The Pollock-Krasner House continues its tradition of presenting American abstract painters for its first exhibition of the season. On view is “Color and Time: Paintings by Roy Newell, 1956-2000”. The exhibition presents 28 of Newell’s abstract oil paintings culled from decades of work. A reception and panel discussion with guest curator Dr. Robert E. Harrist, artist Richard Dupont and art historian Kent Minturn will be held May 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit runs through July 26. A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition.
During his long career, Roy Newell (1914-2006) created an extraordinary series of abstract paintings characterized by obsessive reworking, according to the Pollock-Krasner House. The exhibition, organized by guest curator Robert E. Harrist, Jr., presents small oils by Newell. The works are notable for their multilayered surfaces and luminous tonality, often bearing multiple dates that reflect the many subtle changes he made to them over time. Although they span several decades, they reflect a remarkable consistency of vision.
.
"Untitled," Roy Newell, 1956-98. Oil on board, 9 x 6 inches. Lent by Earl McGrath, New York. Courtesy Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center.
.
Pollock-Krasner House director Helen Harrison first came upon Newell’s work in 1986 while an art critic for The New York Time’s Long Island Section. In the exhibition catalogue introduction, Harrison recalls “...Newell’s work captivated me aesthetically—the paintings are drop-dead gorgeous—and by their remarkable unity over a span of some 30 years. As I wrote then, I was “hard-pressed to think of another painter who has so ruthlessly expunged all traces of stylistic inconsistencies.”
.
"Glory I," (1971-81), by Roy Newell, 1995. Oil on wood panel, 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches. Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center. Gift of Joan Ward.
.
The fully illustrated catalog includes essays by Dr. Harrist and the artist Richard Dupont. The catalog sheds light on the life and times of Newell, whose work seemed to slip critical notice and continued to evolve throughout his life, with his most impressive works (and a consistency in execution) being achieved in the latter part of his life, according to Dr Harrist.
Lenders to "Color and Time: Paintings by Roy Newell, 1956-2000" include the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Ovitz Family Collection, several private collectors, and the artist's estate. Following the Pollock-Krasner House exhibition, the show will travel to the Steinberg Museum of Art at Long Island University's CW Post campus in September. The show will be exhibited there from Sept. 8 through Nov. 15, 2014.
.
Roy Newell in his exhibition at Dowling College, 1986. Photograph by Edvard Lieber.
.
BASIC FACTS: "Color and Time: Paintings by Roy Newell, 1956-2000," exhibition opened on May 1 and continues through July 26, 2014. A reception and panel discussion with Dr. Harrist, Mr. Dupont, and art historian Kent Minturn takes place on Sunday, May 25, 2014 from 5 - 7 p.m. The Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center is located at 830 Springs-Fireplace Road, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/pkhouse.
____________________________
Copyright 2014 Hamptons Art Hub LLC. All rights reserved.