Gina Knee Brook facts for kids

Gina Knee Brook, born Gina Schnauffer, was an American artist from the 1900s. She is best known as Gina Knee. She lived and painted in New Mexico, the southern United States, and New York.

Early Life and Art Inspiration

Gina Schnauffer was born in Marietta, Ohio. Her family was wealthy, but they did not think art was a serious career. She went to Smith College.

In 1930, Gina saw some paintings by John Marin in New York. These paintings showed life in the Native American Pueblos of New Mexico. She was so inspired that she moved to New Mexico in 1931. For her first year there, Gina watched Native American ceremonies and dances. She paid close attention to the colors and patterns she saw.

New Mexico Art Journey

While visiting Pueblos, Gina met Ernest Knee, a Canadian photographer. He took pictures of New Mexico's landscapes. Even though he was nine years younger, Gina married Ernest in 1933. She became known by his last name, Knee.

They moved into a house in Santa Fe. They were welcomed by the local art community. Gina knew she wanted to focus on her art. The Knees then built a home in the Tesuque Valley. It was made with local materials and had many outdoor spaces.

Once their home was ready, Gina focused on painting. She found inspiration in the New Mexico landscape. Her early paintings were traditional. But she quickly improved her skills. In 1933, she joined a group called the Rio Grande Painters. These artists loved painting the American Southwest. Gina felt a deep connection to the land.

As the 1930s ended, Gina's art changed. She started painting more abstract works. These paintings used many colors and shapes. Her brushstrokes became more free. In the 1940s, Ernest went to California for war work. Gina stayed in New Mexico.

She met an art dealer named Marian Willard. Willard invited Gina to have her first solo art show in New York. Willard also showed Gina the work of Paul Klee. Klee's fantasy style began to appear in Gina's art. She started using different materials like gouache and tempera. Her art became more modern. People praised her use of color.

California and Changes

In late 1942, Gina joined Ernest in Los Angeles. They explored the city's art scene. They met famous artists like Man Ray. Ernest Knee became the personal photographer for Howard Hughes.

Life changed for Gina. Ernest went to work every day. She had to do household chores during wartime. This was a difficult time for her. But she started creating art for a gallery in California. The California watercolor movement inspired her. She visited beaches for ideas. Her art was praised by important collectors.

However, her marriage began to fall apart. Ernest started a relationship with another woman. In 1943, Gina felt her marriage was over. After finishing her art for a New York show, she returned to New Mexico.

Later Career and New Beginnings

In the autumn of 1943, Gina moved to New York. She started a new life with painter Alexander Brook. They settled in Savannah, Georgia. Brook had lived there before. They turned an old warehouse into a home with two art studios.

Gina had an art show with famous modern painters. Her calm paintings fit well with their work. She sold her New Mexico home. Gina was used to the different cultures in New Mexico. But the South was new to her. She tried to show the lives of southern Black people in her art.

For the first time, she began painting with oils. Oil paints allowed her to explore new textures and colors. She could scrape away paint and start over. She told her gallery owner that she no longer felt "in tune with watercolor painting."

Life in Long Island, New York

Gina and Brook split their time between Savannah and New York. They also took road trips for Brook's portrait work. After a few years, they wanted to settle down. They chose a property near Sag Harbor, New York. They fixed up an old house. Then they set up separate art studios in a barn.

Gina had a solo art show in 1949. The reviews were mixed. Her watercolors were liked more than her oil paintings. A new art style called Abstract Expressionism was becoming popular. Gina tried to connect with these artists. But she stayed true to her own style. Her art had abstract qualities, but still showed recognizable images.

During the 1950s and 1960s, she continued to show her art. Friends from New Mexico visited her. These visits reminded her of New Mexico's influence on her art. She traveled often, finding new ideas for her watercolors, oils, and etchings.

In 1965, Gina was chosen for an art show called "Women Artists of America 1707-1964." It was shown at The Newark Museum of Art. She was proud to be one of 129 artists chosen. That same year, she had her only major art show. It featured paintings from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Gina continued to show her art in the 1960s and 1970s. She remained active even in her 80s. Her last art show was in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It displayed twenty-five of her watercolors from her time in the Southwest. After the show, her family gave the paintings to the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Death and Legacy

Gina Knee died on her 84th birthday, October 31, 1982. She passed away at Riverhead Hospital in Long Island. In her seventies, she often said, "I never got over New Mexico––the landscape, the mesas, mountains, the green and tan."

Her art can be found in many public museums. These include The Johnston Collection, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Albright–Knox Art Gallery, and the New Mexico Museum of Art.