Al Held Paris to New York 1952 1959 at KARG and CHEIM & READ and Panel Discussion

Al Held Paris to New York 1952-1959 at KARG and CHEIM & READ and Panel Discussion
James Kalm has watched the development of Al Held’s (1928-2005) work since arriving in New York in the late 1970s. At that point, Held was already an acknowledged master, with his signature black and white isometric geometry paintings having become icons of Post Pop Abstraction. As a confirmed art history nerd, your correspondent always wanted to know more about the back stories of, and the influences that had set the stage for the reception and production of contemporary paintings. With this interest, whenever examples of early or ancillary work were shown, he’d make a point of checking it out.
This two gallery show focuses on the works that mark Held’s arrival at maturity as an artist, and the beginnings of his evolution both stylistically and technically into one of America’s premier abstract painters. “The Paris Paintings” at Karg Gallery are brooding dark works with flickers of white bisecting the compositions horizontally produced while the artist was studying abroad on the GI Bill. Three years later when Held returned to New York, the artist begins intensifying his palette, expanding his scale, and lengthening his stroke. These pieces are richly material, and observers can see the arch of development that leads to the “Alphabet Paintings” signaling the emergence of Color Field Painting.
The May 30th panel discussion was moderated by David Cohen and features: Matthew Israel (who wrote the catalogue essay), and two painters, Keltie Ferris and Nathlie Provosty. This program was recorded May 11, May 30, and June 1, 2018.
The below links are examples of other phases of Held’s work available at the Kalm Report.
Al Held: Alphabet Paintings 1961-1967 at CHEIM & READ
• Al Held: Alphabet Pain...
Al Held Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Al Held Room at the Me...
David Row, Al Held, Amy Sillman March 2016
• David Row, Al Held, Am...

[@samradja5275]

Brilliant piece of art... Thanks so much

[@mylovelycatbetty]

I love his early works done in Paris, very paintery I could smell the pigments even many decades ago.

[@thirdrockjul2224]

Thank you Kate.

[@vandolmatzis8146]

Wow I never realized Al Held was so prolific,The work is sublime,cannot thank you enough

[@PeterTiminsky]

You're always putting out quality content, thank you James!

[@sherrietheobald3399]

I keep hoping you’ll mention Marca-Relli as you talk about this time period in New York. Thanks for the great closeups and angles. It’s fascinating to see the thickness and shapes of the paint.

[@chezceleste]

Thank you Kate

[@rosevan5485]

Thank you very much for your videos. As an artist I truly appreciate your time and effort. Cheers from Quebec , Canada. Now a subscriber !

[@johnsandy9048]

A lot of food for thought James. Thank you very much.

[@thesmellis]

love the attention to paintings as objects, and of course the context commentary. carry on bikeman.

[@robingrant1965]

Thank you Loren! I look forward to watching your videos! Please hurry up and make the next one! I watch them while I paint!!!

[@jameskalm]

Yeah Robin, thanks for your enthusiasm, but I gotta try and make some paintings too...(so it'll be a day or two before the next episode.) Sorry.

[@ytnnp]

Very excited to have been introduced to Al Helds work, thank you!

[@stchoukine]

thank you to show us, such fantastic artists!

[@superfly2449]

Thanks for filling this one of many gaps in my awareness. This is some muscular paint.

[@femkekuiling9972]

These are great, thanks.

[@limkhekie5128]

So good

[@reaganwiles_art]

Awesome

[@johnsteinman4462]

WOW, Fantastic paintings, I really feel all that paint, amazed at the weight.

[@richardmcellistremartist8298]

Thank you for sharing

[@vmacart]

thanks james. thanks kate.

[@artboy2]

not yet to the panel discussion but I am just amazed at these paintings. I wonder if some of the puckering was intentional and a result of using some kind of oil skin process he developed?

[@robertspies4695]

Great paintings.. A real treat. Nice camera work and lighting so the surfaces are really visible. Discussion is hard to listen to because of the reverberations.

[@RiverLewis]

Nice camera work buddy, I get the impression all the vaults are opening lately to make hay, do you think so? Gorgeous paintings, absolutely gorgeous.

