203 Fine Art exhibits 'San Francisco to Taos'

In the weariness that followed World War II, an art movement known as “abstract expressionism” slowly gained its foothold in the American psyche.

It’s not surprising that many of the accomplished artists identified with this genre were returning veterans who studied at the most prestigious art schools under the GI Bill.

Many had already pursued art as a vocation before being inducted into military service, but others were freshmen. What they most likely had in common was a fractured complacency with which they wrestled in the studio.

Much like its Beat counterparts in literature and music, abstract expressionism initially confounded and defied description. It grew up in a cultural climate that had weathered the Great Depression only to be catapulted into a global conflict. Now in its young adulthood, it represented a radical attempt at interpreting and understanding the new order. No one could have expected such an avant-garde movement to resonate so profoundly across the country’s art scene from New York to California, but it did.

Friday (Jan. 27), 203 Fine Art will premiere “San Francisco to Taos,” an exhibition dedicated to the works of prominent artists both representing the finest of the Bay Area abstract expressionists and honoring their place in the era of the Taos moderns. The artists whose paintings are hanging in the show have international name recognition, but are particularly revered by Taoseños: Lawrence Calcagno, Edward Corbett, Lilly Fenichel, Charles Strong and Clay Spohn.

The exhibit will hang until March 5 in 203 Fine Art’s new location at 1335 Gusdorf Road, Suite I, and can seen by appointment. This is the first major reveal of the gallery’s new model: a move away from the traditional gallery paradigm toward that of a showroom. Co-owner Eric Andrews believes the move will enhance a viewer’s experience, making it more customized and personal.

Andrews said, “The purpose of this exhibit, showcasing these specific artists, is to explore the significant level of talented artists Taos has attracted and, in this particular case, all artists considered to be part of the San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism. So visitors will really be able to delve into the story behind each artist and have a special understanding of the movement.”

Andrews and partner Shaun Richel noted they will also be hosting a public reception on Feb. 18, from 5-7 p.m., to which everyone is invited.

Before sharing a Taos connection, the common thread between the five featured artists was their affiliation with the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA) in San Francisco, arguably the West Coast epicenter of abstract expressionism. After World War II, the school boasted a teaching staff that included such eminent artists as Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko and Richard Diebenkorn. Both Edward Corbett and Clay Spohn were on the faculty under which Lawrence Calcagno and Lilly Fenichel studied. Charles Strong began studies at CSFA beginning in 1959 and, though later than the others, is credited by Susan Landauer as one of the last artists to carry the abstract expressionist torch. Landauer notes this in her book, “The San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism.” From those days, relationships and affiliations would develop among the five that continued to define their careers long past the CSFA years.

Perhaps the most renowned of the group was Corbett, whose painting titled “Washington, D.C. November 1963 III” was selected by President Barack Obama to hang in the president’s private living quarters. But decades before the posthumous distinction, Corbett had made a name for himself as an abstract expressionist selected for the Museum of Modern Art’s 1952 exhibition “15 Americans,” where his Taos works hung with those of Jackson Pollock and former colleagues Rothko and Still. As with the others who migrated to Taos, he both eschewed the sentimental representation of his adopted home while being unable to deny its impact upon his art, which was rich with depth and dimension.

Corbett was frequently in the company of Spohn, who moved here in 1951 and developed a predilection for the Southwest that kept him in Taos for six years. Though Spohn was underappreciated until after his death, his visionary oil paintings from this period reflected the compelling impact the landscape had upon him, its changing colors frequently also used in his nonfigurative work.

Calcagno first came to Taos on a quest to discover the grave of D.H. Lawrence. While here, he visited Spohn in 1957, but wouldn’t return for 15 years, when he was awarded a Wurlitzer Foundation residency. His passion for New Mexico influenced the direction of his metaphorical abstractions perhaps more than the others. Until his death, he split his time between Taos and New York City.

In 1951, Fenichel’s introduction to Taos came with a visit to Corbett, under whom she had studied. While here, she was befriended by Louis Ribak and Bea Mandelman, who, like her, were European Jews who escaped the Nazi regime. She traveled with them between New York and Taos, but stayed here at one point to explore abstract expressionism work with Spohn. After living in Ranchos de Taos in the 1980s, she moved to Albuquerque and continued until her death to produce art that reflected her evolving minimalist approach.

There isn’t a Taoseño who is unfamiliar with the name of Charles Strong – as much for his prolific catalog of powerfully pure abstract works as for his beloved and ubiquitous presence in the community’s art scene. Patron, philanthropist and activist, Strong achieved a rare status in a town brimming with talent. This exhibit is an opportunity for his achievements to be revisited by an appreciative audience, as Andrews – representative of the Strong estate – noted.

Andrews said, “Shaun and I are available at your convenience to introduce you to this spectacular show, to guide you through the interweaving stories and to help you appreciate the role of the modernists in taking up the baton of the romantics and keeping the artistic energy of Taos alive.”

“San Francisco to Taos” is the first in an ongoing series at 203 Fine Art celebrating “Legends of Taos.” To schedule a visit at 203 Fine Art, call (575) 751-1262 or visit 203FineArt.com.