Charmion Von Wiegand facts for kids

Charmion von Wiegand (1896–1983) was an American artist. She was a journalist, abstract painter, writer, and art critic. Her mother, Inez Royce, was an artist. Her father, Karl Henry von Wiegand, was a well-known journalist.

Early Life and Education

Charmion von Wiegand was born in Chicago in 1896. She grew up in Arizona and California. As a child, she became interested in Chinese culture while visiting Chinatown in San Francisco. She also lived in Berlin, Germany, for three years as a teenager.

She later attended Barnard College and then Columbia University. She studied journalism, art, and archaeology. She also explored theater, Greek studies, and philosophy. Even though she didn't finish her degree, she thought about becoming a playwright. After college, she married and moved to Darien, Connecticut. Her marriage ended later.

Becoming an Artist

Charmion von Wiegand started painting in 1926. Her friend, the painter Joseph Stella, encouraged her. She also received support for her well-being at this time.

From 1929 to 1932, she lived in Moscow, Russia. There, she worked as a reporter for the Hearst Press. In Moscow, she saw amazing Fauve paintings. These artworks inspired her to paint seriously.

When she returned to New York in 1932, she began painting landscapes. She also married writer and editor Joseph Freeman. She wrote many art reviews for magazines like New Masses and Art Front. She believed that the best art came from changing societies.

Influences and Abstract Art

Charmion von Wiegand became friends with many artists. These included John Graham, Carl Holty, and Joseph Stella. They all believed that art should show beauty and spirituality.

In 1941, she met the famous Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. He had come to the United States during World War II. Charmion helped him translate his writings into English. She watched him create his famous "Broadway Boogie Woogie" painting. Mondrian greatly influenced her to start making abstract art. She began painting in a style called Neo-Plasticism.

Other artists also influenced her abstract work. These included Hans Richter, Wassily Kandinsky, Jean Arp, and Joan Miró. Around 1946, she started making collages. These were inspired by Kurt Schwitters' unique style.

American Abstract Artists

In 1941, Charmion von Wiegand joined the American Abstract Artists group. She became a full member in 1947. She showed her art with them starting in 1948. She even served as the group's president from 1951 to 1953.

Later Works and Eastern Culture

In the 1950s, Charmion von Wiegand became very interested in Eastern religions and cultures. She studied Theosophy and Buddhism. She also looked at Egyptian, Chinese, and Indian art, including Hindu Tantric images.

After Mondrian's death in 1944, she started painting with straight lines. She often used tape to create these lines. Later in the 1950s, she moved away from strict lines. She began using geometric shapes cut from colorful papers. These shapes varied in size, direction, and texture. Her paintings started to include many symbols and themes. This was clear in her geometric and balanced artworks after her 1972 exhibition.

Exhibitions and Collections

Charmion von Wiegand had over 21 solo art shows. Her first was in New York in 1942. She also took part in 35 major group exhibitions. These shows were held in the United States, Europe, and the Far East.

She won first prize at the Cranbrook Academy of Art Religious Art Exhibition in 1969. In 1980, she was chosen to be part of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In 1982, she had a big show of her work at the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach. She also received an Honor Award that year. Her art is now in more than 25 museums and collections. These include the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).

Charmion von Wiegand continued to work until she became very sick. She passed away on June 9, 1983.

See also

• Hard-edge painting
• Geometric abstraction