Charlotte Gilbertson
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Gilbertson is an American
painter and print maker.
, the French artist Paul Cézanne
, Fernand Léger
's modern abstractionism, and neo-Primitivist
representations of the people of Papua New Guinea
.
, Charlotte Gilbertson was the eldest of four children and the only daughter in her family. Her father was a Methodist minister in the neighborhood of Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts
, where her family resided. As a child, her family lived primarily in Roslindale and spent their summers on Cape Cod
at their summer residence.
, as did many of the war veterans of her generation. Charlotte used it to promote her education. She graduated from Boston University
’s School of Fine Arts in 1948 and then moved to New York to be among notable artists. New York City was brimming over with abstract expressionist painters at the time, but she was more interested in "constructive design" not found in America. Charlotte wanted to develop a stronger sense of "design" in her work, to engage "the new" and "the modern".
In 1949, Charlotte went to Paris
on an artistic quest, fascinated by Cézanne's rendering of the Provençal apple. She studied "le dessin" under the French artist Fernand Léger
at his Paris atelier. She found a master in Léger. (He jokingly referred to her as "la petite marine", or "the little sailor", because she wore dungarees, which was unusual for a woman at the time).
in 1951, where she lived for several years. Charlotte Gilbertson found employment in an array of diverse positions to sustain herself in New York City
.
During the winters, she worked; during the summers, she painted. This seasonal cycle of employment and painting lasted from 1951 to 1974 and again from 1977 to 1979. From 1962 to 1974, Charlotte most notably worked as an assistant director and, later, as director of the Alexander Iolas
Gallery in New York City
. Through the Iolas Gallery, Charlotte met and befriended Andy Warhol
and appeared in Warhol's film, Kiss).
, Hong Kong
, Australia
, Bali
, Burma, India
, Nepal
, the Middle East
, Turkey
and Greece
. She also revisited much of Europe, including a special trip to the North Cape and a tour of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Japanese use of iridescent colors and the mountain landscapes of Japan and Bali influenced her paintings during this time. Her excursions were curtailed in 1980, when she took care of her elderly parents until they died.
and Tikal. She also spent a considerable amount of time in Fiji
, Papua New Guinea
, Australia
, as well as Bali
, India
and Nepal
. Her explorations in Nepal include treks of the Annapurna Circuit and safari
s by elephant in Nepal's Chitwan National Park.
She spent time in Tibet
, Thailand
, Malaysia and Singapore
, ending her journeys in Western Europe with extended time in Paris
and London
before returning home. Her travels in South Asia significantly influenced her artwork from then onward. In particular, many of her paintings in the 1990s featured neo-Primitivist representations of the people of Papua New Guinea
.
, 50" x 72". She also completed a series of work on wood panels, employing gold leaf and other mixed media.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter and print maker.
Artistic Influences
Charlotte's artistic inspirations are rooted in Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the French artist Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
, Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
's modern abstractionism, and neo-Primitivist
Neo-primitivism
Neo-primitivism was a Russian art movement which took its name from the book Neo-primitivizm , by Aleksandr Shevchenko. In the book Shevchenko proposes a new style of modern painting which fuses elements of Cézanne, Cubism and Futurism with traditional Russian 'folk art' conventions and motifs,...
representations of the people of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Childhood and Early Years
Born on Armistice DayArmistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
, Charlotte Gilbertson was the eldest of four children and the only daughter in her family. Her father was a Methodist minister in the neighborhood of Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts
Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts
Roslindale is a primarily residential neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury and Mattapan.It is served by an MBTA Commuter Rail line, several MBTA bus lines and the MBTA Orange Line in nearby Jamaica Plain...
, where her family resided. As a child, her family lived primarily in Roslindale and spent their summers on Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
at their summer residence.
Post WWII, Paris and the GI Bill (1946 - 1951)
Charlotte Gilbertson enlisted in the Armed Forces during WWII as a psychiatric social worker, stationed on Long Island, New York and in Georgia. After the war, she had access to the G.I. Bill of RightsG.I. Bill of Rights
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 , known informally as the G.I. Bill, was an omnibus law that provided college or vocational education for returning World War II veterans as well as one year of unemployment compensation...
, as did many of the war veterans of her generation. Charlotte used it to promote her education. She graduated from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
’s School of Fine Arts in 1948 and then moved to New York to be among notable artists. New York City was brimming over with abstract expressionist painters at the time, but she was more interested in "constructive design" not found in America. Charlotte wanted to develop a stronger sense of "design" in her work, to engage "the new" and "the modern".
In 1949, Charlotte went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on an artistic quest, fascinated by Cézanne's rendering of the Provençal apple. She studied "le dessin" under the French artist Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
at his Paris atelier. She found a master in Léger. (He jokingly referred to her as "la petite marine", or "the little sailor", because she wore dungarees, which was unusual for a woman at the time).
The New York Years (1951 - 1979)
Once she had begun to master a sense of color, space, and design on a canvas, she returned to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1951, where she lived for several years. Charlotte Gilbertson found employment in an array of diverse positions to sustain herself in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
During the winters, she worked; during the summers, she painted. This seasonal cycle of employment and painting lasted from 1951 to 1974 and again from 1977 to 1979. From 1962 to 1974, Charlotte most notably worked as an assistant director and, later, as director of the Alexander Iolas
Alexander Iolas
Alexander Iolas or Alexandre Iolas was a Greek - American gallerist and collector....
Gallery in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Through the Iolas Gallery, Charlotte met and befriended Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
and appeared in Warhol's film, Kiss).
World Travel and Travels, Interrupted
In 1976, Gilbertson took a polar route around the world, following the sun, and spent over a year traveling the world, visiting JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Burma, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. She also revisited much of Europe, including a special trip to the North Cape and a tour of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Japanese use of iridescent colors and the mountain landscapes of Japan and Bali influenced her paintings during this time. Her excursions were curtailed in 1980, when she took care of her elderly parents until they died.
World Travels Resumed, New Artistic Influences
In 1990, Gilbertson resumed her travels to many other countries, including BelizeBelize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and Tikal. She also spent a considerable amount of time in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Her explorations in Nepal include treks of the Annapurna Circuit and safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
s by elephant in Nepal's Chitwan National Park.
She spent time in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, ending her journeys in Western Europe with extended time in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before returning home. Her travels in South Asia significantly influenced her artwork from then onward. In particular, many of her paintings in the 1990s featured neo-Primitivist representations of the people of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Currently
Charlotte Gilbertson is still an active painter, working with mixed media and doing small works on paper and canvas. She has done a number of line drawings and a number of series of works on paper. She completed a series of work of her memory-impressions of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, 50" x 72". She also completed a series of work on wood panels, employing gold leaf and other mixed media.
Exhibitions
| Year | Gallery / Exhibition Space | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Galeria Mai | Paris (VI arrondisement - Quartier Latin), France |
| 1960 | Burr Gallery | New York City |
| 1961 | Pratt Institute Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,... Gallery |
New York City |
| 1962 | The Free Library of Philadelphia Free Library of Philadelphia The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:History of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Initiated by the efforts of Dr... |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1964 | PVI Gallery | New York City |
| 1965 | Institute of Contemporary Arts | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1966 | Fishbach Gallery | New York City |
| 1967 | Flint College Museum | Flint, Michigan |
| 1968-9 | Brooklyn Museum Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works.... |
Brooklyn, New York |
| 1971 | Bodley Gallery Bodley Gallery The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art gallery in New York City, USA, from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. The Bodley specialized in contemporary and modern art. David Mann was director of the gallery during its heyday and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Braun The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art... |
New York City |
| 1972 to 1978 | Erik Nord Gallery | Nantucket, Massachusetts |
| 1974 | Iolas Gallery | New York City |
| 1977 | Bodley Gallery Bodley Gallery The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art gallery in New York City, USA, from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. The Bodley specialized in contemporary and modern art. David Mann was director of the gallery during its heyday and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Braun The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art... II |
New York City |
| 1878 | As You Like It Gallery | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1978 | Irving Gallery | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1978 | Pace University Pace University Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:... Gallery |
New York City |
| 1978 | St. Peter's College Gallery | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| 1979 | Lilley Gallery | Harwichport, Massachusetts |
| 1979 | Holly Daly Herman Palm Beach Gallery | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1980 | Galeria Bryna | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1981 | Galeria Bryna | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1981 | Flagler Museum Flagler Museum Flagler Museum, also known as Whitehall, is a 55-room mansion open to the public in Palm Beach, Florida in the United States. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:... , Artinian Collection |
Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1982 | Petite Fleur Gallery | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1983 | Rollins College Rollins College Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia.... |
Winter Park, Florida |
| 1984 | Foxworth Gallery | New York City |
| 1989 | Palm Beach National Bank | Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1991 | Northwood College Gallery | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| 1998 | Guild of Harwich Artists | Harwichport, Massachusetts |
| 2000 | Eissey Campus Gallery | North Palm Beach, Florida |
Professional Associations and Listings
Charlotte Gilbertson was included in Who's Who in America (2002). She is also a lifetime member of the Visual Arts and Galleries Association.External links
- Charlotte Gilbertson's official web page!
- Gilbertson
- "Mantle Fielding's Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers"
- Andy Warhol Filmography listing Charlotte Gilbertson in the movie Kiss
- AskArt.com - "The American Artist's Bluebook" that lists Charlotte Gilbertson
- Boston University Alumni - a listing of Charlotte Gilbertson's inclusion into Who's Who of America 2002
- American painters, sculptors & engravers by Mantle Fielding, 1983