Norman Bluhm
Encyclopedia
Norman Bluhm was an American
painter classified as an abstract expressionist, and as an action painter
.
with the USAAF he decided not to resume his architectural studies. Rather he studied art at the Academia de Belle Arte, Florence
, Italy
and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris
. From 1948 until 1956 he lived in Paris. He had numerous friends in art, literature, and other creative fields. Among his close acquaintances were Joan Mitchell
, Sam Francis
, Jean Paul Riopelle, Zao Wou-ki
and others. He was married to Claude Souvrain until 1956. He returned to the United States in 1956. He married Carolyn Ogle in 1961. They lived in New York City
until 1969 with their two children, David and Nina. From 1970 to 1980 they lived in Millbrook, New York. From 1980 to 1987 they lived in East Hampton, New York. Thereafter, they lived in East Wallingford, Vermont until Bluhm's death on February 3, 1999.
.
Shortly before Bluhm died, in 1999, Art in America
editor Raphael Rubinstein predicted that this body of work would be as important to the 21st century as Cézanne’s
later output was to the 20th.
and Riopelle
, have. In part, this is due to Bluhm's unwillingness to cater sufficiently to those in the commercial art world. Also changing art tastes in the 60's with the advent of Pop Art
(which Bluhm found utterly lacking in beauty and passion) placed Bluhm in a critical netherworld
.
In 2007, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston, Texas
, organised a major exhibition under the title 'The Late Paintings of Norman Bluhm'http://www.stationmuseum.com/Norman_Bluhm/bluhm.htm. The Houston Press reported that The New York artist’s panoramic paintings are patterned like stained glass windows or mandalas, but the shapes inside are sexyhttp://www.houstonpress.com/search/locations.php?oid=60495 while Garland Fielder's review at Glasstire mentioned that Bluhm’s paintings project such a life-affirming and honest candor, one cannot help but feel awash in a glow of spiritual joyhttp://live.glasstire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1447>sect=Articles>cat=Review.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter classified as an abstract expressionist, and as an action painter
Action painting
Action painting sometimes called "gestural abstraction", is a style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied...
.
Biography
He was born on March 28, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois. He studied under Mies van der Rohe at the then Armour (now Illinois) Institute of Technology. After service in World War IIWorld 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...
with the USAAF he decided not to resume his architectural studies. Rather he studied art at the Academia de Belle Arte, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts 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...
. From 1948 until 1956 he lived in Paris. He had numerous friends in art, literature, and other creative fields. Among his close acquaintances were Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell was a "second generation" abstract expressionist painter. She was an essential member of the American Abstract expressionist movement, even though much of her career took place in France. Along with Lee Krasner, Grace Hartigan, and Helen Frankenthaler she was one of her era's few...
, Sam Francis
Sam Francis
Samuel Lewis Francis was an American painter and printmaker.-Early life:...
, Jean Paul Riopelle, Zao Wou-ki
Zao Wou Ki
-Biography:He was born in a cultivated family and studied calligraphy in his childhood and from 1935 to 1941 painting at the school of Fine Arts in Hangzhou. In 1948, he went with his wife Lan-lan, a composer, to Paris to live on the same block in Montparnasse where the classes of Émile Othon...
and others. He was married to Claude Souvrain until 1956. He returned to the United States in 1956. He married Carolyn Ogle in 1961. They lived 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...
until 1969 with their two children, David and Nina. From 1970 to 1980 they lived in Millbrook, New York. From 1980 to 1987 they lived in East Hampton, New York. Thereafter, they lived in East Wallingford, Vermont until Bluhm's death on February 3, 1999.
Art
Bluhm's work has been critically praised and his works are in the collections of many major museums. His work changed throughout his career while retaining certain elements (brush strokes, use of color and line, etc.) that to the discerning viewer are obvious. Unlike some artists of note he continually challenged himself to reach new areas and artistic achievements based on his profound knowledge of art and art history, use of the human figure, color, and a passion for life. Among his more noted work are a series of poem paintings done with his good friend the poet Frank O'HaraFrank O'Hara
Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara was an American writer, poet and art critic. He was a member of the New York School of poetry.-Life:...
.
Shortly before Bluhm died, in 1999, Art in America
Art in America
Art in America is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It is designed for collectors, artists, dealers, art professionals and other...
editor Raphael Rubinstein predicted that this body of work would be as important to the 21st century as Cézanne’s
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...
later output was to the 20th.
Comments
Bluhm's work while recognized and praised has never received the measure of attention that some of his contemporaries, such as Joan MitchellJoan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell was a "second generation" abstract expressionist painter. She was an essential member of the American Abstract expressionist movement, even though much of her career took place in France. Along with Lee Krasner, Grace Hartigan, and Helen Frankenthaler she was one of her era's few...
and Riopelle
Riopelle
Riopelle may refer to:* Jean-Paul Riopelle - painter and sculptor from Quebec, Canada* Jerry Riopelle - musician and record producer from the United States*Howard Riopelle , Canadian ice-hockey player...
, have. In part, this is due to Bluhm's unwillingness to cater sufficiently to those in the commercial art world. Also changing art tastes in the 60's with the advent of Pop Art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
(which Bluhm found utterly lacking in beauty and passion) placed Bluhm in a critical netherworld
Netherworld
Netherworld is often used as a synonym for Underworld. It may also refer to:*Netherworld , an 8-bit computer game from 1988*Netherworld , a fictional autonomous neighborhood of the city of Chicago in the DC Comics universe...
.
In 2007, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, organised a major exhibition under the title 'The Late Paintings of Norman Bluhm'http://www.stationmuseum.com/Norman_Bluhm/bluhm.htm. The Houston Press reported that The New York artist’s panoramic paintings are patterned like stained glass windows or mandalas, but the shapes inside are sexyhttp://www.houstonpress.com/search/locations.php?oid=60495 while Garland Fielder's review at Glasstire mentioned that Bluhm’s paintings project such a life-affirming and honest candor, one cannot help but feel awash in a glow of spiritual joyhttp://live.glasstire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1447>sect=Articles>cat=Review.
External links
- Personal website
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Norman-Bluhm/174392542611007?ref=ts
- Images, a collection of thumbnails of Bluhm's paintings
- 26 Things at Once, interviews with Bluhm in 1996 and 1997
- Obituary, published in ArtForum, 1999
- Obituary from Art in America, 1999
- The Late Paintings of Norman Bluhm, a panoramic view of the exhibition at the Station Museum, Houston, March-May 2007