Carl Holty
Encyclopedia
Carl Robert Holty was a German
-born American
abstract
painter. Raised in Wisconsin, he was the first major abstract painter to gain notoriety from the state. Harold Rosenberg
described Holty as "a figure of our art history," known for his use of color, shape and form.
, studied specialty medicine
since 1899. His father was German, gaining citizenship in the United States in 1906. Shortly after his birth the family moved back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, where they lived in the German district with his grandparents. The Holty family then moved to the countryside near Green Bay
where his father practiced medicine, before returning to Milwaukee around 1906. Holty's grandfather introduced him to art by visiting local art galleries. Around the age of 12, Holty began taking lessons with a local German painter. As a teenager he started drawing cartoons and became interested in poster art. He attended Milwaukee University School, graduating high school within 2 1/2 years. In 1919 he went to Marquette University
, then joining the Reserve Officers' Training Corps
during World War I
, with the program ending within the same year. Back in college, he experimented with medicine, only to visit home to tell his father he wanted to attend art school. That summer he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago
, eventually attending classes at the Parsons School of Design. He returned to Milwaukee in 1923 and opened a portrait
painting studio.
In 1925 Holty married and honeymooned in Europe, living there for the next ten years of his life, first in Munich
and then Switzerland
. In Switzerland Mrs. Holty sought treatment for her tuberculosis
, dying in 1930. He moved to Paris that year, before returning to the United States in 1935 and living in New York City. In New York he remarried and had a daughter. He taught at Brooklyn College
from 1950 until 1970. Upon his retirement from Brooklyn he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. While at Brooklyn, he also was a visiting instructor at the Art Students League, Washington University in St. Louis
, and University of Louisville
. Holty would die, March 22 1973 in New York City.
, only to train under Hans Hofmann
. Hofmann's ideas about space
, color
, shape would transform Holty's work, with Holty's work becoming more abstract as time went on.
From 1930 to 1935 he lived in Paris
, exhibiting his work to good reception. There he met Robert Delaunay
and joined Delaunay's group Abstration-Création. He would have his work published in the groups magazine, and his work became associated with Cubism
and Neo-Plasticism. His Paris works have been compared to the paintings of Juan Gris
and Pablo Picasso's
Synthetic Cubism.
Upon returning to the United States, he found artist representation in New York City and became involved, once again, with Hans Hofmann and Vaclav Vytlacil and Stuart Davis
, the latter whom he knew in Paris. Vytlacil invited Holty to participate in discussions which led to the formation of the American Abstract Artists
, which Holty would eventually come to chair, retaining his membership until 1944. During this time, he moved away from Cubism and started to experiment with Biomorphism
. In the 1930s he used tape
to give strong edges to forms, also reworking and overpainting
sections, as seen in his work Gridiron (1943-1944). He continued to explore shapes and form, and in the 1960s contours
had disappeared from his work, being replaced with subtle toned down colors.
Holty served as artist in residence
at Georgia State University
, University of Florida
, University of California at Berkeley, University of Wisconsin and the Corcoran School of Art. He also wrote a book, with Romare Bearden
, titled The Painter's Mind, published in 1969.
by Charles Byrne. On his role as a Wisconsin artist, Andrew Stevens stated in 1995 that "Holty’s zeal for non-objective art was more closely identified with the younger group of American painters in the East. His artworks including his prints are among the first by a Wisconsin artist to come to grips with the tide of abstract art that spread from Europe to America at the beginning of the 20th century."
Demographics of Germany
The Demographics of Germany were determined also by a series of full Census in Germany, with the most recent held in 1987. Since reunification, German authorities rely on a micro census....
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
painter. Raised in Wisconsin, he was the first major abstract painter to gain notoriety from the state. Harold Rosenberg
Harold Rosenberg
Harold Rosenberg was an American writer, educator, philosopher and art critic. He coined the term Action Painting in 1952 for what was later to be known as abstract expressionism. The term was first employed in Rosenberg's essay "American Action Painters" published in the December 1952 issue of...
described Holty as "a figure of our art history," known for his use of color, shape and form.
Personal life and education
Carl Holty was born in 1900 in Freiburg, Germany. His parents, Americans, were lived in Freiburg while his father, a doctorPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, studied specialty medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
since 1899. His father was German, gaining citizenship in the United States in 1906. Shortly after his birth the family moved back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, where they lived in the German district with his grandparents. The Holty family then moved to the countryside near Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
where his father practiced medicine, before returning to Milwaukee around 1906. Holty's grandfather introduced him to art by visiting local art galleries. Around the age of 12, Holty began taking lessons with a local German painter. As a teenager he started drawing cartoons and became interested in poster art. He attended Milwaukee University School, graduating high school within 2 1/2 years. In 1919 he went to Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, then joining the Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, with the program ending within the same year. Back in college, he experimented with medicine, only to visit home to tell his father he wanted to attend art school. That summer he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
, eventually attending classes at the Parsons School of Design. He returned to Milwaukee in 1923 and opened a portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
painting studio.
In 1925 Holty married and honeymooned in Europe, living there for the next ten years of his life, first in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and then Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In Switzerland Mrs. Holty sought treatment for her tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, dying in 1930. He moved to Paris that year, before returning to the United States in 1935 and living in New York City. In New York he remarried and had a daughter. He taught at Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
from 1950 until 1970. Upon his retirement from Brooklyn he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. While at Brooklyn, he also was a visiting instructor at the Art Students League, Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, and University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
. Holty would die, March 22 1973 in New York City.
Artistic career
In 1926, while living in Munich, Holty originally planned to attend the Royal AcademyAcademy of Fine Arts, Munich
The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich was founded 1808 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria in Munich as the "Royal Academy of Fine Arts" and is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany...
