The following oral history transcript is the result of a digitally recorded interview with guerrilla girls alice neel and gertrude stein on december 1, 2007. Alice neel, uptown, curated by hilton als, explores one. The string of alice neel exhibitions that have taken place. In the past decade, interest in her work has grown exponentially, with a series of landmark exhibitions and art historical studies firmly cementing her position on the international stage. Alice neels love of harlem and the neighbors she painted.
Alice neel was born near philadelphia, pennsylvania in 1900 and died in 1984 in new york. She reinvented the genre of portraiture by expressing the inner landscape of her varied sitters, among them andy warhol. It would be hard to think of a greater artist whose work has been so little seen. Her mother, alice concross hartley, was a descendant. Alice neel biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. Alice neel was born on january 28, 1900 in merion square, pennsylvania, usa. Its a privilege, you know, to paint and it takes up a lot of time and it means theres a lot of things you dont do. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to this use.
Alice neel, uptown, which travels to the victoria miro gallery in london in may, reveals that neel was indeed a visionary, who saw what others couldnt and took a particular interest in people. Alice neel was born in 1900 in merion square, pennsylvania, and died in 1984 in new york. With a practice spanning the 1920s to the 1980s, neel is widely regarded as one of the foremost american figurative painters of the twentieth century. A painter of people, landscape and still life, neel was never fashionable or in step with avantgarde movements. Download the microsoft news app for complete covid19 coverage ad sponsored. With a practice spanning the 1920s to the 1980s, alice neel 19001984 is widely regarded as one of the greatest figurative painters of the twentieth century. Images and text were drawn from alice neel, uptown, by hilton als, which is out in june from david zwirner books. Alice neel, uptown, the first comprehensive look at neels portraits of people of colour, is an attempt to honour not only what neel saw, but the generosity behind her seeing. Filmed on the occasion of the exhibition alice neel, uptown curator hilton als reads an undated poem by the painter alice neel. Alice neel led an exceptionally interesting life as a single parent and a feminist in a time when the world of art was largely maledominated. The american essayist, curator, and artist hilton als is perhaps most concerned with new york and remembering her children. Msn new zealand latest news, hotmail, outlook, photos.
In the past decade, interest in her work has grown exponentially, with a series of landmark exhibitions and. The exhibition focuses on paintings made by the artist during the five decades in which she lived and worked in upper manhattan, first in spanish east harlem, where she moved in 1938, and, later, the upper west side. She died on october, 1984 in new york city, new york, usa. Painter of modern life exhibition catalogue extracts of essays appearing in jeremy lewison ed.
While alice neel doesnt presuppose familiarity with its subject, it doesnt aim to be an encyclopedic account, either. Read the artist bio and gain a deeper understanding with mutualarts artist profile. Alice neel american painter, 19001984 guide to pictures of works by alice neel in art museum sites and image archives worldwide. Alice neel premiered at the sundance film festival in 2007 and later won the audience award at the 2007 newport beach film festival later that year. Alice neel american, january 28, 1900october, 1984 is best known for her compelling portraits of her family members, as well as paintings featuring prominent figures from american political and artistic circles, created at a time when portraiture was considered out of fashion. The documentary was directed by neels grandson, andrew neel. Neel is the fourth of five children hartley, albert, lillian, alice, and george washington, jr.
His first book, the women, was published in 1996 and his second book, white girls, was a finalist for the national book critics circle award in 2014. She famously stuck with figurative painting when it was least fashionable, all the while keeping the conventional subject matter honest, funny and slightly morbid. Alice neel 190084 really does seem to be one of the art worlds bestkept secrets, as painted truths at the whitechapel gallery claims. This site uses cookies for analytics, personalized content and ads.
Hes spent much of his career at the new yorker, writing anthropological dispatches from the citys theaters, outer boroughs, artist studios, streets, and subwaysusing the first person as a way to get at the heart and humanity of the city, the people he. Writer hilton als has curated a show of 32 portraits by alice neel at david. Her paintings have an expressionistic use of line and color, psychological acumen, and emotional intensity. Painted truths at londons whitechapel art gallery is the revelation of the year. Alice neel painted many members of new yorks cultural elite and other celebrities, including pop artist andy warhol in 1970 and land artist robert smithson in 1962. Drawn from the artists estate, the presentation includes paintings from all periods of neels career, together with a selection of drawings. The inclusive humanity of alice neels paintings the new.
