Also located on the 25^th floor of the John Hancock building is the Valerie Carberry Gallery.  Established in 2002, the dealer's sole focus is Modern and Postwar American Art.  "Jack Tworkov: Women" is the gallery's latest exhibition that highlights work from 1945-1949, by the under-recognized abstract expressionist artist.  On view until May 23^rd, the show consists of roughly twenty paintings and works on paper displayed in a way that embodies the sensibility of the artist: elegance and simplicity.

Jack Tworkov was a Polish-born immigrant who is often overlooked in the scheme of American art history when compared to his contemporaries Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline.  He was a founding member of the New York School and spent the latter part of his career as an educator at Yale University, Queens College and a host of other institutions.  The work of Paul Cezanne and his friend Willem de Kooning were strong influences that can be seen during this time period.  It is also important to note that as a professor he inspired many up and coming artists in contemporary art, like Jennifer Bartlett and Robert Mangold.

"Women" is a mélange of expressive brush strokes and graphite.  Central to the exhibition is the artist's struggle between realism and abstraction.  This body of work presents a pivotal time period for Tworkov just after the Great Depression, working for the WPA and World War II.  He makes the otherwise conventional genre of portraiture modern, finding balance between figural forms and gestural expression.  Untitled (Study for Mel) (1945, seen at right) is pencil on paperboard and demonstrates the beauty of a working study.  Here, Tworkov has chosen a profile view of his model.  He has broken the figure down into primal shapes and indiscernible objects.  Tworkov's expressive sketch almost de-humanizes his subject, despite the accentuated breasts and curled eyelash.  The lines of graphite are fine, but rich in tone, creating movement within the frame of this static still life.  Untitled Seated Figure (Z. Sharkey) (1949, seen below) is reportedly a colorful representation of the New York art dealer.  The painting has a muted and low key palette of gray, green, eggplant and mustard yellow.  Tworkov depicts Sharkey seated and highlights the lapel of the gallerist's jacket.  She is central to the composition and like the Study for Mel, the vague background of loose brush strokes compels the viewer to wonder about the circumstances of this sitting.

Although Tworkov later voiced his regret in showing realistic subjects during a time of celebrated abstraction, Carberry takes this opportunity to champion the artist's decision and celebrates his evocative style.   The exhibition secures a bit of limelight for the artist, if only until the end of May.

--Robyn  Farrell Roulo

(top image: Untitled (Seated Figure #2). Oil on canvas, 1948. 36" x 24".  Image courtesy of Valerie Carberry Gallery)