From the Archives: an invitational exhibition "Contemporary Self-Portraits" in two parts, “From the Mirror” and “The Antic Vision” at Allan Frumkin Gallery, November-December 1982 and January-February 1983.
An enduring focus of the gallery has long been self-portraits and indeed many of the artists who have shown here over the years, both regularly and occasionally, have experimented with the format if not made it a staple of their practice. The most striking example of this commitment is a major survey of contemporary self-potraiture in all mediums, exhibited at the gallery between 1982-83. Organized as an invitational, close to a third of the works were produced especially for the exhibition and all dated from the past few years. In some ways a cross-section of artists working figuratively at the time, it is doubly interesting as an example of the range with which artists approach or choose to depict the self though. As it included close to 40 works, the exhibition was split into two parts, loosely defined as those deemed “realist” in part I (many of these are rather straightforwardly titled “Self-Portrait”) and “humorous and/or imaginative” in part II.
Exhibition Checklist for Part I:
1. Vincent Arcilesi, Self Portrait, 1982, oil on canvas, 60 x 42 inches
2. Robert Arneson, This Head is Mine, 1980-82, ceramic head and ceramic base, 73 inches high
3. Jack Beal, Self-Portrait, 1982, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches
4. William Beckman, Self-Portrait, 1981-82, oil on panel, 50 x 36 ½ inches
5. Joan Brown, Self-Portrait Age 42, 1980, enamel on canvas, 72 x 60 inches
6. Daniel Dallmann, Self-Portrait by the Garden Wall, 1981, oil on canvas, 22 ¼ x 20 inches
7. Deborah Deichler, Lot’s Wife, 1978, oil on canvas, 36 x 26 ¼ inches
8. Martha Mayer Erlebacher, Self-Portrait, 1981, oil on panel, 13 ½ x 11 inches
9. Paul Georges, Self-Portrait, 1981-82, oil on canvas, 82 x 64 inches
10. Gregory Gillepsie, Self Portrait with Blue Visor, 1979, oil on paper, 21 x 16 ½ inches
11. Red Grooms, Self-Portait, 1981, oil on canvas, 15 x 14 inches
12. Walt Juriwicz, Self-Portrait, 1982, oil on paper, 24 x 18 inches
13. Alfred Leslie, Self-Portrait, 1982, oil on canvas, 84 x 60 inches
14. Paul Linfante, Self-Portrait, 1982, pastel on paper, 2- x 14 ¼ inches
15. Marisol, Sun Mask, 1980, Bronze, 13 x 11 inches
16. Michael Mazur, Self Portrait, 1982, pastel on paper, 42 x 45 inches
17. Richard McLean, Self-Portrait, 1982, gouache on paper, 30 x 22 inches
18. Alice Neel, Nude Self-Portrait, 1980, oil on canvas, 54 x 40 inches
19. Philip Pearlstein, Self-Portrait, 1982, watercolor on paper, 29 x 41 inches
20. Donald Perlis, Self-Portrait, 1982, oil on canvas, 30 x 20 inches
21. John Stachwicz, Self-Portrait, 1982, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches
22. James Valerio, Self-Portrait, 1981, oil on canvas, 90 x 72 inches
23. Paul Wiesenfeld, Self-Portrait, 1982, oil on canvas, 40 x 33 ¼ inches
24. Jim Wilson, Self-Portrait, 1981, oil on canvas, 42 x 36 inches
Part II:
25. Robert Arneson, Old Bob with Itch, 1982, bronze, 30 x 17 x 30 inches
26. Luis Cruz Azaceta, The Philosopher, 1982, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 66 inches
27. Joan Brown, Harmony, 1982, enamel on canvas, 96 x 60 inches
28. Toby Buonagurio, Bionic Toby with Pet Boa, 1982, ceramic, 28 x 23 x 11 inches
29. Robert Colescott, Hard Time, 1982, acrylic on canvas, 84 x 72 inches
30. Peter Dean, The Builder, 1981, oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches
31. Rafael Ferrer, Imaginary Self-Portrait, 1981, oil on canvas, 48 x 33 inches
32. Dan Freeman, Rotate, 1982, acrylic on canvas, 39 x 36 inches
33. Red Grooms, Diagonal Self-Portrait, 1982, gouache on paper, 85 x 30 ½ inches
34. Lucas Samaras, Head #47, 1981, pastel on paper, 17 ½ x 11 ½ inches
35. Peter Saul, Donald Duck Self-Portrait, 1982, alkyd on paper, 52 ½ x 48 inches
36. Philip Sherrod, Self-Portrait: Me as Japanese War-Fish, 1982, oil on canvas, 32 x 30 inches
37. Ned Smyth, Temptation I, 1982, graphite on frosted acetate, 89 ½ x 49 inches
38. Robert Warrens, Tyrannosaur Rex, 1982, acrylic on canvas, 90 x 75 inches
39. William T. Wiley, Gift of Ms. Givings, 1982, pencil, charcoal and oil pastel on paper, 63 ½ x 59 inches
40. Philip Sherrod, Who’s Kiddin’ Who, 1982, oil on canvas, 61 ¼ x 49 inches
Catalogue cover, Contemporary Self-Portraits, an invitational exhibition in two parts: From the Mirror and The Antic Vision at Allan Frumkin Gallery, November-December 1982 and January-February 1983.
Image courtesy the George Adams Gallery Archives.
An enduring focus of the gallery has long been self-portraits and indeed many of the artists who have shown here over the years, both regularly and occasionally, have experimented with the format if not made it a staple of their practice. The most striking example of this commitment is a major survey of contemporary self-potraiture in all mediums, exhibited at the gallery between 1982-83. Organized as an invitational, close to a third of the works were produced especially for the exhibition and all dated from the past few years. In some ways a cross-section of artists working figuratively at the time, it is doubly interesting as an example of the range with which artists approach or choose to depict the self though. As it included close to 40 works, the exhibition was split into two parts, loosely defined as those deemed “realist” in part I (many of these are rather straightforwardly titled “Self-Portrait”) and “humorous and/or imaginative” in part II.