She chose her subjects from her family, friends and a broad variety of new york locals. The interview took place at independent curators international offices in new york, new york, and was conducted by judith olch richards for the archives of american art, smithsonian. This groundbreaking book reevaluates the work of alice neel, one of the most renowned american portrait painters of the 20th century this insightful catalogue examines anew the full range of alice neels 19001984 celebrated paintings of people. Any one seeking to reproduce them should seek permission. The following articles can be downloaded in pdf format for personal and research use only. Neels black man 1966, seated upright in a frontal posture, is similarly alert, his body leaning to one. Alice neel 19001984 is widely regarded as one of the foremost american figurative painters of the 20 th century.
Neel was called one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century by barry walker, curator of modern. Alice neel is a 2007 documentary film about the life of alice neel, exploring the struggles she faced as a woman artist, a single mother, and a painter who defied convention. She grew up in colwyn, pennsylvania, a small town where she did not fit in. This means her life runs nearly concurrent with the twentieth century. A selfdescribed collector of souls, alice neel is celebrated for almost singlehandedly reviving the art of portraiture in the twentieth century, although she preferred the term paintings of people to that of portrait. The great us artist alice neel lived and painted in uptown new york when it was almost exclusively black and hispanic. Born in smalltown pennsylvania in 1900, neel was the fierce and focussed daughter of a mother who said not to expect too much from lifeyoure only a girl. With an art career spanning from 1920 to the 1980s, alice neel painted family, poets, singers, bohemians, strangers and celebrities. She was an actress, known for the feature 2008, pull my daisy 1959 and chasing the dragon 1987.
Alice neel read more quotes about models submit one or more quotes by alice neel. Alice neel january 28, 1900 october, 1984 was an american visual artist, who was known for her portraits depicting friends, family, lovers, poets, artists, and strangers. Oral history interview with guerrilla girls alice neel and. Neel was called one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century by barry walker, curator of.
Alice neel january 28, 1900 october, 1984 was an american visual artist, who was. In mid1900 when neel is about three months old, her family moves to colwyn, pennsylvania, a small town outside philadelphia in darby township. Oftentimes its oddly structured, eschewing straight biography. Intimate, casual, direct and personal, alice neels paintings exist as an unparalleled chronicle of new york personalities both famous and unknown. Xavier hufkens is delighted to present the gallerys first exhibition dedicated to the work of alice neel 19001984. Alice neels double portraits, naples museum of art, naples, fl, usa cat. In 2016, he was a finalist for the pulitzer prize in criticism. Alice neel is best known for her portraits which, with their controlled painterly drama and psychological nuance, are complete and polished formal statements in a. Alice neel 19001984 was one of this centurys most powerfully original. Neel was born in 1900 in merion square, pennsylvania. The great mother, nicola trussardi foundation, palazzo reala, milan, italy. David zwirner is pleased to present an exhibition of paintings and drawings by alice neel curated by hilton als. Based in new york, neel chose her subjects from her family, friends, and a broad variety of locals.
Sympathetic to the expressionist spirit of northern europe and scandinavia and to the darker arts of spanish. Painter alice neel was born in 1900 and died in 1984. The people of harlem, as painted by alice neel in pictures. Born outside of philadelphia, pa, neel studied art at the philadelphia school of design for women, developing. In addition to serving as an associate professor of writing at columbia universitys school of the arts, als recently curated a show for. She is perhaps best known for her bold, unsentimental, yet empathetic portraits of the people in her social circle during a period of diminishing interest in.
Alice neel was one of the great american painters of the twentieth century. Alice neel is widely recognised as one of the great american painters of the twentieth century. Many of the worlds defining eventsfrom the great depression, to the civil rights and womens movements, to gay liberationimpacted her work deeply. Seeing alice neel through the eyes of hilton als artsy. Alice neel was one of the great portrait painters of the 20th century.
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