George Earl Ortman facts for kids

George Earl Ortman (born October 17, 1926 – died December 16, 2015) was an American artist. He was a talented painter, printmaker, and sculptor. He also created unique "constructions" using different materials and objects. His art is known for its geometric shapes and symbols. People describe his work using art styles like Neo-Dada, pop art, and minimalism. These styles mean his art was sometimes playful, sometimes focused on simple shapes, and sometimes used everyday objects.

Early Life and Art Education

George Ortman was born in Oakland, California. His father was an electrician, just like his grandfather. His grandfather even worked with the famous inventor Thomas Edison a long time ago! George's mother came from Germany. She moved to the United States in 1914.

After finishing high school, George joined the United States Naval Air Corps. When he left the Navy in 1946, he started studying art. He went to the California College of Arts and Crafts from 1947 to 1948.

Later, he moved to New York City. There, he studied printmaking at a special school called Atelier 17 in 1949. After that, he traveled to Paris, France, to study art even more. He returned to New York City and continued his art studies at the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts.

Artistic Career

George Ortman's art journey began with an exhibition in Paris in 1950. When he came back to New York City, he joined the Artist's Club. This was a popular meeting spot for artists. Many famous artists who created "Action painting" and "Color Field" art were members there.

In 1953, he had his first solo art show. It was at the Tanager Gallery. This gallery was part of a group of co-operative galleries. They offered a new and exciting way for artists to show their work.

In 1954, George Ortman and actress Julie Bovasso started the Tempo Playhouse. They wanted to show plays by new European writers. They were the first in America to perform plays by writers like Jean Genet and Eugène Ionesco.

George Ortman showed his simple geometric art pieces at the Stable Gallery in 1954 and 1960. Another artist named Donald Judd saw these works. He thought they were an early example of Minimalism. Minimalism is an art style that uses very simple shapes and colors.

In 1965, George Ortman became an artist-in-residence at Princeton University. This meant he worked and taught art there. He also had a big art show that looked back at his work at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

In 1970, Ortman became the head of the Painting Department. This was at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills. He lived and worked in Castine, Maine, after leaving Cranbrook in 1992. George Ortman passed away on December 16, 2015, when he was 89 years old.

Awards and Recognition

George Ortman received several important awards for his art:

• 2014: Indiana University Thomas Hart Benton Medallion
• 2008: Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Grant
• 2003: Lee Krasner Award for Lifetime Achievement (Pollock-Krasner Foundation)
• 1965: Guggenheim Fellowship

Art in Museums

George Ortman's artwork is displayed in many famous museums. Here are some of them:

• The Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY
• The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, NY
• The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, NY
• The National Academy of Design, New York City, NY
• The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC
• The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
• The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
• The New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
• The Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
• The Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
• The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
• The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
• The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA
• The Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI
• The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
• The Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME

Solo Art Shows

George Ortman had many art shows where only his work was displayed. Here are some of his solo exhibitions:

• 2013: 39 Great Jones, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, New York, NY
• 2012: Algus Greenspon, New York, NY
• 2006: Mitchell Algus Gallery, New York, NY
• 2002: Mitchell Algus Gallery, New York, NY
• 1981: Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield, MI
• 1976: Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI
• 1972: Gimpel Weitzenhoffer Gallery, New York, NY
• 1971: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
• 1970: Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield, MI
• 1970: Reed College, Portland, OR
• 1967: Renaissance Society, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• 1967: Howard Wise, New York, NY
• 1967: Princeton University Museum of Art, Princeton, NJ
• 1966: Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
• 1966: Akron Art Institute, Akron, OH
• 1966: Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME
• 1966: Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee, WI
• 1966: David Stuart Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
• 1965: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• 1964: Cincinnati Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH
• 1964: Howard Wise, New York, NY
• 1964: David Mirvish Gallery, Toronto, CA
• 1962: Howard Wise, New York, NY
• 1961: Swetzoff Gallery, Boston, MA
• 1960: Stable Gallery, Boston, MA
• 1957: Stable Gallery, New York, NY
• 1955: Wittenborn Gallery, New York, NY
• 1953: Tanager Gallery, New York, NY

Group Art Shows

George Ortman also participated in many art shows with other artists. Here are some of the group exhibitions he was part of:

• 2013: 39 Great Jones, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, CH
• 1984: New Acquisitions, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
• 1981: New Acquisitions, Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
• 1978: Tenth Street Years, New York, NY
• 1977: The Spirit of Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
• 1975: Rainments of the Lord, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• 1972: Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of Art, New York, NY
• 1971: Opening Exhibition, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• 1970: Opening Exhibition, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
• 1969: Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, PA
• 1968: Icon-Idea, Rivington Arms, Lafayette College circulated by Smithsonian Institution, Easton, PA
• 1967: Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, PA
• 1967: Best of Season, Lany Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, CT
• 1967: Tamarind Print Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
• 1965: Tokyo Biennial, Tokyo, Japan
• 1965: A Decade of American Drawings, Whitney Museum, New York, NY
• 1965: Painting Annual, Whitney Museum, New York, NY
• 1964: Sculpture Annual, Whitney Museum, New York, NY
• 1964: American Painting, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL
• 1964: History of Geometric Painting in America, Whitney Museum, New York, NY
• 1964: Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, PA
• 1963: Toward a New Abstraction, Jewish Museum, New York, NY
• 1963: The Formalists, Gallery of Modern Art, Washington D.C.
• 1963: 60 Years of American Painting, Whitney Museum, New York, NY
• 1962: Annual, Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL
• 1961: American Sculpture, Claude Bernard Gallery, Paris, FR
• 1960: Artists Under 35, Whitney Museum, New York, NY
• 1960: New Acquisitions, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
• 1959: New Forms, New Media, Martha Jackson Gallery, New York, NY
• 1958: Stable Annual, Stable Gallery, New York, NY
• 1950: Salon de Mai, Paris, FR