Walter Plate
East End Abstractions
Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center 1 August – 31 October 2019
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Organized by Helen A. Harrison Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Director Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center
Catalog essay by Marc Plate
The exhibition and catalog are supported by the Pollock-Krasner Endowment and the Research Foundation, Stony Brook University, designated by Drs. Bobbi and Barry Coller
On the front cover: Georgica Beach – The Hamptons, 1971 Oil on canvas, 60 x 66 inches Catalog number 9 Photograph courtesy of Levis Fine Art, New York
On the back cover: Walter Plate in his studio, Woodstock, ca. 1960 Photograph courtesy of Marc Plate
1 Foreword
More than three decades ago, when I was the curator of Guild Hall Museum in East Hampton, I was contacted by a local man named William Plate. He asked if I could advise him about some paintings he owned, so I visited his home, where he showed me some works by his late brother, Walter. They needed conservation, and I gave him a couple of recommendations. I asked if he and Walter were related to Robert Plate, whom I had met in Woodstock in the mid 1970s, and he said yes, Robert was their elder brother. Looking back, it seems odd that I hadn’t encountered Plate’s work while I was the research assistant for the 1977 Vassar College exhibition celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Woodstock art colony. Considering Plate’s prominence in Woodstock—his longstanding residence, his role in the Art Students League summer school, and his family still living there—how had he escaped my notice? Perhaps the fact that he had died a few years earlier accounted for his work’s lack of visibility at that moment. Now the time has come to correct that oversight. Plate’s early recognition as one of the foremost abstract painters to emerge after World War II was based on a type of lyrical abstraction that has been called Abstract Impressionism, a term coined by Elaine de Kooning. In 1958 his work was featured in an international exhibition of that title, organized by Lawrence Alloway for the Arts Council of Great Britain, which also included paintings by André Masson, Joan Mitchell, Miriam Schapiro and Jean-Paul Riopelle, among other established and emerging artists. Plate’s entry was a 1955 painting, then untitled, now known as Spring. In the exhibition catalog, Alloway described the abstract impressionist impulse as “useful both to artists who want to make images out of action painting and to artists who want to keep contact with nature as a fund of references. Common to both groups . . . is a sensuous use of paint to create, by the evocation of light and atmosphere, a world of space.” This seems to me a valid description of Plate’s later work as well. From the 1950s until his untimely death in 1972, he was a frequent visitor to the East End, and his experiences here found their way into his imagery. Something about the maritime environment captivated him, even while he was living and working in a wooded area far from the coast. In 1954 a reviewer of his solo exhibition at the Ganso Gallery declared that “Plate’s forte in his first New York show is clearly the seascape.” The examples in the current exhibition, painted fifteen or more years later, bear out that observation. They all rely on the artist’s perception and absorption of experienced phenomena. Without being literal, he communicates the feeling of a day at the beach, whether sunny or overcast, in reminiscent terms, the way memories bring back sensations. Tangible things, such as a brightly striped towel, a languid sunbather, the pulse of waves breaking on the shore are interpreted freely, allowing the viewer’s imagination to share in the pleasure of recollection. I am grateful to Walter Plate’s widow, Gladys Brodsky, and son, Marc, for their contributions to this exhibition and catalog, and to Jim Levis of Levis Fine Art, New York, who represents the artist’s estate. It was Jim who proposed the show to me, and he has been a constant guide and supporter throughout its development.
Spring,
Walter Bud Plate was born in New York City on 9 June 19 5. e studied at the Grand Central chool of Art from 19 before enlisting in the nited tates Marines Corps. After service in the outh Pacific and Japan, from 19 50 he attended L’Ecole des Beau Arts, L’Académie de la Grande Chaumi re, and the atelier of ernand L ger in Paris. In 195 he studied with Yasuo uniyoshi at the Art tudents League summer school in Woodstock, New York. The following year he moved to Woodstock, where he married the artist Gladys Brodsky. Plate’s first solo exhibition was at the Ganso Gallery in Manhattan in 1954, followed by solo shows at the table Gallery in 195 and 19 , ensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 19 9, and the Polari Gallery in Woodstock in 19 . is work was included in many group e hibitions, among them the Whitney Annuals in 195 1 the Pennsylvania Academy of ine Arts in 1955 and 19 the th and th Carnegie International biennials and the Tate Gallery, London, and the International hibition of Abstract Artists, Tokyo, both in 1959. That year he was awarded the Gold Medal at the Corcoran Biennial in Washington, C. Memorial e hibitions of his work were held at the niversity Art Gallery, tate niversity of New York at Albany, from 1 ctober – 1 November 19 , traveling to ensselaer Polytechnic Institute from November – 15 ecember 19 , and at the Woodstock Artists Association from – 5 March 19 . e is represented in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the mithsonian American Art Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art now in the American niversity Museum , and many private collections. rom 1959 , Plate taught summer classes at the Art tudents League in Woodstock. e was a distinguished visiting artist at the niversity of outhern Illinois in 19 , and was an associate professor of art at ensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, from 19 until his death on August 19 .
