History of the Alliance of Figurative Artists
Man: I’ve never been here before. I think the most remarkable thing about this whole thing is to get this many artists together in this day and age and no one says that painting is dead. Its just absolutely fantastic. That’s the nicest sign. That’s the nicest thing about it.
Paul Georges: We passed that long ago.
Man: I noticed that. I kept waiting for somebody to jump up and say, you know, it’s dead.
Gabriel Laderman: We’ve weeded out those.
Alliance of Figurative Artists panel of April 10, 1970
In this blog I will be writing a history of the Figurative Artists Alliance which was active in New York City throughout the 1970’s. I would like to make it an ongoing process where I can include facts and ideas from others as they are e mailed to me. Because others who were there will have facts I do not have and will also have a perspective I do not have and others who were never there will have yet another perspective which will offer other insights.
***
In the ‘60’s artists who painted or sculpted in a representational non pop manner whether directly from life, or in a less direct way, felt themselves to be very much on the outs. Abstraction, principally Abstract Expressionism, and to a lesser extent Pop Art, was king. In response to this situation a group of artists formed to “discuss the prospects, you might say, for figurative art” to quote Richard Miller’s statement of 1970
The first of these meetings was in February 1969. It was launched when a few artists secured a loft to meet in and then telephoned around. The response was greater than anticipated and the loft was very full. Many of what might be called the new generation figurative artists were there (who were mostly in their 40’s) as well as younger figurative artists (in their 20’s). The second meeting was held in Alfred Leslie’s loft. During the first weeks small organizing meetings were also held at other artists’ studios and apartments. The third meeting was also held in Alfred Leslie’s loft. Leslie did not wish to host any more meetings however, so new place was found- The Educational Alliance on East Broadway. This helped the search for the name- it would now be called The Alliance or The Figurative Artists Alliance. The space was an institutional low ceilinged room about 25’ by 80’. The walls were enameled cinder block. There were high attic type windows on one long side out of which street noises came in warm weather. A modest fee was charged on entering which went to the Educational Alliance. There was no restriction on who could come in.
A generally agreed upon format was “wherein at the first of each month we’d have a speaker, the second week we’d have a panel, the third week we’d bring in work, and on each successive month we’d bring in different kinds of work and the forth meeting of each month was sort of open for various kinds of formats” to quote Richard Miller.
The Alliance quickly became more than just a place to discuss the “prospects” of figurative art- it became a place to fight over the direction of figurative art. In the ‘70’s, artists were much less likely than today to say ‘oh well, art can go in many different ways and they are all valid’. Perhaps this partisan attitude was more common with figurative painters. In any event the Alliance artists usually thought their direction was the right one and the other, wrong, directions held by the other figurative painters in the group should be corrected. So the artists argued. In 1970 Miller referred to a recent “outburst” of “bad feeling” but thought hopefully that moderation and tolerance was developing and growing. But some arguing always remained. In the mid ‘70’s for instance, Myron Heise, who had been elected to be in charge of the program that year, informed the group that as the speakers were being so abused he would no longer schedule any, that it would just be a discussion among who came.
The Alliance was made up of groups or camps- different approaches to figurative art. Miller referred to the disagreement between the “brushy and non-brushy” painters. Later, Philip Pearlstein saw it as the “heads vs. the guts” and Marjorie Portnow as “Wets vs. drys” ...
I break off my post here, earlier than I had originally planned, because I want to get it out for possible comment. If nothing else I have at least clarified when the Alliance started. My next pages will be on the different camps or factions, the people who came, their styles, the ideas discussed and so on.
Sources
AAA refers to the Archives of American Art. Richard Miller gave them tapes of meetings in the early ‘70s. Some of them have been transcribed. They are available from the Archives. Other sources are interviews, other tapes of Alliance meetings not held by the AAA (thanks to Lloyd Glasson), my memory and others sources as noted.
Notes
First meeting-Miller, AAA 11/12/’70
A few artists- Larry Faden and Paul Georges made the calls. Faden and Howard Kalish evolved the idea together one night while working at their job unloading fruit at the docks. Interview- Faden, Kalish.
Response greater - Thurston memory and Miller, AAA 11/12/’70 (“about 125 or 150 people at the meeting” -Miller AAA
Loft- Charles Mashwitz- Miller AAA 11/12/’70
Artists names noted by Miller AAA 11/12/’70 - first meeting- Georges, Laderman, Miller, Bell, Leslie (in their 40’s), Faden, Siani, Kalish and Thurston (in their 20’s) also Kaldis (70 years old), Spaventa, R. Pollack, Silberman; at second meeting also add- Tillim, Pearlstein, Cajori
Artists listed by Miller AAA 11/12/’70 at outside organizing meetings are Georges, Leslie, Laderman, Resika, Andrejevic, Siani, Thurston, Kalish and Miller.
