Lot 330
Hedda Sterne
Romania / New York, (1910-2011)
untitled, 1991
oil on canvas
signed and dated verso.
Provenance: purchased from CDS Gallery, NYC, in 2000.
Biography from the archives of AskArt: Hedda Sterne was the only female member of the small, rebel mid-century group of 28 artists known as the "Irascibles", which included Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Clyford Still and Theodoros Stamos. They challenged the Metropolitan Museum of Art by protesting a juried exhibition intended to increase the museum's collection of contemporary art. In 1950, these artists banded together and signed a petition accusing the curator and director of loading the jury with critics hostile to "advanced art," particularly Abstract Expressionism. Such would be a great catalyst for the movement, drawing significant press coverage and public awareness.
Hedda Sterne is known for her divergence from using mediums and forms contemporaneous with the times. She was one of the first to experiment with acrylic spray paint and also the return of the tondo shape to the art market. The year 1941, was a landmark year for Sterne as her move to New York was overshadowed by her inclusion in the Art of This Century exhibition, funded by the Guggenheim. It was here where notable dealer Betty Parsons discovered Sterne's work and gave her a solo exhibition at the Betty Parsons Gallery in 1943 and it was for this exhibition that Sterne first presented her use of circular canvases to create the Tondo Series. These tondos are mounted on a central axis so the viewer can turn them at will to gain varying perspectives. A pioneer in her use of both medium and form, Sterne used the tondo throughout the balance of her career.
The theme of Sterne's works during the 1940's and 1950's was essentially machine-based, influenced by her early studies in France with Surrealism and abstraction. Some of her early works, including the New York Series from the 1950's, depicted "hurtling trains, derricks, and bridges as though they were looming monsters". It was a highly successful endeavor by the artist to portray the pace and power of the big city. Sterne's use of acrylic spray paint allowed her to echo speed and motion while also discovering that illusion of depth could be achieved without the use of traditional laws of perspective. It was also during this time period that she became associated with the New York School, and as a result began using more primary colors.
Sterne's work is represented in the permanent collections of numerous museums including the Whitney, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
© 2008 Levis Fine Art, Inc.
- Dimensions: 36"H x 23 3/4"W. 40"H x 27 3/4"W (frame)
- Medium: oil on canvas
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