Question 1

Where can I see Balcomb Greene's work?

Accepted Answer

To view works by Balcomb Greene, consider visiting several prominent museums. In New York City, both the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue and the Museum of Modern Art on 11 West 53rd Street have collections that may include his pieces.

Elsewhere in the United States, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in California, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minnesota, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond also sometimes exhibit his work. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, are further possibilities.

Outside the US, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, may hold examples of Greene's art. Checking the museums' websites or contacting them directly is advisable to confirm current exhibitions.

Question 2

What should I know about Balcomb Greene's prints?

Accepted Answer

Balcomb Greene (1904-1990) was an American abstract expressionist painter and teacher. Although he is best known for his oil paintings, he also produced a number of prints, mainly in the media of lithography and screenprint.

Greene's prints often relate to themes and compositions found in his paintings. Both prints and paintings typically feature biomorphic forms, ambiguous figures, and layered planes of colour. His style moved from figuration to abstraction during the 1930s. He was a member of the American Abstract Artists group.

He studied in Paris in the 1920s, and taught at what is now Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and at New York University. He was married to the artist Gertrude Glass Greene, who also worked in abstraction. Examples of his prints can be found in various public collections, such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Question 3

Why are Balcomb Greene's works important today?

Accepted Answer

Balcomb Greene's art is of interest because it resists easy categorisation. Some view his concentration on formal and visual elements, derived from historical sources, as a retreat from pressing social issues. Others see his consistent aesthetic exploration and large output as proof of his artistic importance.

Greene's work prompts discussion about the function of art. Should art engage directly with social concerns, or is there value in aesthetic investigation? His art invites viewers to consider these questions.

Additionally, Greene was part of the New York art scene. This group included abstract expressionists, who were interested in creating a new type of art. These artists admired Edgard Varèse, attending his concerts and engaging with his ideas. Varèse, in turn, participated in their gatherings and published in their journals. This connection to a significant artistic movement adds to the historical interest of Greene's work.

Question 4

What techniques or materials did Balcomb Greene use?

Accepted Answer

Balcomb Greene's artistic practice involved a variety of techniques, though he is primarily known for his oil paintings. He often employed thin layers of paint, creating luminous effects on the canvas. Greene's approach to applying paint was often described as fluid, with an emphasis on colour and light.

Greene's early work shows an interest in figuration, which gradually moved towards abstraction. His methods included layering and glazing to achieve subtle gradations of tone and texture. He thinned his paints, allowing them to blend and merge on the canvas. This technique created a sense of depth and atmosphere in his compositions.

Throughout his career, Greene experimented with different approaches to painting, but his focus remained on the interplay between colour, light, and form. His materials were traditional: canvas, oil paints, and brushes; however, his application of these materials was distinctive.

Question 5

Who did Balcomb Greene influence?

Accepted Answer

Balcomb Greene's direct influence is difficult to trace to particular artists. The Exxon National Exhibitions (held in 1978, 1981, 1983, and 1985) included many artists exploring diverse approaches to art-making. Some artists in the exhibitions, such as Pegan Brooke, were influenced by Paul Klee. Others, such as Heidi Gliick and Scott Davis, engaged with geometric abstraction.

Denise Green, Aaron Karp, and Tom Lieber adopted a more painterly approach, with Lieber drawing inspiration from Mark Rothko and Philip Guston. These artists demonstrate a range of styles and influences present in American art during the period when Greene was active.

Some artists, such as Robert Loder, were followers of the formalist school of modernist art. This school emphasised the importance of truth to medium. Clement Greenberg, a theorist of formalism, valorised artists such as Jackson Pollock.

Question 6

Who influenced Balcomb Greene?

Accepted Answer

Balcomb Greene's artistic development involved a range of influences. In his college years, he was drawn to Analytic Cubism, especially the work of Braque and Picasso. He also studied early Kandinsky, Miró, Matisse, and Mondrian, analysing the structure of their paintings. Greene also looked at Léger, Renaissance and Quattrocento artists, Old Masters, American masters, and African art. These artists helped to shape his approach to art.

His exposure to European modernism came through figures like Josef Albers and Hans Hofmann. Albers brought an encyclopedic knowledge of 20th-century art from the Bauhaus, while Hofmann had first-hand experience of European modernism. These influences provided Greene with a broad understanding of artistic movements and techniques.

Question 7

What is Balcomb Greene's most famous work?

Accepted Answer

It is difficult to name Balcomb Greene's single "most famous" work, as his notability rests on his wider contributions to abstract expressionism. He was a significant figure within the American Abstract Artists group.

However, some specific paintings are associated with Greene's artistic output during his most active period. These include works such as *Bacchanale*, *Leapfrog*, and *Green Grove*, all created in 1955. *Walpurgisnacht: Faust I* from 1956 is another example. These paintings demonstrate his characteristic style, combining abstract forms with figurative elements.

Greene's work is held in several museum collections, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York and The Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. These collections offer opportunities to view a range of his pieces and better understand his artistic development.

Question 8

What style or movement did Balcomb Greene belong to?

Accepted Answer

Balcomb Greene is associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement, which gained international prominence in American art during the 1940s and 1950s. This movement is less a specific style and more a shared attitude among artists, characterised by a spirit of revolt and a belief in freedom of expression. The term itself was coined by Robert Coates in 1946.

Abstract Expressionism brought together a group of artists, including Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. These artists explored morally loaded, often tragic, themes on a large scale. Not all works from this movement were entirely abstract or particularly expressive, but they shared a commonality in their approach to artmaking.

Other artists connected to Abstract Expressionism include Adolph Gottlieb, James Brooks, William Baziotes, Ad Reinhardt, and Philip Guston.

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Where to See Balcomb Greene

About Balcomb Greene

🇺🇸 United States

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Museum of Modern Art

Carnegie Museum of Art

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Cincinnati Art Museum

National Gallery of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art

New Britain Museum of American Art

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

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