Other artists’ lofts and apartments: Leslie (Miller AAA 11/12/’70), Laderman and Resika (Thurston memory)
Third meeting panel- Thurston, Chiriani, Santouso, G. Fairchild- Miller AAA 11/12/’70
New place found- by Richard Piccolo- Faden, Miller
Helped the search for the name; Alfred Leslie proposed using the word Academy in the name. Kalish, interview
Abe and Esther Eisenfield were the Educational Alliance representatives who collected the money. ST
Format - Miller AAA 11/12/’70 p13
Thought their direction was the right one ‘Now you can’t imagine you have the truth’ perhaps because with post modernism there is no longer the idea of fixed truth. Altoon Sultan interview in 2007.
Different approaches to figurative art: The figurative coops which were started just after the Alliance also had camps: The First Street Gallery showing tighter painting and the Bowery Gallery showing looser painting.
Would no longer schedule any speakers. Peter Heinemann and Paul Georges were angry at this decision. The ban on speakers did not last too long. Myron Heise interview
“outburst” of “bad feeling” Miller AAA 11/12/’70
brushy and non-brushy Miller AAA 11/12/’70
Heads vs. the guts - interview and statement at miller symposium, 2007
“Wets vs. drys” Portnow, interview
History of the Alliance of Figurative Artists
Man: I’ve never been here before. I think the most remarkable thing about this whole thing is to get this many artists together in this day and age and no one says that painting is dead. Its just absolutely fantastic. That’s the nicest sign. That’s the nicest thing about it.
Paul Georges: We passed that long ago.
Man: I noticed that. I kept waiting for somebody to jump up and say, you know, it’s dead.
Gabriel Laderman: We’ve weeded out those.
Alliance of Figurative Artists panel of April 10, 1970
In this blog I will be writing a history of the Figurative Artists Alliance which was active in New York City throughout the 1970’s. I would like to make it an ongoing process where I can include facts and ideas from others as they are e mailed to me. Because others who were there will have facts I do not have and will also have a perspective I do not have and others who were never there will have yet another perspective which will offer other insights.
***
In the ‘60’s artists who painted or sculpted in a representational non pop manner whether directly from life, or in a less direct way, felt themselves to be very much on the outs. Abstraction, principally Abstract Expressionism, and to a lesser extent Pop Art, was king. In response to this situation a group of artists formed to “discuss the prospects, you might say, for figurative art” to quote Richard Miller’s statement of 1970
The first of these meetings was in February 1969. It was launched when a few artists secured a loft to meet in and then telephoned around. The response was greater than anticipated and the loft was very full. Many of what might be called the new generation figurative artists were there (who were mostly in their 40’s) as well as younger figurative artists (in their 20’s). The second meeting was held in Alfred Leslie’s loft. During the first weeks small organizing meetings were also held at other artists’ studios and apartments. The third meeting was also held in Alfred Leslie’s loft. Leslie did not wish to host any more meetings however, so new place was found- The Educational Alliance on East Broadway. This helped the search for the name- it would now be called The Alliance or The Figurative Artists Alliance. The space was an institutional low ceilinged room about 25’ by 80’. The walls were enameled cinder block. There were high attic type windows on one long side out of which street noises came in warm weather. A modest fee was charged on entering which went to the Educational Alliance. There was no restriction on who could come in.
A generally agreed upon format was “wherein at the first of each month we’d have a speaker, the second week we’d have a panel, the third week we’d bring in work, and on each successive month we’d bring in different kinds of work and the forth meeting of each month was sort of open for various kinds of formats” to quote Richard Miller.
The Alliance quickly became more than just a place to discuss the “prospects” of figurative art- it became a place to fight over the direction of figurative art. In the ‘70’s, artists were much less likely than today to say ‘oh well, art can go in many different ways and they are all valid’. Perhaps this partisan attitude was more common with figurative painters. In any event the Alliance artists usually thought their direction was the right one and the other, wrong, directions held by the other figurative painters in the group should be corrected. So the artists argued. In 1970 Miller referred to a recent “outburst” of “bad feeling” but thought hopefully that moderation and tolerance was developing and growing. But some arguing always remained. In the mid ‘70’s for instance, Myron Heise, who had been elected to be in charge of the program that year, informed the group that as the speakers were being so abused he would no longer schedule any, that it would just be a discussion among who came.
The Alliance was made up of groups or camps- different approaches to figurative art. Miller referred to the disagreement between the “brushy and non-brushy” painters. Later, Philip Pearlstein saw it as the “heads vs. the guts” and Marjorie Portnow as “Wets vs. drys” ...
