Ernest Briggs
Encyclopedia
Ernest Briggs was an active participant in the later wave of Abstract Expressionism
, the revolution in abstract painting that secured New York City
's position as the art capital of the world in the post-World War II
period.
during World War II (1943–1946).
Briggs studied painting at the Schaeffer School of Design, San Francisco, CA (1946-47) and later at The California School of Fine Arts, San Francisco (1947-1951), where he thrived under the tutelage of such ab-ex greats as Clyfford Still
, Ad Reinhardt
, David Park, and Mark Rothko
. According to New York Times critic Grace Glueck, Briggs was largely impacted by the "painterly rhetoric" of his teacher Clyfford Still during and after his time at CSFA.
Considered a member of the second generation of Abstract Expressionists, along with Giorgio Cavallon
, Briggs left California for New York in 1953 where he began exhibiting at the Stable Gallery
. During the 1950s, he was able to make a name for himself through his explosive and dynamic style as part of the New York
avant-garde
. Briggs brought to the East Coast
a fresh, lively aesthetic, reflecting what has been termed a "radical West Coast
style" that he had continued to develop since his days at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. He participated in several Whitney Museum Annual
s and in 1956 was included in the Museum of Modern Art
’s exhibition “12 Americans” curated by Dorothy Miller. He taught painting and sculpture at the Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn from 1961 until the time of his death at age 61, and is survived by his wife Annie Arnold Briggs, who is also an artist.
The dynamism and at some points discord in Briggs' work is best suggested by the following quote from his obituary, published on June 14, 1984 in the New York Times:
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
, the revolution in abstract painting that secured 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...
's position as the art capital of the world in the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period.
Biography
Ernest Briggs was born 1923 in San Diego, CA. He went on to serve in the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II (1943–1946).
Briggs studied painting at the Schaeffer School of Design, San Francisco, CA (1946-47) and later at The California School of Fine Arts, San Francisco (1947-1951), where he thrived under the tutelage of such ab-ex greats as Clyfford Still
Clyfford Still
Clyfford Still was an American painter, and one of the leading figures of Abstract Expressionism.-Biography:...
, Ad Reinhardt
Ad Reinhardt
Adolph Frederick Reinhardt was an Abstract painter active in New York beginning in the 1930s and continuing through the 1960s. He was a member of the American Abstract Artists and was a part of the movement centered around the Betty Parsons Gallery that became known as Abstract Expressionism...
, David Park, and Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
. According to New York Times critic Grace Glueck, Briggs was largely impacted by the "painterly rhetoric" of his teacher Clyfford Still during and after his time at CSFA.
Considered a member of the second generation of Abstract Expressionists, along with Giorgio Cavallon
Giorgio Cavallon
Giorgio Cavallon was a founding member of the American Abstract Artists and a pioneer Abstract Expressionist.-Biography:Giorgio Cavallon was born March 3, 1904 in Sorio, near Venice Italy and immigrated to the USA in 1920...
, Briggs left California for New York in 1953 where he began exhibiting at the Stable Gallery
Stable Gallery
The Stable Gallery, originally located on West 58th Street in New York, was founded in 1953 by Eleanor Ward. The Stable Gallery hosted early solo New York exhibitions for artists including Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol.-History:...
. During the 1950s, he was able to make a name for himself through his explosive and dynamic style as part of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
. Briggs brought to the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
a fresh, lively aesthetic, reflecting what has been termed a "radical West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
style" that he had continued to develop since his days at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. He participated in several Whitney Museum Annual
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
s and in 1956 was included in the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
’s exhibition “12 Americans” curated by Dorothy Miller. He taught painting and sculpture at the 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,...
in Brooklyn from 1961 until the time of his death at age 61, and is survived by his wife Annie Arnold Briggs, who is also an artist.
The dynamism and at some points discord in Briggs' work is best suggested by the following quote from his obituary, published on June 14, 1984 in the New York Times:
- "Sometimes Mr. Briggs's emphasis was on strong, lyrical color and thick brush strokes that called attention to the act of painting. Sometimes, as in his exhibition earlier this year at the Gruenebaum Gallery in New York, his work was more linear and geometric, and the expressive element was dependent upon a strong, almost translucent light within grays and blues."