, only to train under Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann was a German-born American abstract expressionist painter.-Biography:Hofmann was born in Weißenburg, Bavaria on March 21, 1880, the son of Theodor and Franziska Hofmann. When he was six he moved with his family to Munich...
. Hofmann's ideas about space
Negative space
Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the "real"...
, color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
, shape would transform Holty's work, with Holty's work becoming more abstract as time went on.
"No one had ever talked to me about conceptual drawing, about knowing what I'm looking at from the point of view of my tactile knowledge as well as my visual knowledge. Hofmann did. And the world opened up just like that."
- Carl Holty on Hans Hofmann's influence
From 1930 to 1935 he lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, exhibiting his work to good reception. There he met Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay was a French artist who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. His later works were more abstract, reminiscent of Paul Klee...
and joined Delaunay's group Abstration-Création. He would have his work published in the groups magazine, and his work became associated with Cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
and Neo-Plasticism. His Paris works have been compared to the paintings of Juan Gris
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez , better known as Juan Gris, was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived and worked in France most of his life...
and Pablo Picasso's
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
Synthetic Cubism.
Upon returning to the United States, he found artist representation in New York City and became involved, once again, with Hans Hofmann and Vaclav Vytlacil and Stuart Davis
Stuart Davis (painter)
Stuart Davis , was an early American modernist painter. He was well known for his jazz influenced, proto pop art paintings of the 1940s and 1950s, bold, brash, and colorful as well as his ashcan pictures in the early years of the 20th century.-Biography:He was born in Philadelphia to Edward Wyatt...
, the latter whom he knew in Paris. Vytlacil invited Holty to participate in discussions which led to the formation of the American Abstract Artists
American Abstract Artists
American Abstract Artists was formed in 1936 in New York City, to promote and foster public understanding of abstract art. American Abstract Artists exhibitions, publications, and lectures helped to establish the organization as a major forum for the exchange and discussion of ideas, and for...
, which Holty would eventually come to chair, retaining his membership until 1944. During this time, he moved away from Cubism and started to experiment with Biomorphism
Biomorphism
Biomorphism is an art movement that began in the 20th century. It patterns artistic design elements on naturally occurring patterns or shapes reminiscent of nature. Taken to its extreme it attempts to force naturally occurring shapes onto functional devices, often with mixed results.-History:The...
. In the 1930s he used tape
Tape
Tape refers to a strip of long, thin and narrow material, usually rolled up. Most commonly, it refers to:- Recording media :* Cassette tape* Digital Audio Tape * Digital Compact Cassette * Digital Tape Format* Magnetic tape sound recording...
to give strong edges to forms, also reworking and overpainting
Overpainting
Overpainting can mean the final layers of paint, over some type of underpainting, in a system of working in layers. It can also mean later paint added by restorers, or an artist or dealer wishing to "improve" or update an old image—a very common practice in the past. The underpainting gives a...
sections, as seen in his work Gridiron (1943-1944). He continued to explore shapes and form, and in the 1960s contours
Contour line
A contour line of a function of two variables is a curve along which the function has a constant value. In cartography, a contour line joins points of equal elevation above a given level, such as mean sea level...
had disappeared from his work, being replaced with subtle toned down colors.
Holty served as artist in residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
at Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
, University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, University of California at Berkeley, University of Wisconsin and the Corcoran School of Art. He also wrote a book, with Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden was an African American artist and writer. He worked in several media including cartoons, oils, and collage.-Education:...
, titled The Painter's Mind, published in 1969.
Legacy and reception
In 1977 the Carl Holty Papers were donated to the Archives of American ArtArchives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 16 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washington, D.C...
by Charles Byrne. On his role as a Wisconsin artist, Andrew Stevens stated in 1995 that "Holty’s zeal for non-objective art was more closely identified with the younger group of American painters in the East. His artworks including his prints are among the first by a Wisconsin artist to come to grips with the tide of abstract art that spread from Europe to America at the beginning of the 20th century."
Selected works
- Gridiron, 1943-1944; Smithsonian American Art MuseumSmithsonian American Art MuseumThe Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
- Untitled, 1939; Amon Carter MuseumAmon Carter MuseumThe Amon Carter Museum of American Art is located in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established by Amon G. Carter to house his collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Carter’s will provided a museum in Fort Worth devoted to American art.When the museum opened...
- Untitled, 1950; Kemper Art Museum
- Untitled, series, 1951; Brooklyn MuseumBrooklyn MuseumThe Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
Notable exhibitions
- Carl Holty: The World Seen and Sensed, 1980-81; Milwaukee Art MuseumMilwaukee Art MuseumThe Milwaukee Art Museum is located on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Beginning around 1872, multiple organizations were founded in order to bring an art gallery to Milwaukee, as the city was still a growing port town with little or no facilities to hold major art exhibitions...
- Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Painting, 1945; Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
- American Painting Today, 1950; Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
- Abstract Painting and Sculpture in America, 1951; Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
- Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture, 1963; Krannert Art MuseumKrannert Art MuseumThe Krannert Art Museum is a museum of art at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois, USA. It is the second-largest museum in Illinois, with of space devoted to all periods of art, from ancient Egyptian to contemporary photography...
Further reading
- Kaplan, Patricia. Carl Holty: Fifty Years, A Retrospective Exhibition. New York: The City University of New York (1972).
- Larsen, Susan C. "The American Abstract Artists: A Documentary History 1936-1941." Archives of American Art Journal: 14.1 (1974) 2-7.
- Mecklenburg, Virginia M. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Collection: American Abstraction 1930–1945. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press for the National Museum of American Art (1989).
Writing by Holty
- Holty, Carl Robert. "The Mechanics of Creativity of a Painter: A Memoir." Leonardo: 1.3 (1968). 243-252.