borealisarts.myfastforum.org

admin · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:32 am Post subject: Super proud!

I am both proud, and extremely humbled, to have been chosen to show the “witty, imaginative” watercolors of WPA-era artist Harwood Steiger (quotes belong to Emily Genauer of the New York World-Telegram, September 15, 1934). In the name of full disclosure, I am the platonic life-partner of the artist’s great-great uncle, so maybe I had an advantage in getting the nod as the artist’s representing gallery. Nonetheless, we now have his works hanging on the walls of our Tucson, AZ gallery, and I couldn’t be happier.

I am presently sifting through a large pile of newspaper clippings and gallery announcements from 1929 through 1991, and am having an absolute ball piecing back together the life of an artist who was considered part of the modern movement in New York. The Whitney in New York felt his work was worthy of adding to their permanent collection, along with choosing him for their Biennial in the 1930’s. Mr. Steiger was also included in the 1939 Brooklyn Museum Biennial, showing next to such artists as Thomas Hart Benton, Charles Burchfield, Edward Hopper, and Stuart Davis.

I know, name-dropping can be petty and ugly, but it is also very useful in getting a point across; that point being that Harwood Steiger was recognized as having the same quality of composition, vision, and execution exhibited by many of the artists that have come to represent the 1930’s and 40’s in the mind of the current art collector.
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- Nathan