Selected solo exhibitions
- 1951: (first) Metart Gallery, San Francisco, CA
- 1954/55: Stable GalleryStable GalleryThe Stable Gallery, originally located on West 58th Street in New York, was founded in 1953 by Eleanor Ward. The Stable Gallery hosted early solo New York exhibitions for artists including Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol.-History:...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - 1956: San Francisco Art Association Gallery, CA
- 1960/62/63: The Howard Wise Gallery, NY
- 1968: Yale University, New Haven, CT
- 1969: Alonzo Gallery, NY
- 1973: Green Mountain Gallery, NY
- 1975: Susan Caldwell Gallery, Inc., NY
- 1977: Aaron Berman Gallery, NY
- 1980: Landmark Gallery, NY
- 1980/82: Gruenebaum Gallery, NY
- 1984: Memorial Exhibition, Gruenebaum Gallery, NY
- 1991: With Edward Dugmore, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1992: With Ibram Lassaw, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1994: With Clement Meadmore and Erik van der Grijn, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1996: Two Painters and a Sculptor (with Clement Meadmore and Erik van der Grijn), Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1998: Abstract Paintings from the 1950s to the 1970s (with Michael Loew), Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 2001: Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 2002: Abstract Expressionist Paintings from the 1950s, Mishkin Gallery, Baruch CollegeBaruch CollegeBernard M. Baruch College, more commonly known as Baruch College, is a constituent college of the City University of New York, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 23%, Baruch is among the most competitive and diverse colleges in the nation...
, City UniversityCity University of New YorkThe City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, NY - 2004: Ernest Briggs: Paintings of the 50th and 60th’s, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 2005: Ernest Briggs: Paintings of 50's & 60's, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 20006-07: Nassos DaphnisNassos DaphnisNassos Daphnis was a Greek born American abstract painter and tree peony breeder...
& Ernest Briggs: OPPOSING FORCES, Anita Shaplosky Gallery, NYC
Selected Group Exhibitions
- 1948/49/53: San Francisco Art Association Annuals
- 1953: Five Bay Area Artists, California Palace of the Legion of HonorCalifornia Palace of the Legion of HonorThe California Palace of the Legion of Honor is a fine art museum in San Francisco, California...
, San Francisco, CA - 1955/56/61: Annuals and Biennials, Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
, NYC - 1956: 12 Americans, circ., Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, NYC - 1961: Corcoran Gallery of ArtCorcoran Gallery of ArtThe Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; Carnegie Institute of TechnologyCarnegie Institute of TechnologyThe Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
, Pittsburgh, PA - 1962/1961, Dallas Museum of ArtDallas Museum of ArtThe Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In 1984, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Arts District, Dallas, Texas...
, Dallas, TX; Contemporary Art Exhibition, San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtSan Francisco Museum of Modern ArtThe San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
, CA - 1963: ‘'Directions-Painting-USA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
- 1967: ‘Large–Scale American Painting, Jewish MuseumJewish MuseumJewish Museum may refer to:Australia* Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourne, VictoriaAustria* Jewish Museum ViennaCzech Republic* Jewish Museum of PragueDenmark* Danish Jewish Museum, CopenhagenGeorgia...
, NY; Johnson Museum, Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Ithaca, NY - 1969, 70: American Academy of Arts and Letters, NY
- 1970: Proctor Art Center, Bard CollegeBard CollegeBard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY; San Francisco 1945-1950, Oakland Art Museum, CA - 1976: California Painting and Sculpture: The Modern Era, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
- 1977: Bay Area Update, Huntsville Museum of ArtHuntsville Museum of ArtHuntsville Museum of Art is a museum located in Huntsville, Alabama. It was originally established by city Ordinance No. 70-134, on August 13, 1970, which established the Museum Board of the City of Huntsville. The museum held its first exhibition in 1973 and moved to its first permanent facility...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... - 1978: Cape Split Place, Addison, ME
- 1984: Underknown, Institute for Art & Urban Resources, P.S. 1, Long Island City, NY
- 1989: Anne Weber Gallery, Georgetown, ME; Portland Museum of ArtPortland Museum of ArtThe Portland Museum of Art is an art museum in Portland, Maine. Founded as the Portland Society of Art in 1882, it is located in the downtown area known as The Arts District, and is the largest and oldest public art institution in the U.S...
