Jack Tworkov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Tworkov
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Tworkov circa 1950
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| Born |
Yakov Tworkovsky
15 August 1900 Biała Podlaska, Poland
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| Died | 4 September 1982 (aged 82) Provincetown, Massachusetts, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | National Academy of Design, Art Students League of New York |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
Jack Tworkov (born August 15, 1900 – died September 4, 1982) was an American painter. He is known for his unique style of abstract expressionism.
Early Life and Learning
Jack Tworkov was born as Yakov Tworkovsky in Biała Podlaska, a town on the border of Poland and the Russian Empire. His father was a tailor. In the early 1910s, his father moved to New York City to start a family tailoring business.
In 1913, Jack, his mother, and his younger sister traveled to New York. They arrived through Ellis Island, which was a famous entry point for immigrants. When they came to America, both children changed their names. Yakov became Jack, and his sister Schenehaia became Janice Biala. Jack went to American public schools.
At first, Jack was not very interested in painting. He went to Columbia University because he wanted to become a writer. However, his sister encouraged him to take art classes at the Art Students League of New York. These classes sparked his interest in art. Two painters who greatly influenced him early on were Cézanne and Matisse. Their work, along with his sister's encouragement, led him to study art seriously. He studied at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League of New York.
Becoming a Famous Artist
In 1924, Jack Tworkov joined his friends Yosl Cutler and Zuni Maud. They designed sets and costumes for a play called Di Kishefmacherin. They made puppets for the show and decided to start their own puppet theater. In 1925, the three friends opened the Modjacot Spiel Theatre. This was the first Yiddish puppet theater in America. Jack later left the group.
During the Great Depression in 1929, America faced a big economic crisis. President Franklin D. Roosevelt started the Work Projects Administration (WPA) to help people find jobs. Jack Tworkov, who wanted to be an artist, found work with the WPA's Federal Art Project. There, he met Willem de Kooning, one of the first artists to make Abstract Expressionism popular in America.
This was a key time for Tworkov's art. His paintings began to show early signs of the Abstract Expressionism style. Tworkov and de Kooning met many other abstract painters. Together with artists like Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollock, they formed a group called the New York School. Many of these artists also helped create the 8th Street Club. This club hosted the 9th Street Art Exhibition, which helped show the New York School style to the American public.
Teaching and Later Art
Jack Tworkov taught art at many universities during his life. These included the American University, Black Mountain College, and Yale University. At Yale, he was the head of the Art Department from 1963 to 1969. As chairman, he invited famous artists like Al Held to teach. Some of his students who later became well-known artists include Chuck Close and Richard Serra.
Tworkov is seen as an important and influential artist. His early paintings from the 1950s used strong, sweeping brush strokes. These "gestural" paintings helped form the basis of the abstract expressionist movement in America.
In the mid-1960s, Tworkov's art style changed. His later works used straight lines and geometric patterns. For example, his painting Wedding Flags from 1965 shows this change. It mixes both abstract expressionism and geometric abstraction.
Even though he helped start the New York School, Tworkov's later art moved away from that style. After the 1950s, his art became more geometric. You can see this in paintings like Indian Red Series #2 (1979). Tworkov's experiments with geometric shapes were inspired by basic geometry, number systems, and the famous Fibonacci number sequence.
In 2009, an art gallery in New York showed five decades of Tworkov's work. The show was called Against Extremes. It explored his journey from his early influences to his later, more geometric art.
Jack Tworkov died in 1982 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He was 82 years old.
See also
- Art movement
- Abstract expressionism
- New York School
- Action painting
- Expressionism