Interior #10, My Father, Walter Plate
My father was born in 19 5, in oodha en, eens, as a tri let, a no elty at that time he tri lets— alter nic named d , illiam and Eli abeth—had three older siblin s, obert, effrey and M riel heir mother was of rish stoc their father German rom an early a e, d, ill and etty were local attractions heir e ery social e ent, from school f nctions to birthday arties and tra els, was doc mented in the local news a ers or their first ele en years, they were dressed in identical o tfits d ic ly rew into a broad sho ldered, m sc lar man, and with his brother ill wo ld swim in the ocean at ones each he two of them de elo ed a lo e of the sea, swimmin o t as far as they co ld, often erilo sly Later, in ad lthood, ill settled into Long Island’s East am ton in a ho se one bloc from the ocean hen he was twel e years old, d showed si ns of artistic talent e wo ld o to the local ar with his drawin ad and encils to s etch the strollers and l sh landsca e t the ocean was his main fascination, one that remained with him for life. There are drawings of Bud’s, from the time he was a teena er, of the beach and of boats at sea and at doc Perha s that is why, d rin orld ar , at the a e of ei hteen he enlisted in the Marine or s tationed in the o th Pacific, he was a bombardier, llin the tri er that dro ed bombs from a tho sand feet, ex lodin far below he ncertainty of nowin whether he had illed innocent eo le, and how many, ha nted him for the rest of his life Bud’s talent for illustrating the everyday routines of military men— layin cards, swimmin , and wor in —ca ht the attention of his s eriors e was assi ned to aint the sides and win s of Marine and Air orce bombers, rod cin ortraits of smilin , lon le ed bea ties, li e calendar irls come to life a in wrestled with his conscience as a bombardier, it is certain that the irony of decorating the planes known as the “flying beasts” did not escape him. Now they were “flying beauties,” than s to him t was at this time, d e to the many s etches he made of act al calendar irls and models, that he became enchanted with the female form, which wo ld become one of his e erlastin s b ects After the war, instead of oin strai ht bac to ew or ity, d went to Paris to st dy with ernand Lé er at the Ecole des ea x Arts, sin f nds from the G ill hile st dyin with Lé er, he also met the American artist erman herry, who wo ld ha e an im act on his s bse ent career n 1949, d ret rned to ew or ity to li e with his older brother ob on est o rth treet in Greenwich illa e hro h herry, who had also ret rned, he met many of the other artist eterans who, with the hel of the G ill, were ex erimentin with the new American style abstraction—Abstract Ex ressionism hat s mmer ob went to oodstoc , ew or , to isit a friend e li ed the lace and decided to come bac a ain with d he followin s mmer, in 1950, the brothers were in oodstoc n the first day of their visit, they found a local swimming hole, “Big Deep,” to cool off. here they disco ered two other eo le in the mo ntain ool by a waterfall, swimmin na ed— and female wo nym hs, they later said t was then that they decided to remain in oodstoc for the s mmer d enrolled in the Arts t dents Lea e s mmer school, in a class ta ht by as o Kuniyoshi. In the class, Bud met Gladys Brodsky, this author’s mother. Kuniyoshi, recognizing Bud’s talent, told him that he sho ld et his own st dio and et o t of his class he was too ood to be ta ht o, my mother and he mo ed into a cabin in yrdcliffe, i en to artists for a nominal s m by the Byrdcliffe Guild. They stayed in this cabin, known as “Veranda,” for a year or so before finding a more permanent, weather proofed nest. By the time I was born, in , Bud and Gladys had made many new friends, most notably hilip Guston and the sculptor aoul ague. Bud had the opening of his first one man show at the Ganso Gallery in , while my mother had her first one man opening with my birth. It was a very e citing and happy time for them, filled with possibilities, but also very confusing for Bud, who was faced with the choice of staying with Gladys to see his son being born or going to New ork ity for the gallery reception. f course, he went to the reception. It was also in that Bob and Bill began dividing their summers between oodstock and East ampton. Bob had some writer and artist friends in the amptons and prings, including yd olomon and erman herry. Bud started visiting occasionally and often considered moving there, because of the laid back art scene and the ocean surf. herry, in particular, who was friends with most of the abstract artists who had moved to the amptons, always encouraged my parents to make the move. ne of the arguments for moving was that oodstock was inhabited largely by artists whose styles emphasized landscape and figuration, whereas the amptons were attracting downtown New ork ity artists with more non objective, abstract styles like Bud’s. It also had beaches and beach parties. Bud and Bob vacillated between this dual temptation for years, until it was too late to make the move, with constraining family and financial commitments in oodstock. Bob, in particular, struggled with the decision, and came to regret staying in oodstock. Bud’s triplet Bill, however, had no problem ensconcing himself in East Hampton in the early s. I remember visiting ncle Bill and erman herry every summer with my family. e would always attend the artists vs. writers softball games. Bud played outfield with the artists in a number of games. It was at these events, and the late night beach parties on Georgica Beach known as the artists’ beach, along with Indian Wells for the nudist artists that Bud, sitting around the big beach fire with beer and cigarettes, listened to his fellow artists talk about the art scene in New ork ity. This was from to , when Bud was teaching as