de Kooning: A Retrospective
dal 12/9/2011 al 8/1/2012
Segnalato da
12/9/2011
de Kooning: A Retrospective
The Museum of Modern Art - MoMA, New York
Beginning with his early academic works, made in Holland before he moved to the United States in 1926, and concluding with his final, sparely abstract paintings of the late 1980s. Bringing together more than 200 works from public and private collections, the exhibition is the first to occupy the Museum's entire sixth-floor gallery space. Representing nearly every type of work de Kooning made, in both technique and subject matter, this retrospective includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints.
The Museum of Modern Art presents the first major museum
exhibition devoted to the full scope of the career of Willem de Kooning, widely considered to be
among the most important and prolific artists of the 20th century, from September 18, 2011, to
January 9, 2012. de Kooning: A Retrospective, which will only be seen at MoMA, presents an
unparalleled opportunity to study the artist’s development over nearly seven decades, beginning
with his early academic works, made in Holland before he moved to the United States in 1926,
and concluding with his final, sparely abstract paintings of the late 1980s. Bringing together more
than 200 works from public and private collections, the exhibition is the first to occupy the
Museum’s entire sixth-floor gallery space, totaling approximately 17,000 square feet. The
retrospective is organized by John Elderfield, Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture,
The Museum of Modern Art.
Representing nearly every type of work de Kooning made, in both technique and subject
matter, this retrospective includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints. Among these are
the artist’s most famous, landmark paintings—among them Pink Angels (1945), Excavation
(1950), and the celebrated third Woman series (1950–53)—plus in-depth presentations of all his
most important series, ranging from his figurative paintings of the early 1940s to the
breakthrough black-and-white compositions of 1948–49, and from the urban abstractions of the
mid 1950s to the artist’s return to figuration in the 1960s, and the large gestural abstractions of
the following decade. Also included is de Kooning’s famous yet largely unseen theatrical backdrop,
the 17-foot-square Labyrinth (1946).
The exhibition publication, including extensive new research on and reevaluation of de
Kooning’s long career, will be the most comprehensive book on the artist yet to appear, with an
introduction by John Elderfield and contributions by Jennifer Field, Delphine Huisinga, and Lauren
Mahony, and conservation studies by Jim Coddington and Susan Lake. Public programs, a MoMA
Audio guide, and an interactive website will also accompany the exhibition.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis.
Major support is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Additional generous funding is provided by Anne and Kenneth Griffin, Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation, Inc., Donald L. Bryant, Jr., The Dubin Family, Glenstone, Robert B. Menschel, Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, and Gary and Karen Winnick.
This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Funding for the accompanying publication is provided by The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art and an anonymous donor.
Special thanks to The Willem de Kooning Foundation, New York.
Image caption: Willem de Kooning. Pink Angels. c. 1945. Oil and charcoal on canvas. 52 x 40" (132.1 x 101.6 cm). Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Los Angeles. (C) 2011 The Willem de Kooning Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
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Press Contact: Daniela Stigh, 212-708-9747 or daniela_stigh@moma.org
Margaret Doyle, 212-408-6400 or margaret_doyle@moma.org
Press prewiev Tuesday, September 13, 2011 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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