Michael Loew (May 8, 1907 — November 14, 1985) was an American
Abstract Expressionist
Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...
artist who was born in New York City.
Career
In the late 1920s, Loew studied at the
Art Students League
The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists.
Although artists may stu ...
with the
Ashcan School
The Ashcan School, also called the Ash Can School, was an artistic movement in the United States during the late 19th-early 20th century that produced works portraying scenes of daily life in New York, often in the city's poorer neighborhoods.
...
and was a recipient of a Sadie A. May Fellowship which allowed Loew to continue his studies in France. Michael worked for New Deal art projects from 1933–37 and during this time painted murals for
U.S. post offices, high schools and the Hall of Pharmacy for the
1939 New York World's Fair. Loew chose to share his private commission with close friend and fellow artist,
Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning (; ; April 24, 1904 – March 19, 1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. He was born in Rotterdam and moved to the United States in 1926, becoming an American citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married painter El ...
.
From 1939 to 1940 Loew traveled to Mexico and the Yucatán, gathering inspiration for his future work. Joining the U.S. Navy Seabees in 1943 as a Battalion Painter, Loew documented the work being done on the airbase on
Tinian Island. It was from this airbase that the
Enola Gay would later take off from to drop the atomic bombs. Loew captured much of the work done on the island by the Navy in dozens of watercolors.
Returning to New York after the war, having lost much of his hearing, Loew started over with his art studies. He studied with
Hans Hofmann in New York and Provincetown, and with
Fernand Léger in Paris. Loew became a member of the
American Abstract Artists
American Abstract Artists (AAA) was formed in 1936 in New York City, to promote and foster public understanding of abstract art. American Abstract Artists exhibitions, publications, and lectures helped to establish the organization as a major fo ...
and The Artist's Club as well as The Spiral Group. His works were shown at the
Stable Gallery
The Stable Gallery, originally located on West 58th Street in New York City, was founded in 1953 by Eleanor Ward. The Stable Gallery hosted early solo New York exhibitions for artists including Marisol Escobar, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol.
His ...
Annuals of 1951–1955.
In 1960 and again in 1966, Loew was hired to teach at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
. He also spent nearly three decades as a teacher at the
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
. In 1976 he won a fellowship grant from the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
and in 1979 he was awarded a grant from the
Guggenheim Foundation.
Over the course of his life, Michael's work was exhibited extensively in galleries, museums and other cultural institutions including: The
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 89th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is the permanent home of a continuously exp ...
, The
Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is an art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In the 1970s, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Art ...
, The
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...
, The
Philadelphia Museum of Art and The
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was desig ...
. The Michael Loew Papers are located in the
Archives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...
at the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
. His works have been exhibited in galleries including the
Anita Shapolsky Gallery
The Anita Shapolsky Gallery is an art gallery that was founded in 1982 by Anita Shapolsky. It is currently located at 152 East 65th Street, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, in New York City.
The gallery specializes in 1950s and 1960s abstract e ...
in New York City and the Thomas McCormick Gallery.
In 1997 his estate was awarded the Judith Rothschild Foundation Grant.
Teaching positions
*1958–1985
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
, New York City
*1960, 1966
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
Awards and fellowships
*1964
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
Purchase
*1976
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
Fellowship Grant
*1979
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship
*1997 Judith Rothschild Grant
Collections
*Whitney Museum of American Art
*Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
*Gallatin Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art
*Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
*Carnegie Institute Museum of Art
*Albright Knox Art Gallery
*University of California, Berkeley
*Portland Museum of Art
*Dallas Museum of Fine Arts
*Detroit Museum of Art
*Wichita State University
*Farnsworth Museum
*Hampton University
*Israel Museum
*Monhegan Island Museum
References
Sources
*American Abstract Artists (1957). "The World of Abstract Art", pp. 167
*Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560
*Baur, J. (1974). Whitney Museum of American Art, Catalogue of the Collection, pp. 235
*Campbell, L. (1984). "Michael Loew at Marilyn Pearl Gallery", ''Art in America'', pp. 193
*Curtis, J., Lieberman F. (1995). "Monhegan The Artists' Island"
*Falk, Peter Hastings, (1999) Who Was Who in American Art, 1564–1975, 3 Volumes, pp. 3724
*Gordon, J. (1962). "Geometric Abstraction in America", pp. 68
*Herskovic M. (2000). New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists, (New York School Press, 2000.)
*Kingsley, A. (1973). "New York Letter", ''Art International, Apr. 1973'', pp. 52–53
*Kingsley, A. (2008)
"Michael Loew 1907–1985: The Beginning Works from the Estate" (Chicago and New York: Mc Cormick Gallery/ Vincent Vallarino Fine Art, 2008)
*Larsen, S. C. (1979). "A Painter's Geometry: The Art of Michael Loew", ''Arts Magazine'', pp. 130–134
*Larsen, Susan C (1997) "Michael Loew: Nature into Abstraction", The Farnsworth Art Museum
*Slivka, Rose C.S. (1989). "Willem de Kooning", ''Art Journal 48 no. 3, Fall '89'', pp. 219–221
*Stevens, M., Swan, A. (2006). "De Kooning an American Master"
*Stuart P. (1949). "Abstract Quartet", New York Times, November 27, 1949
External links
biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loew, Michael
1907 births
1985 deaths
Modern painters
Painters from New York City
20th-century American painters
American male painters
Abstract expressionist artists
Art Students League of New York alumni
American war artists
American muralists
Federal Art Project artists
National Endowment for the Arts Fellows
School of Visual Arts faculty
University of California, Berkeley College of Letters and Science faculty
Section of Painting and Sculpture artists
20th-century American male artists