Ardent Nature

‘Ardent Nature: Arshile Gorky Landscapes, 1943 – 1947’ is the first exhibition catalog to explore nature’s central role in establishing the singular voice of the pioneering figure in Abstract Expressionism. In the early 1940s, Gorky turned to nature as a primary subject matter, inspired by his summers spent in Connecticut and rural Virginia. The resulting works from this career-defining period, filled with a bold use of color, line, and composition, and infused with an explosive expressive freedom, are some of the most evocative works of Gorky’s career. Featuring over fifty landscapes, including paintings and works on paper, from this period, the book opens with a personal foreword from the artist’s granddaughter (and the show’s curator). The book continues an essay from Edith Devaney, curator of the ‘Abstract Expressionism’ show (2016) at the Royal Academy of Art in London, which traces the development of the Armenian-American artist’s passion and instinct for art along the arc of his career, highlighting key links to Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism. This publication was released on the occasion of the inaugural exhibition of the work of Arshile Gorky at Hauser & Wirth New York, 69th Street from 2 November to 23 December 2017.