10th STREET GALLERIES Artist FRANK MONTGOMERY Painting NY ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST

Description: MCM period painting by NYC Abstract Expressionist artist Franklin P. Montgomery (Am., 1924-1992). Unframed oil on canvas mounted (originally, by the artist) to plywood panel measures 14 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches.This painting by Montgomery is of course unique yet somewhat along the lines of abstracts by Elaine de Kooning, or perhaps more in the direction of Pat Passlof. Amazing, fluid, impasto brushwork also contributes to making this a great looking Ab Ex piece.Frank Montgomery was a 10th Street galleries Member artist with Brata Gallery. See the wiki-pedia page on “10th Street galleries” to read about the background and for a listing of each of the top (eight) co-op galleries along with their member artists. Frank Montgomery is listed along with Al Held, Ed Clark, etc., under the Brata Gallery section.Many of the 10th Street artists were sculptors and many of the painters were not Abstract Expressionists. Of the approx. 250 period member artists, there were just enough Ab Ex painters to take one example by each and mount an impressive retrospective exhibition today.Brata Gallery was particularly interesting. They hosted the first poetry reading by Jack Kerouac / first David Amram jazz performance in 1957, which was the first jazz-poetry reading in New York City. The Beat Generation movement took off from here!The Brata started out in 1957 at 89 East Tenth Street. It was right across the street from Willem (Bill) de Kooning’s studio at 88 E. 10th. The gallery moved just around the corner, half a block away, to 56 Third Avenue, and remained active there until at least 1974 (Diane Bolhagen had a show there in that year).Upstairs at 56 Third Ave., Bill de Kooning had a studio-apartment. His mistress, Joan Ward, and their daughter, Lisa de Kooning, lived there. Bill would attend openings / events at Brata and contributed to at least one Brata show. The 56 3rd Ave. building was owned by Harry and Dorothy Kerwin, who also owned McSorley’s Ale House.Most of the 10th Street co-op artists weren’t well-known and had to do other things to make ends meet. It meant everything to these artists if they got reviewed in ARTnews, which did happen for Frank Montgomery when he was with an early co-op, Matrix Gallery at 26 St. Mark’s Place. See ARTnews Vol 52, from 1953, for the review of his second solo show. Montgomery’s paintings were described as “oils in which color determines form”, etc.At the Brata, founders John and Nicholas Krushenick operated a frame shop in the back. The gallery also served as headquarters for Al Held’s trucking / moving company, which John Krushenick took over just before Al accepted a teaching position. Ira Kaufman succeeded John as gallery manager. Some of the Brata artists, including Frank Montgomery, were featured in the major 1977-78 NY exhibition “Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50’s”. See the 72-page catalog for that, online.Check my eBay listings in the coming weeks for other paintings by Frank Montgomery, spanning his career from ca. 1951-1991. Frank lived in lower Manhattan in the Tenth Street days, and later at 193 Midwood St., Brooklyn. CHECK MY FEEDBACK AND BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! *** 20+ years of happy customers on eBay *** Please see my other eBay listings for more great items.Message me to arrange for combined shipping on multiple purchases.

Price: 695 USD

Location: Pitman, New Jersey

End Time: 2024-07-15T21:54:40.000Z

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