Arshile Gorky, born Vostanik Manoug Adoian in 1904, arrived in the United States in 1920 as a teenage survivor of the Armenian genocide. Operating from New York City and various locations in Connecticut, he transitioned through shifting stylistic phases before becoming a seminal figure who helped define the trajectory of abstract expressionism in American modern art.
Artistic Formation and Education
After settling in Rhode Island, Gorky moved to New York City and pursued formal training at the National Academy of Design and the Grand Central School of Art. He held an instructor position at the latter institution from 1925 until 1931. His early output demonstrated clear ties to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, particularly the structural influence of Paul Cézanne. By the late 1920s, his experimentation expanded to include cubism, eventually leading him toward the surrealist aesthetic that would dominate his mature period.
Professional Development and Projects
In 1935, Gorky became one of the first artists to receive employment through the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project. His visibility increased through solo exhibitions, including a 1935 show at the Guild Art Gallery in New York. During this decade, he produced the dual versions of the notable portrait The Artist and His Mother, works that combined simple line work with complex planar compositions. He also engaged in professional associations as a member of The 8th Street Club.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Stylistic Maturity and Recognition
The 1940s marked the emergence of Gorky's distinct visual language, characterized by large-scale, semi-transparent color washes intersected by sharp, thorn-like lines. His painting The Liver Is the Cock's Comb was identified by André Breton as a pinnacle of American surrealist production. This period of intense creative output integrated personal history with abstraction, a departure from his previous reliance on the influences of Picasso and Cézanne.
Personal Life and Final Years
Gorky married Agnes Ethel Magruder in 1941, and the couple had two daughters, Maro and Natasha. The final years of his life, spent working in Sherman, were marked by consecutive personal and physical hardships, including a studio fire, a cancer diagnosis, and a severe automobile accident in 1948 that left his painting arm temporarily paralyzed. Following the departure of his wife and children, Gorky died in Sherman in 1948.
Fast facts
- Born: 1904, Dilkaya
- Died: 1948, Sherman
- Citizenship: United States, Ottoman Empire, First Republic of Armenia
- Primary Occupations: Painter, sculptor, architectural drafter, designer
- Education: Grand Central School of Art, National Academy of Design
- Key Movement: Abstract expressionism, action painting
- Known Languages: English, Armenian
- Membership: The 8th Street Club
Questions readers ask
What was Arshile Gorky's original name?
He was born Vostanik Manoug Adoian.
Did Arshile Gorky have any notable students?
Yes, his students included Revington Arthur.
Was Gorky involved with the WPA?
Yes, he was one of the first artists employed by the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project in 1935.
Achievements
- Movement: abstract expressionism and action painting
.jpg)