I break off my post here, earlier than I had originally planned, because I want to get it out for possible comment. If nothing else I have at least clarified when the Alliance started. My next pages will be on the different camps or factions, the people who came, their styles, the ideas discussed and so on.
Sources
AAA refers to the Archives of American Art. Richard Miller gave them tapes of meetings in the early ‘70s. Some of them have been transcribed. They are available from the Archives. Other sources are interviews, other tapes of Alliance meetings not held by the AAA (thanks to Lloyd Glasson), my memory and others sources as noted.
Notes
First meeting-Miller, AAA 11/12/’70
A few artists- Larry Faden and Paul Georges made the calls. Faden and Howard Kalish evolved the idea together one night while working at their job unloading fruit at the docks. Interview- Faden, Kalish.
Response greater - Thurston memory and Miller, AAA 11/12/’70 (“about 125 or 150 people at the meeting” -Miller AAA
Loft- Charles Mashwitz- Miller AAA 11/12/’70
Artists names noted by Miller AAA 11/12/’70 - first meeting- Georges, Laderman, Miller, Bell, Leslie (in their 40’s), Faden, Siani, Kalish and Thurston (in their 20’s) also Kaldis (70 years old), Spaventa, R. Pollack, Silberman; at second meeting also add- Tillim, Pearlstein, Cajori
Artists listed by Miller AAA 11/12/’70 at outside organizing meetings are Georges, Leslie, Laderman, Resika, Andrejevic, Siani, Thurston, Kalish and Miller.
Other artists’ lofts and apartments: Leslie (Miller AAA 11/12/’70), Laderman and Resika (Thurston memory)
Third meeting panel- Thurston, Chiriani, Santouso, G. Fairchild- Miller AAA 11/12/’70
New place found- by Richard Piccolo- Faden, Miller
Helped the search for the name; Alfred Leslie proposed using the word Academy in the name. Kalish, interview
Abe and Esther Eisenfield were the Educational Alliance representatives who collected the money. ST
Format - Miller AAA 11/12/’70 p13
Thought their direction was the right one ‘Now you can’t imagine you have the truth’ perhaps because with post modernism there is no longer the idea of fixed truth. Altoon Sultan interview in 2007.
Different approaches to figurative art: The figurative coops which were started just after the Alliance also had camps: The First Street Gallery showing tighter painting and the Bowery Gallery showing looser painting.
Would no longer schedule any speakers. Peter Heinemann and Paul Georges were angry at this decision. The ban on speakers did not last too long. Myron Heise interview
“outburst” of “bad feeling” Miller AAA 11/12/’70
brushy and non-brushy Miller AAA 11/12/’70
Heads vs. the guts - interview and statement at miller symposium, 2007
“Wets vs. drys” Portnow, interview
Art Notebook
Nine years ago I put out a leaflet titled Art Notebook which had two issues. I asked various artists to submit things they had written about art and I would include them. It could be something from their own notebooks, a poem about art, or any musings. It would be artists’ writing for artists. I thought it worked well. Now, with the internet I think I should try again. How exactly to format it I will have to figure out as we go along. Please post something you have written. It does not need to be in reference to what I have started with- which is musings on the figurative co op galleries.
*****
On the figurative co-ops (Bowery, Blue Mountain, Prince Street, First Street (and Ox Bow - a new addition))
The figurative co-ops have been very consistent over the thirty-five plus years they have been existence. To hold and continue an evolving style that is basically ignored or underground for so long is a feat.
The work could only loosely be called a Style. The most important characteristic or common factor in the work shown there is that they are usually motif based image painting. I think of ‘motif based’, a phrase I have lifted from Gabriel Laderman’s writing in his blog where he writes “ When I use that word I mean artists who both work from the motif, and whose work looks like the motif.” as being distinct from media based images (pop art and pop art derivatives) photography based painting (photo realism) or work so imaginative you suppose there never was a set up, or motif, as with surrealism, fantasy, arcadian or highly allegorical painting.
In addition, also seldom appearing in the co ops, are highly finished or polished paintings, even when done from life. These may be seen by the members as too idealized, as a falsification or as too much of a rote response.
While usually painted in front of the motif the painters often engage in simplification and will often change and exaggerate colors and, less commonly, allow obvious distortions of proportion- but always with the goal of capturing something essential of the motif- something that can only be seen by the artist in front of the motif - that can not be found in the artist away from it. This willingness to alter the image but always with a view to being true to the motif is a heritage of French Modernism- Matisse or Giacometti for example. They might draw a line to Giacometti’s paintings and sculptures - but only the ones he did from life- not the large nudes he did without a model. This link to French Modernism also sets them apart from the more literalist realists.
