Exhibition Brochure | Related Information
Introduction | Paris
| New York | Figuration to Fracture |
Return to the Human Figure | Images
New York
Weber found New York transforming itself into an industrial metropolis;
the city's artistic milieu, however, was conservative in comparison to
that of Paris. In New York, a group of artists called "The Eight"--among them, Robert Henri (1865 - 1929), Arthur B. Davies (1862 - 1928), and
John Sloan (1871 - 1951)--were considered radical simply for depicting
the banalities of daily life. Weber's paintings, with their brash color
and stylized forms, were virtually incomprehensible to critics and the
public. It is no wonder that Weber's exhibitions at the Haas, Murray Hill,
and 291 galleries met with derision, as did his show at the Newark Museum.
However, through these exhibitions Weber gained the support of some of
the most forward-looking American artists and intellectuals of his day,
such as Stieglitz and the painter/connoisseur Arthur B. Davies.
Weber's
investigative spirit is evident in Crouching
Nude Figure (1910/1911), one of his earliest prints. The artist trans
formed the humblest material--here, a scrap of discarded linoleum--into a work
of subtlety and strength by cutting lines into the soft block with a pen knife.To
print, Weber rubbed ink over the linoleum surface, then overlaid paper, placed
a book on top, and stood on it to obtain the pressure necessary to transfer
ink to paper. While seemingly casual, the effects are calculated. The uneven
application of ink contrasts with the hard-edged lines, and the diaphanous,
buff paper adds warmth. The choice of papers is important to many of Weber's
prints; a woodcut, Head
of a Man (1919/1920), is printed on gray mica paper. Stylistically,
Crouching Nude Figure shows the influence of Japanese prints in its expressive
contours and carefully balanced composition. The influence of African sculpture
appears in the figure's elongated forms and masklike features. The flat, sectioned
elements anticipate Weber's cubist phase.
Introduction | Paris | New York | Figuration to Fracture | Return to the Human Figure | Images