Blue Heron Fine Art Blog

Victor Candell, An American Modernist (1903-1977)

by Jim Puzinas on March 11, 2010

Victor Candell was a New York modernist whose initial preoccupation with explosions, violence and the horrors of the period following World War II led him to develop an dynamic abstract painting style. A number of his works from this period were purchased by the Metropolitan and Whitney museums.

In an interview with Victor Candell conducted by Dorothy Seckler for the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art in Provincetown, Massachusetts September, 1965, Candell remembers that he was invited by Mrs. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum to come into her first group of modern artists. He “was right there right from the beginning when it wasn’t called the WPA Project but it was called the Whitney Project when artists in this country were categorized. They were put into categories, A artist, and B artist, designations of quality. Well, I was much gratified that I was an A.” 1

"Sky Flowers" dated 1962, Oil on canvas. 10" x 11"

His first exhibit at age 43 was at the Brandt Gallery in 1940; dealing predominantly with social realist themes. Like many artists of his day, Candell was influenced by all the newer forms of art that were beginning to emerge in the 1940’s such as that produced by the Expressionists and by artists like Mondrian and Klee. He taught with Max Beckmann and showed regularly with the Grand Central Moderns. Large paintings by Candell were acquired by the Whitney Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These works ushered in Victor Candell’s mature style as a New York modernist whose initial preoccupation with explosions, violence and the horrors of the period following World War II led him to develop a dynamic abstract painting style based on his early ideas of geometric organization of space and Cubism. 2

"Cloudburst" dated 1959, Oil on Canvas. 22" x 20"

In 1958 Candell and Leo Manso started the Provincetown Workshop, a small art school modeled after the Cooper Union that remained in operation for more than twenty years. For many art students of the day, this became a replacement for the recently closed Hans Hofmann School. Summers were now spent in Provincetown depicting the recurrence of seasons and the natural cycle of plant and animal life in his paintings 3.

"Sunset in the City" dated 1958, Oil on Canvas. 22" x 20"

It was in Provincetown, in the late 1950’s, that Candell found his “explosions in nature” 4 and used them as inspirations for many of his bold canvases, such as “Cloudburst”, where Candell portrays the energy released in a downpour as strong alternations of black and white color heightening the contrast between the two and again in “Sunset in the City”, where Candell portrays a searing New York City sunset as bright bands of red, orange, yellow and black against the city background.

Mr. Candell received numerous awards for his art work, including prizes from the Museum of Modern Art and the U.S. Treasury. His paintings are included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, The Whitney Museum, The Corcoran Gallery, The Carnegie Institute, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

1 Dorothy Seckler, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, An Interview with Victor Candell, Sept. 1, 1965, p. 10

2 Seckler, p. 13

3 Seckler, p. 20

4 Seckler, p. 21

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Charles Green Shaw – American Abstract Artist founder

by Jim Puzinas on January 14, 2010

On occassion, our gallery is fortunate enough to acquire several works of a very important American painter. That is the case this month, which features two great works from the artist’s most collected period, the early 1940’s, a period characterized by hard edge abstraction.

As one of the founding members of the American Abstract Artists, a group whose intent was to provide exposure and understanding to the abstract and non-objective world, Charles Green Shaw remains a key figure in the history of American Art.

Born into a wealthy family, Shaw was described as a “wealthy man-about-town, poet and minor novelist” before he began to paint seriously when he was in his 30s. His parents died when he was young, and he was raised by an uncle. He graduated from Yale University and then studied at the Art Students League with Thomas Hart Benton. He also took private lessons from George Luks. Shaw’s work quickly progressed from his still-life studies with Thomas Hart Benton and George Luks to a divergence from cubism, ultimately resulting in pristine forms and ultimate clarity and structure.

He served in World War I and during much of the 1920s, lived in Europe, writing articles for the “New Yorker” and “Smart Set”. Shortly after, he turned to abstract painting and exhibited in important avant-garde shows, including those at the Salons of America, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Corcoran Gallery, American Abstract Artists, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His association with Albert Eugene Gallatin and his prominent Gallery of Living Art from 1935 to 1942 provided a high profile venue to showcase his abstract works to the public. Along with fellow American Abstract Artists founder George L. K. Morris, these three abstract artists were collectively dubbed “the Park Avenue Cubists”, a reference to the group’s wealth and societal connections.

Through writings and exhibitions, the American Abstract Artists group strived to educate the general public about the emergence and intellectual underpinings of abstract art. It was this group that paved the way for broader acceptance of what many believe was the first truly American Art movement, Abstract Expressionism.

Shaw’s work is part of most major collections of American Art, including the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Guggenheim, the Smithsonian Institute, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

credit: Michael Zellman, “300 Years of American Art”, Peter Falk, “Who Was Who in American Art”, Hollis Taggart Galleries.

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Art Colonies of New England at the Florence Griswold Museum

by Jim Puzinas on December 16, 2009

Competition, it seems, is everywhere, especially in the museum business. This year included ever increasing blockbuster single artist shows featuring the titans of the art world. Cezanne at the Philadelphia Museum this past spring, the Kandinsky show currently going on at the Guggenheim. All designed to entertain, educate and increase the ranks of museum membership as well as sales of catalogs and admission tickets. The noble cause of providing cultural education has become big business, the beginnings of which can be traced to the early self promoting efforts of Thomas Hoving, who championed such efforts at the Metropolitan Museum back in the late 1960’s. Mr. Hoving, who passed away, last week, can rest peacefully knowing that he indeed paid a major role in altering how people view and use their museums today.

Rockwell Kent, "Wreck of the D.T. Sheridan", O/C 27"x44", Portland Museum of Art

Art education and appreciation some argue have always been a major underpinning of any modern society. So it is a very good sign that many of us are interested enough to take notice and want to learn more, not only about specific artists, but of the many regional art colonies that provided the camaraderie that inspired them.

Eric Hudson, "Manana", Oil on Canvas 28"x34", Portland Museum of Art

Such an ambitious show was recently assembled as a joint effort of the Portland Museum of Art (ME) and the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. Focused on the art colonies of Cos Cob and Old Lyme in Connecticut and on Monhegan Island and Ogunquit in Maine, Call of the Coast, Art Colonies of New England is currently on exhibit at the Florence Griswold through January 31, 2010.

Highly recommended for art lovers, art collectors, and artists, this show is manageable enough to navigate within an hour, and is very approachable in subject matter. A more than reasonable $8 admission fee gains access to three exhibition halls, each devoted to a different art colony. Presenting works from some of the oldest art colonies in this country, the show traces the development of impressionism in Connecticut and modernism in Maine. Many highly decorated artists like Hassam, Twachtman, Henri, Hopper, Metcalf and Rockwell Kent are presented alongside many equally compelling works by other fine artists of the day.

Edward Hopper's oil on panel "Monhegan Houses, Maine," circa 1916-1919, is part of "Call of the Coast: Art Colonies of New England," at the Portland Museum of Art.

I always judge a show by how many favorites I take notice of, and by that standard, this show is a resounding success. Greeted by Rockwell Kent’s large iconic Wreck of the D.T. Sheridan, the first room houses one of the best Eric Hudson paintings I have ever viewed. Manana is a bold and imposing Monhegan harbor composition that just dominates the room with its interplay of the darkest darks against the lightest lights. Wonderful examples of completely unified paintings are presented in the small works by Edward Hopper Monhegan Houses, Maine and Robert Henri Barnacle on Rocks. Though there are several large scenes by Charles Ebert on display, it was his small Foot of the Cliffs that caught my attention with its vibrant colors and confident brushwork.

Robert Henri, "Barnacle on Rock", Oil on panel 8"x10", Portland Museum of Art

Wonderful modernist pieces by James Fitzgerald and Reuben Tam were pleasant additions, but it was Clarence Chatterton’s mysterious Boating with Oliver, Ogunquit that made its way to the top of my list. Against a loosely painted and cheerful ocean backdrop, Chatterton captures an almost Hopper-like air of mystery, in this tense boating scene. One can almost feel the awkwardness of the situation.

Charles Chatterton, "Boating with Oliver, Ogunquit", O/C 20"x24", Portland Museum of Art

Another bonus, for art collectors, is that works by many artists in this show, like Charles Ebert or Jay Hall Connaway, can still be purchased for reasonable prices at various galleries throughout the country. The only negative was that as broad as the exhibition’s title suggests, the equally important and deserving art colonies of Provincetown and Rockport/Gloucester (Cape Ann) Massachusetts, are not represented in the show, leaving perhaps, something for us to look forward to in the future.

All images are courtesy of the Portland Museum of Art (ME) (PMA)

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Turning the corner in Boston

by Jim Puzinas on November 18, 2009

The Boston International Fine Art Show wrapped up after a four day exhibition put on by some of the finest art galleries in the country. Although I don’t have confirmation of final attendance levels from the show producer Fuscso and Four, energy and interest levels were higher than previous years. Has this show confirmed the building evidence that a recovery in the art market has finally begun? The answer is, yes !

Blue Heron Fine Art traditional booth at BIFAS 2009

Blue Heron Fine Art diplayed a traditional booth at BIFAS 2009

Blue Heron Fine Art's modern booth at BIFAS 2009

Blue Heron Fine Art also had a modern booth at BIFAS 2009

Let’s start with the preview party. This is the evening when the show producer partners with a local organization to raise money and awareness for that cause. Each year brings a different charity and the people attending are usually more interested in supporting that effort than in purchasing artwork. This year it was different. The preview party crowd was augmented with a number of serious Boston collectors who made a number of purchases throughout the evening. At least six five figure works were sold by galleries that night, including one from our gallery which went to a seasoned collector of Cape Ann works.

Shelley Brown of Blue Heron Fine Art and Domonic Boreffi of Addison Gallery share a moment before the opening.

Famed contemporary artist Sergio Roffo visits with Shelley and a few of his works in our gallery booth.

Friday the crowd continued steady throughout the day and ran right into New Collectors Night. Sales were good for some, and great for a few. Vose Galleries of Boston sold a Maxfield Parrish and an Edward Potthast painting with several other paintings put on reserve. Marine Arts Gallery of Salem sold an expensive painting by contemporary artist Richard Loud along with several other nice works. Although we sold nothing more on Friday, it was clear to me that collectors with real money to spend, ie over $10,000 , were back in the hunt. By contrast, most contemporary dealers sold fewer pieces than in previous years.

Saturday’s rainy weather did not deter the crowds from returning. Additional sales were made over the weekend by traditional dealers such as our gallery as well as many of the contemporary galleries. Addison Galleries of Cape Cod did particulary well on Sunday as did new exhibitor and show neighbor EA Fine Art.

Shelley and I at the close of the Show on Sunday.

By the time the show ended, most everyone had sold something, many had several sales, and one or two galleries did extremely well. This contrasts with the show a year ago, when there were few sales, and no one hit the cover off the ball. Perhaps, we have finally turned the corner….

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Art Market Recovery?

by Jim Puzinas on November 4, 2009

As an art dealer who exhibits at several antique shows over the course of the year, I am often offered a broader perspective on the health of the arts and antiques community. Having not exhibited at any show in the past 6 months, I didn’t know what to expect when I set up my stand at last week’s Hartford Fall Antiques Show. Was the economic uncertainty that pervaded every aspect of the economy this year, still holding collectors back from their purchases? Or had the recent stock market rally and the government rescue efforts been enough to jumpstart the antiques and fine art business?

Blue Heron Fine Art at the 2009 Hartford Fall Antiques Show

Attendance was steady, but light on Saturday. Excuses given were the weather, 70 degrees and sunny, Halloween, most couples with children had to get ready by 2pm, the economy, and yes, even the fear of contracting the H1N1 virus. The real test would be on Sunday.

I was pleasantly surprised! Attendance on Sunday, was much stronger with many of our regular collectors coming out to be tempted. Two lovely paintings found homes, a lovely impressionistic landscape by J. J. Enneking and a colorful and bold work by Harriet Randall Lumis. We reconnected with old clients, established a new one, and met many new friends who were eager to learn more about our fine art offerings. A nice surprise was actually meeting a “fan” of the gallery from the social networking site Facebook, who took the time out of her day to come in and see what all the fuss was about!

Paintings sold at the Hartford show by John Joseph Enneking, "The Pasture" (above) and Harriet Randall Lumis, "The Red Cottage" (right).