There are some style directions that were pointed out by the previous generations and that are consistent with motif based painting that show up again and again in the coops- Leland Bell and Lousia Matthiasdottor’s color simplification and plane and placement simplification; Lennart Anderson’s tones and delineation; Cajori and Mercedes Matter’s (and the Studio School generally) structure and the finding of geometric points in space; Gabriel Laderman’s interest in Euclidian geometry and Jane Freilicher’s sensual surface . One direction (and influence) that was in the coops in the beginning (especially the Bowery) and disappeared within ten years was Paul Georges’ expressionistic personal story/allegory.
Sometimes the co op artists are too bound by the motif - repeating the same subjects over and over and by being locked in or restricted to what they can stand in front of or put before themselves. In this they are often more literalist than the previous generations who would often work from imagination or from a photo they could be less beholden to.
That the coop artists are linked to a previous generation does not mean they have not found their own ideas. Sometimes their demand to see the structure of the outside world exceeds their previous generation- as with Stanley Lewis. Sometimes their interest in the immediate is more intense- as with Richard La Presti. Sometimes they abstract or reduce the motif they are in front of more than before- as with Martha Armstrong. Sometimes they do not actually stand in front of a motif- although are related to one- as with Barbara Grosman. And sometimes they do leave the motif formulae I have sketched in here and go elsewhere- as with Deborah Kahn.
Please add.
Sam Thurston
Art Notebook
Nine years ago I put out a leaflet titled Art Notebook which had two issues. I asked various artists to submit things they had written about art and I would include them. It could be something from their own notebooks, a poem about art, or any musings. It would be artists’ writing for artists. I thought it worked well. Now, with the internet I think I should try again. How exactly to format it I will have to figure out as we go along. Please post something you have written. It does not need to be in reference to what I have started with- which is musings on the figurative co op galleries.
*****
On the figurative co-ops (Bowery, Blue Mountain, Prince Street, First Street (and Ox Bow - a new addition))
The figurative co-ops have been very consistent over the thirty-five plus years they have been existence. To hold and continue an evolving style that is basically ignored or underground for so long is a feat.
The work could only loosely be called a Style. The most important characteristic or common factor in the work shown there is that they are usually motif based image painting. I think of ‘motif based’, a phrase I have lifted from Gabriel Laderman’s writing in his blog where he writes “ When I use that word I mean artists who both work from the motif, and whose work looks like the motif.” as being distinct from media based images (pop art and pop art derivatives) photography based painting (photo realism) or work so imaginative you suppose there never was a set up, or motif, as with surrealism, fantasy, arcadian or highly allegorical painting.
In addition, also seldom appearing in the co ops, are highly finished or polished paintings, even when done from life. These may be seen by the members as too idealized, as a falsification or as too much of a rote response.
While usually painted in front of the motif the painters often engage in simplification and will often change and exaggerate colors and, less commonly, allow obvious distortions of proportion- but always with the goal of capturing something essential of the motif- something that can only be seen by the artist in front of the motif - that can not be found in the artist away from it. This willingness to alter the image but always with a view to being true to the motif is a heritage of French Modernism- Matisse or Giacometti for example. They might draw a line to Giacometti’s paintings and sculptures - but only the ones he did from life- not the large nudes he did without a model. This link to French Modernism also sets them apart from the more literalist realists.
There are some style directions that were pointed out by the previous generations and that are consistent with motif based painting that show up again and again in the coops- Leland Bell and Lousia Matthiasdottor’s color simplification and plane and placement simplification; Lennart Anderson’s tones and delineation; Cajori and Mercedes Matter’s (and the Studio School generally) structure and the finding of geometric points in space; Gabriel Laderman’s interest in Euclidian geometry and Jane Freilicher’s sensual surface . One direction (and influence) that was in the coops in the beginning (especially the Bowery) and disappeared within ten years was Paul Georges’ expressionistic personal story/allegory.
Sometimes the co op artists are too bound by the motif - repeating the same subjects over and over and by being locked in or restricted to what they can stand in front of or put before themselves. In this they are often more literalist than the previous generations who would often work from imagination or from a photo they could be less beholden to.
That the coop artists are linked to a previous generation does not mean they have not found their own ideas. Sometimes their demand to see the structure of the outside world exceeds their previous generation- as with Stanley Lewis. Sometimes their interest in the immediate is more intense- as with Richard La Presti. Sometimes they abstract or reduce the motif they are in front of more than before- as with Martha Armstrong. Sometimes they do not actually stand in front of a motif- although are related to one- as with Barbara Grosman. And sometimes they do leave the motif formulae I have sketched in here and go elsewhere- as with Deborah Kahn.
Please add.
Sam Thurston