, ME - 1991: The Prevailing Fifties, also with Edward Dugmore, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1992: The Tradition, also with Ibram LassawIbram LassawIbram Lassaw is an American sculptor, known for nonobjective construction in brazed metals.-Biography:Lassaw was born in Alexandria, Egypt, of Russian émigré parents, he went to the U.S. in 1921. His family settled in Brooklyn, New York. He became a US citizen in 1928...
, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NY - 1994: New York–Provincetown: A 50s Connection, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, MA; Maryland Art Institute, MD
- 1994/96: Josiah White Exhibition Center, Jim Thorpe, PA
- 1995: The Fifties, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1996: Other Artists of the 50s, Kendall Campus Art Gallery, Miami–Dade Community College, FL; The San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
- 1997: Artists of the 1950s, Part 1 and 2, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 1998: Paper Works, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NY
- 1998-99: Artists of the 50s; The Development of Abstraction, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NY
- 1999: Abstract Expressionist Tradition, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NY
- 2000: Art For Art’s Sake–Credo of the Fifties, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
- 2004: San Francisco and the Second Wave: The Blair Collection of Bay Area Abstract Expressionism, Crocker Art MuseumCrocker Art MuseumThe Crocker Art Museum is one of the leading arts institutions in California, and the longest continuously operating art museum in the West. Located in Sacramento, California, the Crocker has been an art innovator since 1885...
, Sacramento, CA; Re-Examining Abstract Art, Part 2, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC; New York School Artists: Works Of the 50's and 60's, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC - 2005: While Pollock Was Sleeping: Bay Area Abstract Expressionism from the Blair Collection, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA; The Invisible In The Visible, Anita Shapolsky Gallery, NYC
Selected Public Collections
- Brooklyn MuseumBrooklyn MuseumThe 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, NY - Carnegie InstituteCarnegie InstituteCarnegie Institute can refer to:*Carnegie Institute, operator of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania*Carnegie Institution for Science , Washington, D.C....
, Pittsburgh, PA - Rockefeller Institute, New York, NY
- Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC,
- San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtSan Francisco Museum of Modern ArtThe San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
,CA - San Jose Museum of ArtSan Jose Museum of ArtThe San Jose Museum of Art is an art museum in Downtown San Jose, California, USA. Founded in 1969, the museum hosts a large permanent collection emphasizing West Coast artists of the 20th- and 21st-century. It is located next to the Circle of Palms Plaza and Plaza de César Chávez...
, San Jose, CA - Oakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....
, Oakland, CA - Portland Museum of ArtPortland Museum of ArtThe Portland Museum of Art is an art museum in Portland, Maine. Founded as the Portland Society of Art in 1882, it is located in the downtown area known as The Arts District, and is the largest and oldest public art institution in the U.S...
, Portland, ME - Walker Art CenterWalker Art CenterThe Walker Art Center is a contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is considered one of the nation's "big five" museums for modern art along with the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Hirshhorn...
, Minneapolis, MN - Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
, New York, NY
Books
- Thomas Albright, Art in the San Francisco Bay area, 1945-1980 : an illustrated history', (Berkeley, Calif. : University of California Press, ©1985.) ISBN 0-520-085193-9
- Susan Landauer, The San Francisco school of abstract expressionism (Berkeley : University of California Press, ©1996.) ISBN 0-520-08610-4
- Marika Herskovic, American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s An Illustrated Survey, (New York School Press, 2003.) ISBN 0-9677994-1-4. pp. 54–57
- Marika Herskovic, New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists, (New York School Press, 2000.) ISBN 0-9677994-0-6. p. 32; p. 36
- Marika Herskovic, American Abstract and Figurative Expressionism Style Is Timely Art Is Timeless (New York School Press, 2009.) ISBN 9780967799421. pp. 52–55
External link for image reproduction
- Ernest Briggs paintings-from the exhibition at the Mishkin Gallery, Baruch CollegeBaruch CollegeBernard M. Baruch College, more commonly known as Baruch College, is a constituent college of the City University of New York, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 23%, Baruch is among the most competitive and diverse colleges in the nation...
, NYC