 and Virginia Lust, 1992.1.40.23 Herb Ritts, a self- taught photographer, Born in Blue Earth, became the leading Minnesota, Carlotta American fashion Corpron received a B.S. from what photographer of the is now Eastern 1980s and 1990s. Michigan University Known for his strik- in1925 and received ingly graphic and her M.A. in art formal compositions education and fabric of such supermodels design from Columbia as Cindy Crawford, Teachers College of Stephanie Seymour Columbia University and Naomi Camp- in 1926. Corpron bell, he became eventually settled an in-demand in Denton, Texas, photographer for where she was such publications as offered a teaching Vanity Fair, Vogue, position. She picked Interview and Roll- up her first camera ing Stone. By 1988, in 1933 to use as Ritts was directing a tool for teaching award-winning mu- textile design. After sic videos and tele- attending a pho- vision commercials tography workshop in Marvin Schwartz as well as doing commissioned Los Angeles, she embarked on a American portrait work for the rich and series of photographic investiga- Christo with Wrapped Telephone, famous in the worlds of fashion, tions. Corpron, a pioneer in the New York City, 1972 music, film and politics. Ritts’ world of experimental photogra- Selenium Silver Print style was revolutionary, ushering phy, is best known for her images Gift of Mr. Mark Greenstein, in the “anti-glamour” aesthetic. that capture light as an object 2010.11.13 itself. László Moholy-Nagy and Gyorgy Kepes were both artists in Although no longer an active residence in Denton, and Corpron photographer or photo-journalist, worked as Moholy-Nagy’s Marvin Schwartz continues to assistant, but it was Kepes that be included in major exhibitions encouraged her photographic internationally due to the rich practice. Chambered Nautilus is archive he has created by an important example of the photographing the important use of natural forms to capture artists and events of the day. the patterns of light itself. The This photo of Christo Javacheff’s Housatonic Museum has a major hand is a wonderful example of holding of her most important capturing the right person, at the series including Light Drawings, right moment, at just the right Fluid Light Designs and Space time! It is paired here with Compositions. Christo’s sculpture, Wrapped Modern Art Book. HOUSATONIC MUSEUM OF ART 900 LAFAYETTE BLVD., BRIDGEPORT, CT WWW.HOUSATONICMUSEUM.ORG