Shirley Gorelick facts for kids

Shirley Gorelick (born January 24, 1924 – died October 19, 2000) was an American artist. She was a painter, a printmaker, and a sculptor. This means she created art using paint, made prints, and carved or shaped materials into sculptures. Shirley Gorelick liked to show real people and things in her art. She used photos, live models, and even her own sculptures to help her create her unique style. She didn't want her art to be completely abstract (not showing real things) or exactly like a photograph.

Shirley's Early Life and Learning

Shirley Fishman was born in Brooklyn, New York. She went to Abraham Lincoln High School. Her art teacher, Leon Friend, invited many artists to speak to the students. Shirley got to learn from three of these artists: Chaim Gross, Moses Soyer, and Raphael Soyer. Gross especially influenced her early sculptures, which often showed strong, solid figures.

In 1944, Shirley earned her college degree from Brooklyn College. There, she met Leonard Gorelick, who also loved art. They got married the same year. Shirley continued her studies and earned a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1947. She also took art classes with famous artists like Hans Hofmann and learned printmaking from Ruth Leaf.

Exploring Art Styles

By the mid-1960s, Shirley Gorelick had tried many different art forms. She painted with oils and acrylics. She also made prints and drew with silverpoint. For sculptures, she used materials like terracotta, stone, and wood.

At first, she explored various art styles. These included Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, and Abstract Expressionism. However, she soon felt that these styles changed the human figure too much. She wanted to show people more realistically. So, she began to focus on making art that looked more like real life. She even reimagined famous paintings by artists like Pablo Picasso and Giorgione, making the figures look more like real people.

Painting Real People

Shirley Gorelick became known for her realistic paintings. She often focused on people she knew. One important person was Libby Dickerson, a Black model. Shirley painted Libby and her family many times between 1970 and 1974. These paintings showed them in natural, everyday poses, often with bright light.

When these artworks were shown in 1975, art critics loved them. One critic said Shirley had "invented the palette for black skin," meaning she found new ways to paint different skin tones. Another famous painting from this time was Willy, Billy Joe, and Leroy (1973). It showed three African-American men in her studio. Shirley continued to be inspired by older artists like Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Johannes Vermeer. But she combined their ideas with her own modern subjects.

Art for Women

As the feminist art movement grew, Shirley Gorelick became a key part of it. She helped start Central Hall Artists Gallery in 1973. This was a gallery run by women artists. She also joined SOHO 20 in New York, which was another gallery for women artists. From 1975 to 1986, Shirley had six solo shows at SOHO 20. She also showed her work in many group exhibitions there.

Her later paintings often showed teenagers. These figures were not perfect or "idealized." Instead, they showed real emotions like pain, questioning, anger, or confusion. Shirley used their poses, gestures, and facial expressions to show these feelings.

In 1976, Shirley painted a large portrait of Frida Kahlo. This painting was part of The Sister Chapel, a special art project. Thirteen women artists created portraits of important female role models. Shirley used elements from Frida Kahlo's own paintings and photos to create her portrait. By this time, Shirley was known for using "all sources of information" to truly capture her subjects. This included photos, live models, and even photocopies.

Later Portraits and Landscapes

In 1977, Shirley Gorelick started painting middle-aged couples. Examples include Gunny and Lee I (1977) and The Barnetts (1979–80). Her portraits of Lee and Eugenia Benson were called "dynamic visual experiences" by The New York Times. The newspaper noted how well she showed the connection between the two people.

Later, she painted Dr. Joseph Barnett and Dr. Tess Forrest, who were both psychoanalysts. Her painting Tess in a Blue Dress (Dr. Tess Forrest) (1980) shows Tess in her office, surrounded by books. A reviewer said Tess looked "shrewd and confident." In these portraits, the figures were larger than life-size and close to the viewer.

Shirley's last series of artworks, started in 1982, were landscape paintings. She was inspired by a trip to the Gorges du Verdon in France. These paintings showed small parts of the huge landscape. They combined cool, hard granite, green plants, and calm skies.

Shirley's Art in Museums

Shirley Gorelick's artworks are displayed in many public collections. This means you can find her art in museums and galleries for everyone to see.

• Night Flowers (around 1963-64), Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT
• Three Graces I (1967), National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
• Self-Portrait in a Fur Hat (1968), Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT
• Seated Figure (1973), Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
• Three Sisters III (1974), Hillwood Art Museum, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, Brookville, NY
• Beth (1976), Rowan University Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ
• Frida Kahlo (1976), Rowan University Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ
• Harold N. Proshansky (1992–93), Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY