Mavis Pusey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mavis Pusey
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| Born |
Mavis Iona Pusey
September 17, 1928 Retreat, Jamaica
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| Died | April 20, 2019 (aged 90) |
| Education | Traphagen School of Fashion, Art Students League of New York |
| Occupation | painter, printmaker, teacher |
| Movement | abstract |
| Children | 1 |
Mavis Iona Pusey (born September 17, 1928 – died April 20, 2019) was an amazing artist from Jamaica who later lived in America. She was known for her unique abstract art. Abstract art means it doesn't show real objects. Instead, it uses shapes, colors, and lines to express ideas or feelings. Mavis Pusey was especially famous for her "hard-edge" style. This style uses clear, sharp lines. She found inspiration in busy city construction sites, showing how cities are always changing. She was a leading artist in the abstract art movement.
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Mavis Pusey's Life Story
Mavis Pusey was born on September 17, 1928, in Retreat, Jamaica. Sadly, her parents passed away when she was very young. When she was 9, her aunt taught her how to sew and make dresses. Her very first job was at a clothing factory in Kingston.
Moving to New York and Art School
At age 18, Mavis moved to New York City to study fashion design. She went to the Traphagen School of Fashion. After a couple of years, she faced money problems and left school. She then worked at a bridal shop.
Later, she enrolled in fine art classes at the Art Students League of New York. This school was helpful because it worked around her job schedule. This allowed her to support herself financially. At the League, Mavis earned a scholarship from the Ford Foundation. This scholarship let her study with famous artists like Harry Sternberg and Will Barnet. Will Barnet was a painter and a printmaker.
Mavis once said in 1978, "Accidentally, I went into Will Barnet’s class of painting." She realized it might be the "wrong class" but she loved painting so much that she stayed. Studying with Barnet introduced her to the world of Modern Art. It also encouraged her to keep painting.
Life in London and Paris
After four years of study, Mavis's student visa expired. She then moved to England to live with her two brothers in London. There, she continued her education. In London, she worked as a pattern maker for the Singer Corporation. She also met Birgit Skiöld, a Swedish printmaker and modern artist.
In 1968, Mavis spent a year in Paris. She then returned to New York City in 1969. She started working with artist Robert Blackburn. During this time, she created important works like Broken construction at Noon (around 1970) and Impact on Vibration (1968).
Later Life and Legacy
In 1988, Mavis moved to Orange, Virginia. She began teaching painting at the Woodberry Forest School. At that time, she was one of only four women teachers there. She was also the only Black teacher.
Mavis Pusey passed away on April 20, 2019, in Falmouth, Virginia. She was 90 years old. She is survived by her daughter, Yvonne Palmer. Mavis Pusey's artworks are still displayed in many collections across the United States.
Mavis Pusey's Art Career
In 1968, Mavis Pusey had her very first solo art show. It was at Galerie Louis Soulanges in Paris, France. While living in Paris, Mavis saw the 1968 student riots. These events deeply inspired many of her artworks. They led to her most famous print, Paris Mai Juin (1968).
Exhibitions and Teaching
Mavis returned to the U.S. in 1969. Her work was shown in a big exhibition in 1971. This show was called Contemporary Black Artists in America. It took place at the Whitney Museum of American Art. One of her large paintings from that show, Dejygea (1970), was also part of a 2017 exhibition. This later show was called Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today. It was held at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Mavis Pusey also became a dedicated teacher. She taught art at many places. These included The New School, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Rutgers University. As mentioned, in 1988, she moved to Orange, Virginia. There, she taught at Woodberry Forest School, which is an all-boys boarding school.
Awards and Recognition
During her career, Mavis Pusey received important awards and grants. These came from organizations like the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation. Her works are now part of permanent collections in many museums. These include the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her art is also at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C..
Artistic Style and Inspirations
Mavis Pusey found much of her inspiration in the changing look of city construction. Many of her artworks were inspired by scenes of buildings being torn down or built. She gave her pieces titles like "Broken Construction at Dusk" and "Demolishment."
Design and Color in Her Art
Mavis had a great interest in design. This led her to use strong geometric lines in her art. An example is Solitude, a work she created in 1963.
She believed that color set the "tempo" or mood of her work. The design, she said, was the "backbone" of her art.
Featured Exhibitions
Her work, Dejygea (1970), was featured in the 1971 exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. This same painting was also shown in the 2017 exhibit, Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, the 1960s to today. This exhibition traveled to places like the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. and the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The very first art exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington D.C. also featured Mavis Pusey's work.
Where to See Her Art
Mavis Pusey's artworks are held in many different museum collections across the United States. Some of these include:
- Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
- Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), Detroit, Michigan
- Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Manhattan, New York
- National Gallery of Art (NGA), Washington D.C.
- Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
- The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
- Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi
