NEW YORK SCHOOL
ART GALLERY
Featuring the passionate artwork of Michael (Corinne) West (1908 - 1991) Abstract Expressionist woman painter; Norman Carton; Arthur Lidov; Anni Neumann; Ruth Horton; Kurt Graf; Hugo Gnam; Max Schnitzler; William Hopper; Hugo Gnam; John & Miriam Begg; Pennerton West; Posters; Contemporary Outsider Art; and select Art Books.
Michael (Corinne) West. Snowstorm. 1974. Oil on canvas. 75'x 50".
Portrait of Michael West (Corinne West), by Jon Boris, Cincinnati, 1930.
In 1936 Michael West made reference to "The New Art", which was later to be more formally known as Abstract Expressionism. West’s work is experimental and differs in each decade, revealing her honest gift in the Abstract Expressionism movement. She has made an exceptional contribution as one of the early proponents of Abstract Expressionism or Action Painting through her artwork, poetry, and friendships with the many other early members of the New York School.
As you click on the PAINTINGS, BY DECADE link on the top left of the page, you will be brought to another page with more links to each decade of her work. Photographic portraits of the artist are shown in each decade. Illustrated paintings may be enlarged by clicking on titles. Please note the interesting multi-exposure photographic portrait done of West taken by her close artist friend, Richard Pousette-Dart in 1945. The paintings reveal the great influences of Jackson Pollock, Hans Hofmann and Richard Pousette-Dart - but also reveal West’s originality, i.e., Jackson Pollock's "Energy Made Visible" concept was conceived as a new life.
Please continue on by clicking on the CATALOGUES, REFERENCE, & BOOKS link. The art scholar Dore Ashton has written a beautiful essay in one of the exhibition catalogs. There is also a limited edition portfolio of Michael West's poetry and art. Here you will also find a link to many other art books which include Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Jackson Pollock, Richard Pousette-Dart, books by Dore Ashton, books on Gorky like the new one by Hayden Herrera, subjects like Abstract Art, The New York School for sale.
Please note that we are interested in exhibiting West’s work - the world should become aware of such an exciting innovator in 20th century art. Please contact us. There are many possibilities for interesting and educational exhibitions. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
The Gorky Connection
Unpublished photograph 1936 of Arshile Gorky given to Michael West
Pen & ink of West by Arshile Gorky, c. 1936
(on page of 1934 Wadsworth Atheneum Picasso exhibition catalog)
After the end of Arshile Gorky's marriage to Marny George, Gorky met Corinne (birth name) West. West was attending Hans Hofmann's first art classes at the Art Student’s League, NY, after he immigrated to America. The class monitor, Lorenzo Santillo was living in Gorky's Union Square Studio and introduced Gorky to West. Michael West at first refused to meet another "maestro" - Hans Hofmann was all she could take. However, Santillo insisted. She made her way to Gorky’s Union Square Studio where she saw, pinned to the wall and positioned low, his masterpiece drawings, Nightime, Enigma, and Nostalgia. West thought to herself, "Memling done Abstract!" Michael West became the protégé and sweetheart of Arshile Gorky.
All the intelligentsia was there that evening: the Janis's, Schwabachers, Muschenheims, Guggenheims and the Metzger's. Also two artists - Isamu Noguchi and Stuart Davis. Gorky seeing that she was uncomfortable, made her feel at ease with his charm.
From then on they saw each other on and off for years. He also visited Corinne in Rochester where she maintained a studio (she would stay at both locations - her Greenwich Village apartment and Rochester studio).
They were infatuated with each other and art. “The ‘eternal quality – art’ is all we are seeking - leave direction to the directors. This tremendous love of art is where our identities coincided. I came from a long line of Christian ministers - the family name was Westerman. Gorky came from a long line of Russian and Armenian priests. We were both children of God - ingrained, hereditarily speaking. This tremendous sacred feeling for life - or overwhelming feeling (by some considered irrational) was in truth -hysterical holiness. We were humble poets seeking a sensible way to direct our energies. Behind these gigantic energies was a ‘time bomb’ or ‘total apathy’ - opposites, yes. Here was the battleground on which we were to fight out our lives. He, succeeded but was forced to take his own life - I dragged on thru countless grey halls - always ending up contemplating -the beauty of some particular object, in a state of ‘euphoric joy’.”
"Gorky said I had a quality in my work he hadn't seen in anyone else. He also thought my name Corinne - sounded like a debutante's daughter. We both decided on the name Mikael or Michael." *From West's 1977 Notes on Art notebook. Please refer to the new book, Arshile Gorky His Life and Work by Hayden Herrera (Author of Frida). There is a chapter titled Corinne, (Michael Corinne West) which explains their relationship in more detail.
The Notorious Gorky Love Letters
Fascinating, poignant love letters were written to Corinne while she was working at her Rochester Studio. Arshile Gorky couldn't bear to be without her! He visited her -and took the train to Rochester, NY to visit with West. They planned to marry but changed their minds at least 6 times. Thus there were many letters back and forth. Arshile sometimes used the exact phrases that he culled from the Surrealist writer/artist Andre Breton, the sculptor Gaudier Breszka, and others. After seeing her work he said, "Corinne, your work is like no other American painter."
Please see Arshile Gorky by Ethel Schwabacher for an in depth study of the loveletters.
We hope you will communicate with us, buy some West catalogs, paintings, and make inquiries. Please use our guestbook and also email with any questions. Please be aware that this is a work in progress and additions are constantly being made. We safeguard the Michael West archives and hope to communicate and disseminate to the public as much information from them as possible; on the DECADES Link, there is a CHRONOLOGY. On the Books Link there is EXHIBITION INFORMATION and a BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Roberta and Stuart Friedman
libros@optonline.net
(914)245-8829
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