Christie’s in Southampton presents “Grace Hartigan: No Rules,” a selling exhibition devoted to the mastery and creativity of Grace Hartigan (1922-2008). Open to the public from through August 8, “No Rules” is comprised of 18 rarely-seen works from the 1940s through the 1970s that trace Hartigan’s radical and fearless evolution as an artist, exploring abstraction, figuration and their intersection.
In his catalogue essay for the exhibition, curator and art historian Michael Klein noted, “Since her passing in 2008, Grace Hartigan has been cast in the role of female Abstract Expressionist but, in fact, this is only partially true. As demonstrated by the show here, Hartigan’s appetite for new ideas and fresh approaches was integral to her thinking and working as a painter.”
In the 1950s, Hartigan was arguably the most celebrated woman artist of her day, with profiles in Life Magazine, Newsweek, and Time, and a string of major gallery shows in New York. In 1958, she was the only woman to be included in the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition “The New American Painting” that later toured eight European countries. Museums and major collectors acquired the majority of her early works, including the architect Philip Johnson, Nelson Rockefeller, Peggy Guggenheim, and Beatrice Perry, among others. Her circle of artists and friends included Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Kline, and the poet Frank O’Hara.
Yet despite her fame, Klein notes that Hartigan’s name is not as instantly recognizable as many of her contemporaries, and her contributions to the history of New York painting and the Abstract Expressionist movement remain under-represented, despite her towering influence.
Sara Friedlander, Deputy Chairman, Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie’s noted, “In May, our Christie’s team successfully recalibrated the auction market for Grace Hartigan by achieving a new record price for her work — a stunning large-scale work from 1962 appropriately titled ‘The Phoenix.’ With this exhibition, which affords a deeper examination of Hartigan’s varied styles and techniques across three decades of creative output, we hope to continue supporting the much-deserved revival of interest in Hartigan’s work.”
“No Rules” is a sweeping survey of Hartigan’s work across three decades, including oil paintings, works on paper, collage, and watercolors. In keeping with the spirit of Christie’s East End location, many of the works selected for the show take their inspiration from the familiar landscapes of eastern Long Island, where Hartigan spent time in the summer during the years she lived and worked in New York City. Among the highlights for sale is “Still Life with Blue Wall,” painted in 1953; “East Side Peddler,” painted in 1956; “Study for Montauk Highway II,” a collage work executed in 1957; and “Kansas,” a large-scale abstract painted in 1959. “Grey Eyed Athena” and “The Snow Angel,” two prime examples of Hartigan’s abstract expressionist technique, are included on loan for the exhibition.
Contact southampton@christies.com to arrange a guided visit with Christie’s on-site specialists.