an associate professor at hicago, and in the summers at the rts tudents League in oodstock, so getting to the amptons was considered a vacation, more than a social occasion. Bud was having a good bit of success in New ork at this time and felt a kinship to the other artists in East ampton, who were older for the most part, like dolph Gottlieb and illem de Kooning. Introduced by herry, he met de Kooning and his wife Elaine at the summer beach parties, as well ranz Kline and the writer George limpton, who held an annual ourth of uly fireworks party on the beach. I remember playing on the beaches and in the artists’ homes as a ten or eleven year old with Lisa de Kooning, Willem’s daughter, and other artists’ children, while the adults raged against op artists and disloyal art dealers. Ironically, obert auschenberg, perhaps one of the greatest migrants to op rt, was at one of these parties. nfortunately, I was too young to understand what they were talking about, and not allowed to get close enough even to hear. But I remember auschenberg left early, and a long discussion about it continued on the car ride back to our bungalow by the bay. Lastly, the most vivid memory of mine, one that puts this collection of art into visual and psychological conte t, is of my father s response to arriving in East ampton after a five hour, un air conditioned drive from the distant mountains. pon seeing the ocean, my father pulls us all into the nearest parking lot, takes off his clothes and runs headfirst into the crashing surf, disappearing beneath the waves, then bobbing up further in the distance. y brother and look out the car windows perplexed; why would anyone go swimming during a nor’easter? M mother, my I
Spring
Bud could not have come at a more opportune time. His painting was moving in the direction of Bud“Action could Painting”— not have Haroldcome at osenberg a more opportune had not yettime. coined His painting that phrase was— movingwhich inwould the direction later develop of “Actioninto a style Painting”— wholly hisHarold own. osenberg Bud called hadme whennot yet he coined returned that from phrase aris—which—he was would living later with develop his intobrother a style Bob wholly in the hisvillage own.— Budand mentionedcalled me when how hetough returned it was fromin ew aris ork.—he I suggested was living he with go tohis brotherWoodstock Bob for in thea while village and— tryand to mentioned paint—get how some tough paintings it was together in ew ork. to be Iable suggested to show. he It go would to be Woodstockeasier to work for hisa while way andinto trythe to merican paint—get scene some after paintings three years together in aris. to be able to show. It would be easier to lthough work his he way sometimes into the mericanfelt isolated scene from after the threecenter years of the in agitation aris. —the pros and cons of opinion; lthough condemning he sometimes and praising felt the isolated diverse from movements the center that of the had agitation proliferated—the with pros the and new cons found of opinion;freedom condemningoffered by bstract and praising Expressionism the diverse—the movements demarcation that betweenhad proliferated license and with freedom the new had found freedombecome a offered thin line by— bstractBud remained Expressionism true to his— theinstincts. demarcation What he between lacked inlicense speech and— hefreedom was had awkwardbecome a inthin words; line— hisBud malaprops remained had true become to his instincts. legend in What Woodstock he lacked—he in made speech up— forhe inwas the awkwardelo uence in of words; his painting. his malaprops had become legend in Woodstock—he made up for in the elo uenceHe ofskated his painting. across a canvas as gracefully as a champion lympic ice skater. here were no misstepsHe with skated his brush.across Hea canvas was his as severest gracefully critic. as a Hechampion destroyed lympic much iceof his skater. work. here uring were the no misstepsprocess of with painting his brush. he would He was shift his and severest change critic. continuously He destroyed—scraping much hereof his and work. there; uring blotting the out processwhole areas; of painting repainting he would newly shift discovered and change forms. continuously lthough he— scrapingstarted with here an and image, there; the blotting painting out wholetook over areas; a life repainting of its own. newly He was discovered well aware forms. of the lthough dualities he that started were with taking an image,place in the the painting merican tookart scene. over a life of its own. He was well aware of the dualities that were taking place in the merican art scene.He had brought back from aris a love of ollage. It was the ollage ubist structure that underlayHe his had paintings brought and back kept from them aris close a love to aof classic ollage. format. It was ubism the ollage ubist had left its pose structure on him; that underlay bstract Expressionismhis paintings and freed kept him. them close to a classic format. ubism had left its pose on him; bstract Expressionism freed him. —
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Interior #10,
Interior #10, Checklist of the exhibition
Surf, 1961
TheMixed Sunbather, media on paper, 24 x 22 inches i on can a inc
X + Yellow, i ia co ag on a inc
Beach Figures, i on a inc
Masquerade, i on a inc
Woman, on a inc
BeachMixed Night,media i on a inc
Chance Meeting, i ia on a inc
Georgica Beach – The Hamptons, i on can a inc
Beach Music, i on can a inc
Behind the Dune, i ia on a inc Surf, 1 The Sunbather, X + Yellow, Beach Figures Masquerade, Woman, Mixed media on paper,
Beach Night,
Chance Meeting,
Georgica Beach - The Hamptons,
Beach Music,
Behind the Dune,
a n a ot o ta ing on on t ct o a t action in a t t o a t at on t ainting t a n o nt
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