Arshile Gorky
Saturday, June 17th at 2:00 p.m.
Join the Sherman Library and the Sherman Historical Society on Saturday, June 17th at 2:00pm at the Library for Arshile Gorky: Could he be the last Surrealist and the first Abstract Expressionist?, an illustrated talk with John Cilio, author, historian and lecturer.
Arshile Gorky was a largely self-taught immigrant artist from the early 20th century. He fathered a unique movement in the 1940s, Abstract Expressionism, leveraging early modern artists styles he learned and blending with his relentless experimentation of futuristic concepts. A noted art critic of the time, Harold Rosenberg observed that Gorky, “a lifelong student, was an intellectual to the roots, he lived in an aura of words and concepts, almost as much at home in the library as in the museum or gallery.” Gorky was proud of his European heritage and of other European modernist artists. He was impatient, passionate, brilliant and inventive.
Many believe Gorky’s diverse and prolific body of work was the most daring, innovative, and influential of the American modernist movement. His art and philosophy were crucial to the emergence of the Abstract Expressionism movement. Join our educational presentation to learn more about this extraordinary artist who for several years, called Connecticut home.
John Cilio is a historian, storyteller, a member of the Organization of American Historians and the Association for the Study of Connecticut History. He thrives on researching the ghosts of our past, uncovering the underlying forces and historical trends that one single event rarely impacts. Cilio is the author of six historical books and has written over 200 articles. He has spoken at over 475 events on a wide range of topics in several countries.
This program is free and is offered by the Sherman Historical Society and the Sherman Library in person at the Sherman Library. Register online at shermanlibrary.org/registration-dropdown or contact slprograms@biblio.org.
