The Works of George Picken (1898-1971)
Monique Goldstrom Gallery, New York
April 27 - May 22, 2001
Monique Goldstrom Gallery presents the work of American painter George Picken (1898-1971).
George Picken was a prominent painter among the American generation that matured between the world wars in the first half of this century. His sensibilities were shaped by urban immigrant realties, World War I and the depression, and his close relationships with friends and colleagues like Stuart Davis, Edward Hopper, Charles Burchfield, John Marin, Philip Evergood, and Kuniyoshi. He also faced the wave of indifference felt by many of these artists as abstract expressionism captured the world's, and the criticsí attention. However, Picken pursued his own artistic vision, even as he experimented with abstraction and color. In his last decade, he returned to figurative work and painted some of his most powerful work. The artist died in 1971 at the age of 73.
George Picken was born in New York city in 1898, the son of a scottish immigrant artist and photographer. He served in World War I with an ambulance corps that saw action at Verdun.
Back in New York, he studied at the Art Students League and married Viola Carton, a young beauty from Yonkers who was said to be one of Reginald Marshís favorite models. The earliest canvases that survive have urban themes and a dark palette, which prompted Stuart Davis to ask him why he was always painting ìdungeonsî. Picken had a difficult time during the depression, supporting a wife and two children, but was employed by the WPA. His murals can still be seen near Albany, at the Fort Edward and Hudson Falls post offices.
George Picken also became well known as a teacher. He taught painting, printmaking and lithography at Cooper Union and Columbia University for over 20 years.
His work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the Newark Museum, the Berkshire Museum, the Ogunquit Museum and numerous other collections.
The exhibition encompasses works from each period of the artistís career.
Monique Goldstrom Gallery
560 Broadway Street Suite 303
New York, NY 10012
www.moniquegoldstrom.com
Monique Goldstrom Gallery, New York
April 27 - May 22, 2001
Monique Goldstrom Gallery presents the work of American painter George Picken (1898-1971).
George Picken was a prominent painter among the American generation that matured between the world wars in the first half of this century. His sensibilities were shaped by urban immigrant realties, World War I and the depression, and his close relationships with friends and colleagues like Stuart Davis, Edward Hopper, Charles Burchfield, John Marin, Philip Evergood, and Kuniyoshi. He also faced the wave of indifference felt by many of these artists as abstract expressionism captured the world's, and the criticsí attention. However, Picken pursued his own artistic vision, even as he experimented with abstraction and color. In his last decade, he returned to figurative work and painted some of his most powerful work. The artist died in 1971 at the age of 73.
George Picken was born in New York city in 1898, the son of a scottish immigrant artist and photographer. He served in World War I with an ambulance corps that saw action at Verdun.
Back in New York, he studied at the Art Students League and married Viola Carton, a young beauty from Yonkers who was said to be one of Reginald Marshís favorite models. The earliest canvases that survive have urban themes and a dark palette, which prompted Stuart Davis to ask him why he was always painting ìdungeonsî. Picken had a difficult time during the depression, supporting a wife and two children, but was employed by the WPA. His murals can still be seen near Albany, at the Fort Edward and Hudson Falls post offices.
George Picken also became well known as a teacher. He taught painting, printmaking and lithography at Cooper Union and Columbia University for over 20 years.
His work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the Newark Museum, the Berkshire Museum, the Ogunquit Museum and numerous other collections.
The exhibition encompasses works from each period of the artistís career.
Monique Goldstrom Gallery
560 Broadway Street Suite 303
New York, NY 10012
www.moniquegoldstrom.com
