THE PAINTERS OF SORROW. Cont'd.
Arshile Gorky
The
war in the forties created a new wave of patriotic artists concerned with the
struggles of the day and war events. Nourished by slogans, news from the
front, waging bloody battles, fear and deep national patriotic sentiment, a
great number of artists emerged from all walks of life and social classes. The
necessity and national pride created a new genre of artists such as Gorky,
Zardaryan, Yesayan, Issabekyan, Aslamazyan, Arakelyan, Abeghyan, Melikyan,
Yakulov, Kochar and the great Kevork Grigorrian. Between 1949 and the early
sixties, another wave of highly expressive Armenian artists hit the shore of
creativity and anchored Armenian names on the pier of excellence and
immortality! Names like Galentz, Gharibian, Konturajian, Minas
Avetisian, Hakob Hakobyan, Grigor Khandjyan, Roudolf Khachatrian, Gevorg
Bashinjagyan and Pedros
Malayan.The
newest Armenian artistic mastery on the international scene reached its
highest level with international famous Armenian artists such as Arshile
Gorky (American-Armenian, 1904-1948) knows also as Vostanik-Manuk Adoyan, one
of the most famous contemporary artists, the founder of Abstract Surrealism.
Gorky was described by the French poet and writer Andre Breton as the most
important painter in American history. Gorky was born in the
village
of Khorgom, the western region of Armenia on the banks of Lake Van in the
province of Van. facing the island of Aghtamar. He witnessed and endured the
Armenian Golgotha, the horror, atrocities, famine, starvation and the
massacres of the Genocide. On February 26, 1915, he escaped Turkish atrocities
and massacres by fleeing to Armenia’s Capital Yerevan, where his mother,
relatives and friends died of famine. Gorky made an integral analysis of the
art of ancient societies and civilizations, including the Armenian heritage
and history. As such, he passed through all the phases and periods of
comparative art and particularly modern art until his continuous efforts
crystallized in and landed him in his own personal genre and characteristic
style.
- The Museum of Contemporary Art of Los Angeles (MOCA)
- The Washington University Gallery of Art