Helen Gerardia

Helen Gerardia (1903–1988) was a Russian-born American painter.

Helen Gerardia
Helen Gerardia, ca. 1956, photographed by Oliver Baker
Born1903
Ekaterinoslav, Russia
Died1988 (aged 84–85)
NationalityAmerican
Known forPainting

Early life and education

She was born in Ekaterinoslav, Russia in 1903.[1] She immigrated to the United States and studied under Hans Hofmann from 1946–7.[2]

Career

During her career, she painted and also engaged in lithography and etching. She eventually founded the Gerardia Workshop, where she taught a variety of mediums.[2]

Gerardia was a member of the Vectors artist group.[3] From 1967 until 1969, she was president of the American Society of Contemporary Artists.[4] She exhibited her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where her work was described as showing "good arrangement", and being "visually pleasing." She was called an "industrous artist", by one critic.[2]

Later life and legacy

She died in 1988.[1]

Work

She was primarily a painter, and participated in the Abstract expressionist movement early in her career while studying under Hans Hofmann. In the early 1950s, she leaned more towards the Cubism movement. Gerardia used geometric shapes in much of her work and used the colors black and white primarily. She started incorporating more color into her paintings starting in 1959, including lavender, which renders heavily into her works of the early 1960s. She emphasized negative space frequently in her work, which was featured prominently due to her choice use of color.[2]

Notable collections

References
  1. "Helen Gerardia". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  2. "Helen Gerardia (1903–1993)". Butler Art Collection. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. Ashton, Dore (May 7, 1959). "Serigraph Society Display is at Museum". New York Times. p. 30 – via ProQuest.
  4. "Helen Gerardia". Asheville Art Museum. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  5. "Ballerina". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
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