[@jameskalm]

I don't know about making hay, but the Held Foundation has been working hard to got Al's work more well known, and appreciated. Still, I asked about the pricing, and when a Basquiat has gone for over 100 mil, these works are still reasonable.

[@johnsandy9048]

Thank you James for your excellent overview of Al Held’s Paris to New York work and the follow on panel discussion. Please allow a digression. What makes a painting a good work of art? I’ve been looking at and studying art for over forty years and I continue to marvel at what constitutes quality art. A George Condo painting recently sold at auction for over $6 million and collectors are clamoring for more. While he’s a talented draftsman, I find his work to be a cheap knock off of Picasso. Back to the panel, you ascribe Nathlie Provosty as a hot young artist. Indeed, she is the recipient of numerous awards and residencies and has acquired a growing following. I wish her much continued success. However, I find her monochromatic scales of color visually less exciting than I do the works of Keltie Ferris. Good art does not have anything to do with looking “pretty.” To me, it’s about how the artist moves the viewer’s eye throughout the piece and what the artist is conveying. Someone may like a George Condo, but does it raise it to the level of good art? I realize each person is different; what may be amazing or moving to one person may not be to another.

[@jameskalm]

You raise some very interesting and problematic questions here. I don't have the time, or space to go into these issues in any kind of depth, but regarding the question "what constitutes quality art?" there are several theories you might want to consider, here are a few: 1. The Kantian notion of the "disinterested observer" and the levels of perception that denote the "Beautiful and the Sublime". 2. "The Romantic" (communication/expression) wherein the artist is trying to express their emotions or feelings. 3. "The Institutional Theory" (the market, museums, galleries, critics, publications, etc.) representing those organized parts of the "art world" who profess to know what is "quality" and the people who relay on their judgement... These are overly simplified examples but there are dozens of 500 page books that barely scratch the surface of these questions. Also. you might want to take a peak at some of my work on the subject at www.lorenmunk.com, check out the "Ontology of Art" section at the portfolio menu window. plus.google.com/u/0/photos/photo/100809922171222046192/6426023063718454658?icm=false&iso=true

[@martingeorge7705]

would love to see a #jameskalm of Cliche at Almine Rech !

[@KM-mv1ho]

OMG this is art mini series

[@jameskalm]

Yes, the New York Art trip, touring the scene, and some of the other stuff that's happening here, thanks for responding...

[@cliffdariff74]

Those chunky paintings look as if the paint was applied with small pieces cardboard or similar object. What you think, painted vert or horizontal??

[@jameskalm]

Thanks for your inquiry, my guess is that they were painted vertical,with a pallet knife.

[@cliffdariff74]

@@jameskalm thanks JK!... Referring to the pigment paintings, reason I think a piece of small cardboard because each color looks like one large flat "smear" 😀 , a pallet knife might be more sticatto. But I love those paintings! Thanks again for all ur vids, I've learned tons over the years, from the West coast.

[@reaganwiles_art]

HELP WANTED - Painters out there: Where can I get a really heavy opaque black ink?

[@jhb61249]

One of my heroes for sure. But I was not so happy to see his later works of black and white and multicolored monumental stuff. It just can not get better than these multi colored pieces here, but with the black and white, the White is a distraction to me. I luv Jim Dine, but it appears to me that in his latest abstract paintings, he is mimicking Am Held work here. These second group of Held paintings are wonderful. I don't see why they don't mount these on board?

[@kareymaurice3236]

OK, at 1:10 minutes I got completely lost? I believe the question was where do you see abstraction today between say a Jackson Pollock and at the other end of the spectrum a Mondrian? Huh what was the question my phone is ringing.... way to young to be discussing Al Held. Maybe BANSKY or Mr. Brainwash?

[@davidmayhew4818]

Does anyone really care? Trop. Can't you just say idea?

[@cliffdariff74]

Umm...I believe it's spelled TROPE.

[@mayormc]

I always liked Al Held but have never seen any of this early work. Very interesting indeed. Nice to have this chance to see it.