William Brice
Encyclopedia
William Brice was an artist known for his large-scale abstract
paintings.
, April 23, 1921, he spent his early years living with his mother and his sister Frances (later the wife of producer Ray Stark
), while their father was in prison on a variety of charges stemming from a history of thefts, swindles and confidence schemes. Artists such as Clifford Odets
and the Gershwin brothers were frequent visitors. His talent was recognized early, and even in childhood, he had the services of a private art tutor. Important influences included then-active artists Henri Matisse
and Pablo Picasso
, (one of whose works Brice acquired at the age of fourteen).
Their mother, pursuing a career in radio, moved them to Beverly Hills. There he attended the Chouinard Art Institute
in Los Angeles
(1937–39, 1940–42), as well as the Art Students League of New York
in New York City
(1939–40). His first solo show of paintings and drawings was presented at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
in 1947. The early work was figural and representational. A 1950 L.A. Times review of his solo exhibition at the Frank Perls Gallery (Beverly Hills) praises the still lifes "that stress the geometrical aspects of common objects.” Over time, he moved in the direction of greater abstraction
, but rejected more progressive movements such as Abstract Expressionism
and Action Painting
. His work was characterized by expert draughtsmanship. He is particularly remembered for the “classic modernism
” of his late work, in which masses reminiscent of ancient ruins figure prominently, inspired in part by an important trip to Greece
in 1970.
From 1948 until 1952, he taught at the Jepson Art Institute
in Los Angeles, and the following year began his long tenure at UCLA, continuing until his retirement in 1991, where he was a beloved teacher, and mentored generations of artists, for whom he “offered a connection to European Modernism
.”
Brice’s work is part of the permanent collections of such major museums as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute of Chicago
and the Whitney Museum of American Art
in New York City.
At age 86, he suffered injuries in a fall, and never regained consciousness before dying at the UCLA Medical Center on March 3, 2008. He was survived by his wife, Shirley Bardeen, whom he married in 1942, their son John and two grandsons.
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...
paintings.
Biography
Born to actress Fannie Brice and gambler/criminal Nicky ArnsteinNicky Arnstein
Julius W. "Nicky" Arnstein was an American businessman, professional gambler, and con artist. Among his aliases were "Nick Arnold," "Nicholas Arnold," "Julius Arnold," "Wallace Ames," "John Adams," and "J...
, April 23, 1921, he spent his early years living with his mother and his sister Frances (later the wife of producer Ray Stark
Ray Stark
Ray Stark was an American film producer and powerbroker known for his Machiavellian ways.While putting together the Broadway musical Funny Girl - the highly fictionalized account of the life of his mother-in-law, Fanny Brice - its producer David Merrick took Stark and his wife to see an unknown...
), while their father was in prison on a variety of charges stemming from a history of thefts, swindles and confidence schemes. Artists such as Clifford Odets
Clifford Odets
Clifford Odets was an American playwright, screenwriter, socialist, and social protester.-Early life:Odets was born in Philadelphia to Romanian- and Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Louis Odets and Esther Geisinger, and raised in Philadelphia and the Bronx, New York. He dropped out of high...
and the Gershwin brothers were frequent visitors. His talent was recognized early, and even in childhood, he had the services of a private art tutor. Important influences included then-active artists Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
and Pablo Picasso
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...
, (one of whose works Brice acquired at the age of fourteen).
Their mother, pursuing a career in radio, moved them to Beverly Hills. There he attended the Chouinard Art Institute
Chouinard Art Institute
The Chouinard Art Institute was a professional art school founded in 1921 in Los Angeles, California, by Nelbert Murphy Chouinard .-Founder:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(1937–39, 1940–42), as well as the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(1939–40). His first solo show of paintings and drawings was presented at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is an art museum located at 1130 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara, California.It was founded in 1941 and currently ranks amongst the top 10 regional art museums in the United States . It is home to both permanent and special collections, the former of which...
in 1947. The early work was figural and representational. A 1950 L.A. Times review of his solo exhibition at the Frank Perls Gallery (Beverly Hills) praises the still lifes "that stress the geometrical aspects of common objects.” Over time, he moved in the direction of greater abstraction
Abstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
, but rejected more progressive movements such as Abstract Expressionism
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
and Action Painting
Action painting
Action painting sometimes called "gestural abstraction", is a style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied...
. His work was characterized by expert draughtsmanship. He is particularly remembered for the “classic modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
” of his late work, in which masses reminiscent of ancient ruins figure prominently, inspired in part by an important trip to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 1970.
From 1948 until 1952, he taught at the Jepson Art Institute
Jepson Art Institute
Jepson Art Institute, founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by artist Herbert Jepson, was an art school located at 2861 West 7th Street that flourished from 1947 to 1953 - becoming an important center for experimental figure drawing, art theory and printmaking. Prior to this, Jepson served as an...
in Los Angeles, and the following year began his long tenure at UCLA, continuing until his retirement in 1991, where he was a beloved teacher, and mentored generations of artists, for whom he “offered a connection to European Modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
.”
Brice’s work is part of the permanent collections of such major museums as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, 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...
and the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The 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...
in New York City.
At age 86, he suffered injuries in a fall, and never regained consciousness before dying at the UCLA Medical Center on March 3, 2008. He was survived by his wife, Shirley Bardeen, whom he married in 1942, their son John and two grandsons.
Books
- Marika Herskovic, American Abstract and Figurative Expressionism: Style Is Timely Art Is Timeless (New York School Press, 2009.) ISBN 9780967799421. p. 48-51
- Marika Herskovic, American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s An Illustrated Survey, (New York School Press, 2003.) ISBN 0-9677994-1-4, p. 50-53