Featuring works of Nathan Slate Joseph, John Chamberlain, and David Slivka (courtesy of folioeast).
Joseph, a sculptor and artist who exhibits internationally, is renowned for his unique process of creating dynamic, abstract compositions of galvanized steel. His work was the subject of a documentary film by Lana Jokel. Chamberlain, the famous “crushed car sculptor,” was a sculptor, painter and print maker also acclaimed for his Abstract Expressionist works. Slivka, a pioneer in the American Abstract Expressionist movement and a painter and sculptor, was noted for his broad range of media, which included granite, bronze, wax rope and clay, along with ink, watercolors, and crayons. This show will open July 14, with a reception from 6-8 p.m.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
David Slivka (1914-2010) was one of the last members of the first generation of American
Abstract Expressionist artists. As a painter and sculptor, he explored a variety of mediums, from ink, crayon, and watercolor, to clay, granite, bronze, and wood.
During the early 1960s, Slivka was known for his series of “rapid ink” paintings. In the 1970s, he
continued a series of large, organic, geometric abstract paintings in ink. Some are in vibrant oval forms; others in graphic black and white. Many of these pieces were sold to the New York Port Authority and some were destroyed in the Twin Towers bombing on 9/11.
Born in Chicago in 1914 from Russian immigrant parents, Slivka studied at the Art Institute of Chicago as a teenager and then moved to San Francisco studying at the California School of Fine Arts. After working as a ship’s carpenter in the Merchant Marine during World War II, he spent his early adult years in Greenwich Village, New York City where he utilized his knowledge of carpentry and discovered a range of mediums. He
eventually became part of what came to be known as The New York School, along with William DeKooning,
Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Motherwell, and many others. In the 50’s, he and his wife moved to Springs, on the East End of Long Island, joining other abstract expressionists (such as Pollock and DeKooing) who also originated from the Village. Slivka continued to experiment with bold and vivid compositions for the next sixty years, seeking to merge spontaneity and his surrounding natural landscape.