Barnett Newman "Dialogue between Man and Work"

Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art

Finished

Artists

Barnett Newman

Barnett Newman (1905-1970) is an important painter of the 20th century who stands along with Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock as one of the representative artists of the Abstract Expressionist movement that emerged in the US after World War II. Having majored in philosophy at university, Newman was considered a theorist among the artists of the day and speculative in nature. At the age of 43 he arrived at a unique style of painting that involved canvases painted in monotone color surfaces with vertical lines called "zips" running down the picture plane. Although these works, with their simple and clear arrangement of minimal compositional elements, may appear cold and devoid of any human touch at first encounter, they actually have an undercurrent of deep human emotions. At times awe-inspiring and at other times steeped in gentle warmth that envelops the viewer, Newman's works pose questions about the fundamental meaning of art.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, we are proud to present the first solo exhibition of the work of Barnet Newman ever held in Japan, anchored by the artist's late masterwork "Anna's Light" from the Kawamura collection, and a selection of 30 important paintings, sculptures and prints. These works offer the viewer an opportunity to encounter the products of an artistic career devoted to the sincere and single-minded quest in search of the meaning that painting can embody.

Related events - guided gallery tours, talks by curators and guest lectures - are also scheduled. See website for more details.

[Image: Barnett Newman, "Anna's Light" (1968) Installation photo by Osamu Watanabe ©2010 Barnett Newman Foundation /ARS, New York / SPDA, Tokyo ]

Schedule

Sep 4 (Sat) 2010-Dec 12 (Sun) 2010