Although we chose to only bring traditional paintings to this venue, demand for modernist pieces was evident with a particularly beautiful Irene Rice Pereira work being offered by one exhibitor that went out on approval on Sunday. This modernist trend has been underfoot in the art market over the last several years, as many younger, and several older collectors expand their American collections to include paintings from the 1940’s and into the 1960’s. Additional evidence of this was seen last week at Shannon’s Auction House in Greenwich, CT where modernist works by Rolph Scarlett traded at 2 or 3 times their high estimate.

To be fair, although the show was a solid one for the gallery, it still was not at the same level as many of the Spring shows that we exhibit at in this building. Should the economy hold together and strengthen from here, I can only see additional demand building for the art market. I am off to exhibit at the prestigious Boston International Fine Art Show next week with a mix of traditional and modernist pieces. Hopefully, we can build on the success of last weekend. Would it be too early to say that perhaps the art market is back?

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Damien Hirst’s New Hemline

by Jim Puzinas on October 21, 2009

Economists have long noted that women’s skirt hemlines rise and fall as economic conditions change. Hemlines tend to rise in good times, and fall in bad. With this thought in mind, I wonder whether the recent works by Damien Hirst marks the passing of an era or just the new reality of the world’s current economic climate.

Damien Hirst, best known for his disturbing creations of dead sharks and sheep suspended in formaldahyde and his morbid £50 million diamond encrusted skull, has apparently decided to return to painting as his preferred medium. This comes after years of designing conceptual pieces that were executed by his staff in an almost factory-like setting more akin to the fashion industry than the traditional craft of painting.

The Kingdom, a tiger shark in formaldehyde, by Hirst sold at Sotheby's London for $17 million in 2008

Some have come to believe that Damien Hirst’s conceptual pieces were symbolic of an era in which many young British artists had come of age in the 1990’s, in what was loosely termed the Young British Artists group. Noted for their installation art whose appeal was more shock value than beauty, many critics, had scratched their head and wondered whether this was art at all.

Has that era come to an end now that Hirst has abandoned the creation of such pieces and retreated back to painting? Or perhaps, does Hirst believe that he can more easily sell paintings during these challenging economic times than his elaborate conceptual assemblages?

Artist Damien Hirst stands in The Wallace Collection at his “No Love Lost, Blue Paintings” by Damien Hirst exhibition on October 13, 2009 in London. The collection comprised of 25 new paintings by British artist Hirst is being shown in the UK for the first time. The new works, created between 2006 and 2008 mark the artist’s return to the solitary practice of painting. Source Getty Images.

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Changes in Art Shows Offer New Opportunities

by Jim Puzinas on October 7, 2009

We are presently finalizing our exhibition schedule for many of the fine art and antique shows that our gallery participates in around the country. If ever there was a difficult year, this one was a whopper. Leading antique shows like the Ellis in Boston and the USArtists Show in Philadelphia, one of our favorites, are not taking place this year. The Ellis Show may never come back , while the USArtists Show is skipping this year while it retools it exhibition space and moves the show to the Hamilton Building at the Pennsylvania Academy for late September, 2010. The USArtists Show is one of the few all American art fairs held in this country, its major beneficiary being the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. We feel priviledged to be included as exhibitors.

USArtists Fine Art Show, Philadelphia October,2008

Some shows like the Autumn Hartford Antique Show being held October 31 – November 1, have changed promoters. Barnstar Productions is taking over the Fall Show in Hartford, CT from Linda Turner who used to run it in the past. This venue will be a mixed show of 100 art and antique dealers from around the country. A number of our clients are already excited that we will be exhibitors at this show. There should be lots of energy and many new offerings.

One show that continues to attract a diverse and high end dealer list is the Boston International Fine Art Show at the Cyclorama in Boston, November 12-15th. Billed as “New England’s Premier Show and Sale of Contemporary and Traditional Fine Art” the show will feature 40 outstanding galleries from the United States, Europe and Canada. This will be the 6th consecutive year that Blue Heron Fine Art has participated in this outstanding show. Complimentary passes will be available on a limited basis.

A new addition to our 2010 schedule is the Palm Beach Jewelry and Antique Show held in Palm Beach, FL over the President’s Day Weekend, February 12th – 16th, 2010. If you are in the area this winter, this show is an event not to miss. Attendance records in the past have been made, with over 50,000 visitors making the trek to this show each year. Close to 200 of the top US and international dealers will be on exhibit at this show. We are exited to be participating and look forward to catching up with many of our clients who plan on attending.

