Conrad Marca-Relli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Conrad Marca-Relli
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Conrad Marca-Relli in 1982 in his studio
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| Born |
Corrado Marcarelli
June 5, 1913 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | August 29, 2000 (aged 87) Parma, Italy
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| Education | New York School |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
Conrad Marca-Relli (born Corrado Marcarelli; June 5, 1913 – August 29, 2000) was an American artist. He was part of the first group of artists in the New York School. This group created a style called Abstract expressionism. Their art became famous around the world in the 1950s. Artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning were also part of this important art movement after World War II.
About Conrad Marca-Relli
Conrad Marca-Relli was born Corrado Marcarelli in Boston. His parents were Italian immigrants. When he was 13, he moved to New York City. In 1930, he studied art at the Cooper Union for a year. Soon after, he opened his own art studio. He earned money by teaching art and drawing pictures for newspapers.
Later, he worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This was a government program that helped people find jobs during the Great Depression. He taught art and painted murals for the Federal Art Project. During this time, he won the Logan Medal of the Arts. He also served in the US Army during World War II (1941–1945).
After the war, Marca-Relli taught art at Yale University for a few years. He also taught at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1953, he bought a house near famous artist Jackson Pollock in Springs, East Hampton. As he became more famous, he started to work less closely with the New York School artists.
Conrad Marca-Relli lived and worked in many countries. He eventually settled in Parma, Italy, with his wife, Anita Gibson. He passed away in Parma in 2000 at the age of 87.
His Art Career
After World War II, Marca-Relli joined a group called the "Downtown Group." These artists had studios in lower Manhattan, New York City. They were part of the new and exciting avant-garde art scene in Greenwich Village.
Marca-Relli had his first solo art show in New York City in 1948. In 1949, he helped start the "Artists' Club." This club was a meeting place for artists. He was also chosen to show his work in the famous Ninth Street Show in 1951. This show was very important because it helped make the New York School artists well-known. Artists themselves chose who would be in the show.
Marca-Relli's early paintings often showed cityscapes (city scenes), still lifes (arrangements of objects), and circus themes. These works sometimes reminded people of the Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico.
He became known for his large-scale collages. A collage is an artwork made by gluing different materials, like paper or fabric, onto a surface. He often mixed oil paint with collage. He used bright colors, rough surfaces, and a technique called "spattering" (splashing paint). He also tried using metal and vinyl in his art. Over time, his collages became simpler, often using black or dark colors and rectangular shapes on a plain background.
In 1967, the Whitney Museum of American Art held a special show of his work. This kind of show, called a "retrospective," looks back at an artist's entire career.
Today, there is an organization called the Archivio Marca-Relli. It collects information about Conrad Marca-Relli and keeps track of his artworks. This helps create a complete list of all his pieces for the future.
See also
- Action painting
