A solo exhibition of works by California modernist Edward Biberman marks the first ever show to focus exclusively on the artist’s architectural paintings and works on paper. More than 30 pieces will be on view, from the 1930s to ’80s, and includes early oils and studies from the period when Biberman completed murals for Depression Era public works projects, paintings from the post-war period and later works that capture the artist’s love of his adopted home of Los Angeles.
Edward Biberman (1904-1986), The Railway Station, ca. 1934. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in., signed lower right.
“Biberman was an important modernist from the 1930s through his death in 1986. He is one of the rare American artists to work successfully in Philadelphia, Paris, New York and Los Angeles and he did so in a variety of different genres both pre-war and post-war,” says Chris Walther of CW American Modernism, which is presenting the exhibition in conjunction with Gallery Z.
Edward Biberman (1904-1986), Patio Detail (Desert Patio Corner), 1973. Oil on Masonite, 35 x 30 in., signed upper right.
“Biberman is well-regarded for working in a variety of genres, including…[his] architectural ‘structural’ works (which are in the collections of LACMA, the Orange County Museum of Art, the Oakland Museum of California among others)...Biberman was an innovator, as demonstrated by his early use of geometric forms to define space in otherwise representational works, and he had a keen ability to synthesize the influences of surrealism, magic realism, precisionism, fauvism and realism into his own unique vision.”
Edward Biberman (1904-1986), Oil Tanks (Storage Tanks), 1936. Oil on canvas, 215⁄8 x 313⁄8 in., signed lower right.
Edward Biberman (1904-1986), Freeway Detail, ca. 1960s. Oil on Masonite, 11 x 27 in., signed lower right.
His architectural paintings—from New York rooftops to LA freeways, bridges and dams—are crisp and clean, with a distinct color palette and style that teeters effortlessly between reality and the surreal. “They capture the look and feel of these cities at the particular time and place when Biberman worked, while at the same time exploring more universal concerns of humanity,” Walther adds. “Biberman’s striking images of Southern California anticipate those of Hockney and Ruscha. He had the remarkable ability to see the city in the way others did not. By selecting vernacular architecture that would otherwise be ignored and capturing the unique light of Southern California, Biberman became LA’s most dependable artistic chronicler.”
Edward Biberman (1904-1986), San Francisco Stretches its Hand to the Future - Map of the Bay Region and the Golden Gate Bridge, Preliminary Mural Maquette, Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts (Unrealized Mural) for the Rincon Annex Post Office – San Francisco, 1941. Mixed media on illustration board, 10¾ x 24¾ in.
Many of the works on display have not been exhibited in decades and several have not been offered in more than 40 years. The exhibition will be accompanied by a print and online catalog outlining Biberman’s biography and his important contributions to American modernism. The catalog essay is based on new research into original source material from the artist’s estate, Walther notes.
Edward Biberman (1904-1986), Wilshire-Coronado Corner, 1938. Oil on canvas, 23 x 28 in., signed lower left.
The Architectural World of Edward Biberman (1904-1986) is available for viewing online at www.cwamericanmodernism.com or in person by appointment at Gallery Z, a private gallery and long-time representative of Biberman dating back to 1972.Powered by Froala Editor
