Louise Nevelson Overview

Louise Nevelson was an extremely prominent figure and one of few women active in the mid-twentieth-century American art scene. She is known for her assemblages made up of found pieces of wood that were painted to form unified but varied blocks... [more]

Louise Nevelson was an extremely prominent figure and one of few women active in the mid-twentieth-century American art scene. She is known for her assemblages made up of found pieces of wood that were painted to form unified but varied blocks of color. Often, her assemblages are black, white or gold, and in a rectangular format. Born in Kiev, Nevelson moved to the United States in 1905, and to New York City in 1920, where she studied at the Art Students League. She was deeply involved in the art scene from this time on, working as assistant to Diego Rivera, and participating in her first group show in 1935 (http://www.pacewildenstein.com/Artists/ViewArtist.aspx?guid=073698d9-1fde-4f89-a6d9-9a4f7c7e1d16 has detailed biographical information). Nevelson's style is distinctive and recognizable, and defies easy categorization; instead, elements of Cubism, feminist art, and installation have been identified in her work (see http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/7aa/7aa729.htm for more detail). She also cultivated a dramatic public image, as she habitually appeared in public with long false eyelashes and headscarf. Avatar photo from http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/02/21/arts/24artists.ready.html, courtesy Cecil Beaton Studio Archive/Sotheby's. [show less]