Alice Baber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Baber
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| Born | August 22, 1928 |
| Died | October 2, 1982 (aged 54) |
| Nationality | American |
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| Known for | Abstract painting |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
Alice Baber (born August 22, 1928 – died October 2, 1982) was an American artist. She was known for her abstract expressionist paintings. Abstract art uses shapes, colors, and lines instead of realistic pictures. Alice painted with both oil and watercolor. She studied art in the United States and also lived in Paris, France, during the 1950s and 1960s. Alice loved to travel and explored many places around the world. She also helped organize art shows for women artists.
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Alice Baber's Early Life
Alice Baber was born in Charleston, Illinois. She grew up in Kansas, Illinois and Miami, Florida. When Alice was about two years old, her family started traveling to Florida each winter. This was because a doctor suggested it for Alice's health.
Alice was interested in art from a very young age. She remembered deciding to be a "poet or painter" when she was about five. By age eight, she was taking drawing lessons. When she was twelve, she was so good that she took a college-level art class!
During her early teen years, World War II began. This meant her family stopped their yearly trips to Florida. Alice remembered staying in a tent during those trips. She said it felt "romantic" and made her feel like a "nomad," or someone who travels a lot.
Alice Baber's Education
Alice chose to study art when she went to Lindenwood College for Women in Missouri. She studied there for two years. Then, she moved to Indiana University. At Indiana University, she learned from an artist named Alton Pickens. He was known for his figurative expressionist style.
Alice earned her Master of Arts degree in 1951. After that, she began traveling through Europe. She studied for a short time at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She lived in Paris during the late 1950s and 1960s. While traveling in Europe, she wrote articles to earn money. She even worked as the art editor for McCall's magazine.
Alice Baber's Art Work
Alice Baber started her art career mainly using oil paints. But in the 1950s, she began trying out watercolor paints. This change to watercolor led to a new style for Alice. She moved from painting still lifes (pictures of objects) to creating more abstract works.
Her abstract paintings focused on color and shapes. The circle was a common shape she used. Alice was famous for how she used light and color in her art. She had many art shows that were all about these themes.
In 1958, Alice had her first solo art show in New York. It was at the March Gallery, where she was a member. That same year, she also got a special studio space at the Yaddo Art Colony. During this time, she started to explore color in her own unique way. She found endless ways to use color and light within the shape of a circle. She once said she wanted to make the light "moving across the whole thing" in her painting Battle of the Oranges. This idea became very important to her art.
In 1959, her paintings were shown in many places across Europe. This included the first "Jeune Biennale" at the American Cultural Center in Paris, France. Her early life of traveling might have influenced her. For a while, she spent six months of every year living in France.
In 1975, Alice Baber helped organize an art show called "Color, Light and Image." This was an international show featuring 125 women artists. It celebrated the United Nations' International Women's Year. The show was held at the Women's Interart Center in New York City.
From 1976 to 1978, Alice traveled to 13 countries in Latin America. She went with the U.S. State Department. She showed her art and gave talks about it. In 1979, Alice was an artist-in-residence at the Tamarind Institute print workshop.
Two places are named in her honor: the Alice Baber Memorial Art Library in East Hampton, New York, and the Baber Midwest Modern Art Collection in Indiana. Many museums around the world own her art. These include famous places like the Guggenheim, Whitney, Metropolitan, and the Museum of Modern Art. Her art is also collected by private owners, companies, and universities. Her paintings have flowing, beautiful movement and pure, bright colors.
Alice Baber's Personal Life
In the 1960s, Alice traveled to Japan. She collected many pieces of Asian art. Later in her life, she faced health challenges. But she kept painting even when it was difficult. Alice Baber passed away in 1982. She was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Edgar County, Illinois.
