Harry Lee Gatch (September 10, 1902 – November 10, 1968)[1] was a twentieth-century American artist known for his lyrical abstractions and his ability to find "a fresh approach" to painting the figure and nature "through interwoven patterns of flattened figures" and a Fauvist-inspired sense of landscape.[2]
Harry Lee Gatch was born on September 10, 1902, in a rural community near Baltimore, Maryland. His family had no sympathy with his artistic aspirations, which was a source of pain throughout his life, but he was determined to make a name for himself as an artist.[3]
Gatch graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in the early 1920s; there a visiting instructor, New York painter John Sloan, made a strong impression on him and confirmed him in his sense of his vocation.[4] In 1924, in search of more advanced instruction and more exposure to modern art, he went to Europe and studied with the painter Andre Lhote. While in Paris, he was a particularly avid student of the French modernism of André Derain, Édouard Vuillard, and Pierre Bonnard, inspirations which are evident in his own refined color sense.[5]
According to MarylandArtSource.com, "His abstract painting style combined elements of Post-Impressionism, Cubism, and Symbolism in mystical evocations of nature." The Phillips Collection article asserts that "Gatch strove throughout his career to maintain an individual style based on the American representational tradition while reaching beyond appearances to find meaning through design and color."
Despite the admiration of discerning men like collector Duncan Phillips and the art dealer J.B. Neumann, Gatch had a difficult time creating a stable career and attracting the critical and public attention he felt he deserved. His marriage to Driggs, who gave up her own career until Gatch's death in 1968, was source of essential support to him during his darker periods, and the couple lived a financially straitened life in rural Lambertville, New Jersey.[7] In the heyday of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and the other radical postwar movements, he was a little-known presence in American art. To his friend and one-time mentor, Max Kahn, he wrote in 1964, "It will always remain impossible for me to believe anyone will look me up after the bell tolls. It is perhaps best for me to do my task faithfully."[8] In the view of one art critic, "Gatch [ultimately] found his own voice and equalled the best of Milton Avery, an artist with whom he has a kinship."[8]
After his death, Gatch was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.[9]
mural study, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania Post Office, 1941
^"James A. Michener Art Museum - Bucks County Artists: Lee Gatch. Accessed 20 January 2013". from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
^Barbara Rose, American Art Since 1900, (New York: Praeger, 1967), p. 134.
^John Loughery, "The Lyrical Abstractions of Lee Gatch," pp. 78-80.
^John Loughery, John Sloan: Painter and Rebel (New York: Henry Holt, 1995), p. 272.
Lee Gatch: Recent Paintings, 1954-1958. New York: World House Galleries, 1958. Lee Gatch : Recent Paintings, 1954-1958 (New York : World House Galleries, 1958) OCLC 45616694
Loughery, John. "The Lyrical Abstractions of Lee Gatch." Arts Magazine (April 1988), pp. 78–80.
Newark Museum. Lee Gatch, 1902-1968 (Washington, Published for the National Collection of Fine Arts by the Smithsonian Institution Press, 1971) OCLC 226692
Rathbone, Perry Townsend. Lee Gatch. Washington, D.C.: American Federation of Arts, 1960. Lee Gatch (New York, 1960) OCLC 1213277
gatch, harry, september, 1902, november, 1968, twentieth, century, american, artist, known, lyrical, abstractions, ability, find, fresh, approach, painting, figure, nature, through, interwoven, patterns, flattened, figures, fauvist, inspired, sense, landscape,. Harry Lee Gatch September 10 1902 November 10 1968 1 was a twentieth century American artist known for his lyrical abstractions and his ability to find a fresh approach to painting the figure and nature through interwoven patterns of flattened figures and a Fauvist inspired sense of landscape 2 Lee GatchBornHarry Lee Gatch 1902 09 10 September 10 1902Baltimore MarylandDiedNovember 10 1968 1968 11 10 aged 66 Trenton New JerseyKnown forPainter Contents 1 Biography 2 Collections 3 References 4 Sources 5 External linksBiography editHarry Lee Gatch was born on September 10 1902 in a rural community near Baltimore Maryland His family had no sympathy with his artistic aspirations which was a source of pain throughout his life but he was determined to make a name for himself as an artist 3 Gatch graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in the early 1920s there a visiting instructor New York painter John Sloan made a strong impression on him and confirmed him in his sense of his vocation 4 In 1924 in search of more advanced instruction and more exposure to modern art he went to Europe and studied with the painter Andre Lhote While in Paris he was a particularly avid student of the French modernism of Andre Derain Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard inspirations which are evident in his own refined color sense 5 According to the online biography of Gatch at the Phillips Collection website Gatch exhibited in the Venice Biennials of 1950 and 1956 and he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1957 Although he is best known for his nature inspired abstract works he also worked for a time as a muralist for the Federal Art Project painting murals Tobacco Industry in 1940 in Mullins South Carolina and Squaw s Rest 1942 in Elizabethtown Pennsylvania 6 He was married in 1936 to Precisionist artist Elsie Driggs They had one child Merriman Gatch According to MarylandArtSource com His abstract painting style combined elements of Post Impressionism Cubism and Symbolism in mystical evocations of nature The Phillips Collection article asserts that Gatch strove throughout his career to maintain an individual style based on the American representational tradition while reaching beyond appearances to find meaning through design and color Despite the admiration of discerning men like collector Duncan Phillips and the art dealer J B Neumann Gatch had a difficult time creating a stable career and attracting the critical and public attention he felt he deserved His marriage to Driggs who gave up her own career until Gatch s death in 1968 was source of essential support to him during his darker periods and the couple lived a financially straitened life in rural Lambertville New Jersey 7 In the heyday of Abstract Expressionism Pop Art and the other radical postwar movements he was a little known presence in American art To his friend and one time mentor Max Kahn he wrote in 1964 It will always remain impossible for me to believe anyone will look me up after the bell tolls It is perhaps best for me to do my task faithfully 8 In the view of one art critic Gatch ultimately found his own voice and equalled the best of Milton Avery an artist with whom he has a kinship 8 After his death Gatch was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx New York 9 nbsp mural study Elizabethtown Pennsylvania Post Office 1941Collections editGatch s work is in the collection of the Guggenheim Museum the Whitney Museum of American Art the Metropolitan Museum of Art 10 the Phillips Collection the Smithsonian American Art Museum 11 the National Gallery of Art 12 the Albright Knox Art Gallery 13 the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 14 References edit James A Michener Art Museum Bucks County Artists Lee Gatch Accessed 20 January 2013 Archived from the original on 2 March 2014 Retrieved 20 January 2013 Barbara Rose American Art Since 1900 New York Praeger 1967 p 134 John Loughery The Lyrical Abstractions of Lee Gatch pp 78 80 John Loughery John Sloan Painter and Rebel New York Henry Holt 1995 p 272 Loughery p 79 Park Marlene and Gerald E Markowitz Democratic vistas Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal Temple University Press Philadelphia 1984 Elsie Driggs Wikipedia entry a b Loughery p 80 Harry Lee Gatch Jr 1902 1968 Find A Grave www findagrave com Retrieved 2021 07 25 Lee Gatch the Thorn the Met Archived from the original on 2019 07 10 Retrieved 2019 12 07 Lee Gatch Smithsonian American Art Museum Archived from the original on 2019 07 10 Retrieved 2019 12 07 Artist Info www nga gov Archived from the original on 2019 07 10 Retrieved 2019 12 07 Winter Stone Albright Knox www albrightknox org Archived from the original on 2019 12 06 Retrieved 2019 12 07 Lee Gatch PAFA Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts www pafa org Archived from the original on 2019 07 10 Retrieved 2019 12 07 Sources editBreeskin Adelyn Lee Gatch Washington D C National Collection of Fine Arts 1971 Lee Gatch Recent Paintings Berne Stampfli amp Cie 1963 Lee Gatch Recent Paintings Berne Stampfli amp Cie 1963 OCLC 1977645 Lee Gatch Recent Paintings 1954 1958 New York World House Galleries 1958 Lee Gatch Recent Paintings 1954 1958 New York World House Galleries 1958 OCLC 45616694 Loughery John The Lyrical Abstractions of Lee Gatch Arts Magazine April 1988 pp 78 80 Newark Museum Lee Gatch 1902 1968 Washington Published for the National Collection of Fine Arts by the Smithsonian Institution Press 1971 OCLC 226692 Rathbone Perry Townsend Lee Gatch Washington D C American Federation of Arts 1960 Lee Gatch New York 1960 OCLC 1213277 Washington University in St Louis Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art St Louis Mo External links editMarylandArtSource com Askart com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lee Gatch amp oldid 1206554287, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