Further information on any of our shows is available on our website.

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Jay Hall Connaway, American Impressionist.

by Jim Puzinas on September 23, 2009

A major exibit of 39 works by Jay Hall Connaway is currently on view at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine. Opened on September 19 and running through December 6th, this is the first major museum exhibition of the artist’s work since his death in 1970.

Our gallery has sold many works by Connaway over the years, so it pleases us greatly to see an artist we recognized early on as an overlooked and undervalued artist finally get his due respect with a wonderful show by an established museum.

It has been my experience that once a major exhibit of a deceased artist is held, dealers and collectors are better able to judge the relevance of that particular artist, fueling demand for more of his work and consequently driving prices up. Once the word is out, this may hold true for the paintings of Jay Hall Connaway.

"Monhegan Dock, Fall 1968", Oil on canvasboard 18" x 24"

A bold and colorful example of the style of impressionism Connaway employed can be seen in a lovely oil on board currently for sale in our gallery. Entitled “Monhegan Dock, Fall, 1968″, this painting, through its semi-abstract use of the figure on the left, captures the familiar town landing dock as though a light breeze was sweeping over it. This painting reflects the strong conviction of a mature artist, at the top of his game.

Works like this make attractive additions to any collection of American paintings and should attract much more of a following now that the word is out!

Jay Hall Connaway’s works are held in the PERMANENT COLLECTIONS of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, ME, the New Haven Paint and Clay Club, New Haven, CT and the Middlebury College Museum of Art, Middlebury, VT, among others.

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Condition, condition, condition.

by Jim Puzinas on September 16, 2009

As an art dealer, I look at a number of paintings each week. Recently, I was reminded of how important condition is to the value of a painting. It sounded like a nice painting by a well known early 20th century American impressionist. In the same family since 1923. Original frame, original bill of sale, etc. Upon visual inspection, however, a different picture emerged. A fair amount of previous restoration had taken place and a number of areas had been filled and painted over. As disappointed as I was, it just wasn’t good enough to offer to my clients.

What does condition mean? Condition of a painting refers to any and all changes to a painting that have occurred since the artist finished the work. Most common condition issues involve paintings that have been previously “cleaned” to remove their old layer of yellowed and dirty varnish. Often times an overzealous or inexperienced person who has cleaned the painting may have damaged the surface of the paint or cut into one of several glazes the artist may have used. This leaves a painting that is usually described as “overcleaned “, resulting in thin areas that expose canvas weave or missing paint. One 19th century painting I reviewed had so much glazing and paint removed from the sky that the clouds which had been intially sketched in pencil by the artist before he applied his first brushstroke were evident to the naked eye. An overcleaned painting affects value dramatically,sometimes eliminating the work entirely from consideration by most serious dealers.

Other common condition issues result from improper storage or physical damage. Holes develop from a puncture of some sort, cracks usually from an improperly stretched or loose canvas. Flaking can be an indication of moisture damage or improper hanging or storage. Depending on the location and their severity, holes, cracks, flaking etc valuation is affected.

If the painting has lost enough canvas support to lie flat, another support structure, usually in the form of an additional piece of canvas, is affixed to the back of the original. This is called a “lining” of the painting. Although this does affect the value and desirability of the painting to many dealers and some collectors, if done well, a lining need not eliminate the painting entirely from consideration. Interestingly enough, I know of many dealers who want to find a painting in original “unlined” condition, only to have the painting “lined” by their conservator afterward, calling into question as to just how much value is lost for a painting in lined condition.

Assuming that older paintings from the 19th century would have more condition issues associated with them than paintings of the mid 20th century, would be a good presumption. However artist preparation and materials used in many mid 20th century paintings, have led to numerous and significant condition problems with paintings less than fifty years old!

Condition is to a painting as location is to real estate. Buying a painting in poor condition is like buying a nice home in the wrong neighborhood. If you want to preserve your investment, you should remember the mantra, “Condition, condition, condition!”

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Atmospheres 2009

by Jim Puzinas on September 9, 2009

With summer drawing to a close, I thought I would share some images taken from my home of weather, sky and clouds.

Nature can be mesmerizing, and before we slip back into the more serious business of fall, take a moment and look to the heavens for inspiration and peace.