Grete Rikko
Encyclopedia
Grete Rikko was a 20th century German-American abstract expressionist, known for her paintings and collages.
and participated in group exhibitions at the Salon d'Automne, Galerie Marguerite-Henry, Galerie Bonaparte, and the Jeune Europe. Rikko's first solo exhibitions were at the Galerie Hartberg in Berlin in 1933 and at the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf in 1934 and 1935. In 1933 she relocated to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where she held several more solo exhibitions. During the Belgrade
years, Rikko also made study trips to Spain, Italy, and the Balkans.
.
In 1959, the famed Bodley Gallery
on Manhattan’s Upper East Side hosted an exhibition of Rikko’s oils and gouaches. The curators praised Rikko for her “ability to ‘see,’ to perceive that which gives meaning, significance, or beauty to a landscape, a human situation or problem, or even an idea.” The show was also reviewed by Stuart Preston in the New York Times, who described Rikko’s work as “an excitable style, a feeling for sullen color and greater loyalty to gestures with the palette knife than the subject matter.” The Bodley Gallery ran additional shows of Rikko’s work in 1960 and 1967.
Early life and European career
Rikko was born on April 13, 1908 in Essen, Germany. She studied art at the Volkswang Schule in Essen, before moving to Paris in 1928 to study at the Académie Ranson. In Paris she studied under famed abstractionist Roger BissièreRoger Bissière
Roger Bissière was a French artist who painted in the abstract Tachisme style. He was born in Villeréal, Lot-et-Garonne, and died in Boissièrettes...
and participated in group exhibitions at the Salon d'Automne, Galerie Marguerite-Henry, Galerie Bonaparte, and the Jeune Europe. Rikko's first solo exhibitions were at the Galerie Hartberg in Berlin in 1933 and at the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf in 1934 and 1935. In 1933 she relocated to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where she held several more solo exhibitions. During the Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
years, Rikko also made study trips to Spain, Italy, and the Balkans.
New York years
In 1937 Rikko relocated permanently to New York due to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. (Her parents and a sister died at Auschwitz, her brother survived and eventually joined her in the United States). Her first American exhibitions were at the New York City World's Fair in 1939, at Carroll College in Helena Montana in 1941, the British Art Center in New York in 1945, and the Village Art Center in 1949. Rikko exhibited predominantly in Europe during the 1950s, with shows at the Platts Gallery in the Hague in 1954, the Galerie Sothman in Amsterdam in 1956, at the Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem in 1957, and at the Galerie t'Venster in Rotterdam in 1958. The curators at Arnhem described her work as “towards the abstract,” saying that “[m]ost of the exhibited works have a specific idea, although the expression of atypical color and rhythm is of paramount importance. The artist expresses ‘movements’… the rhythm of life itself.” Rikko also painted a large mural in the new Bouwcentrum in Rotterdam in 1956 with Henry MooreHenry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
.
In 1959, the famed Bodley Gallery
Bodley Gallery
The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art gallery in New York City, USA, from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. The Bodley specialized in contemporary and modern art. David Mann was director of the gallery during its heyday and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Braun The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art...
on Manhattan’s Upper East Side hosted an exhibition of Rikko’s oils and gouaches. The curators praised Rikko for her “ability to ‘see,’ to perceive that which gives meaning, significance, or beauty to a landscape, a human situation or problem, or even an idea.” The show was also reviewed by Stuart Preston in the New York Times, who described Rikko’s work as “an excitable style, a feeling for sullen color and greater loyalty to gestures with the palette knife than the subject matter.” The Bodley Gallery ran additional shows of Rikko’s work in 1960 and 1967.
Later life
Rikko exhibited only sporadically during the latter part of her life, but taught private art lessons in New York City. She died in 1998.Exhibitions listing
- Galerie Hartberg, Berlin, 1933
- Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf, 1934 & 1935
- World's Fair, New York City, 1939
- 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...
, New York City, 1940 - Carrol College, Helena,1941
- British Art Center, New York City, 1945
- Village Art Center, New York City, 1949 & 1953
- Platts Gallery, the Hague, 1954
- Galerie Sothman, Amsterdam, 1956
- Museum of Modern Art, Arnhem, 1957
- Galerie t'Venster , Rotterdam, 1958
- Bodley GalleryBodley GalleryThe Bodley Gallery was a prominent art gallery in New York City, USA, from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. The Bodley specialized in contemporary and modern art. David Mann was director of the gallery during its heyday and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Braun The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art...
, New York City, 1959 & 1960 - The Little Gallery, Philadelphia, 1960
- Cocoa-Tree LTD, Atlanta, 1960
- Bouwcentrum, Rotterdam, 1960
- Galerie Schaumann, Essen, 1961
- Hanover Gallery, London, 1962
- Bodley GalleryBodley GalleryThe Bodley Gallery was a prominent art gallery in New York City, USA, from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. The Bodley specialized in contemporary and modern art. David Mann was director of the gallery during its heyday and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Braun The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art...
, New York City, 1967