Louise Nevelson

Louise Nevelson was an American sculptor celebrated for her large-scale, monochromatic wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures.

Biography of Louise Nevelson

Louise Nevelson was born Leah Berliawsky in 1899 in Pereiaslav, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire, which is present-day Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.

In 1905, she emigrated with her family to the United States, settling in Rockland, Maine. Her earliest exposure to art occurred at the age of nine at the Rockland Public Library, where she encountered a plaster cast of Joan of Arc. This experience inspired her to pursue art, beginning with drawing classes in high school.

Her early watercolor paintings of interiors featured furniture depicted with a molecular structure, reminiscent of her later professional work, often incorporating female figures. While attending school, she practiced English, her second language, as Yiddish was spoken at home. Unhappy with her family's economic status, cultural differences, religious discrimination in her community, and her school environment, Nevelson set her sights on transferring to a high school in New York City.

After graduating, she started working as a stenographer at a local law office. In 1920, she married Charles Nevelson in a Jewish ceremony. Following their marriage, she and her new husband relocated to New York City, where she pursued studies in painting, drawing, singing, acting, and dancing. Despite facing disapproval from her parents-in-law, Nevelson remained dedicated to her artistic education.

In 1924, the family relocated to Mount Vernon, New York, a well-known Jewish community. Nevelson was unhappy with the move, as it distanced her from city life and her artistic milieu.By the winter of 1932–1933, she had separated from Charles. She chose not to seek financial assistance from Charles, and in 1941, they divorced.

Beginning in 1929, Nevelson pursued full-time art studies at the Art Students League. Her decision to delve deeper into art was sparked by an exhibition of Noh kimono at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1931, she traveled to Europe, studying under Hans Hofmann in Munich before exploring Italy and France. Upon returning to New York in 1932, she resumed her studies at the Art Students League. In 1933, she crossed paths with Diego Rivera and assisted him with his mural "Man at the Crossroads."

Soon after, Nevelson began attending sculpture classes at the Educational Alliance. While she initially experimented with mediums such as lithography and etching, she eventually decided to concentrate on sculpture. Her early pieces were crafted from plaster, clay, and tattistone. Throughout the 1930s, Nevelson started showcasing her work in group exhibitions.

In 1936, Nevelson achieved her first victory in a sculpture competition held at the A.C.A Galleries in New York.

In 1941, Nevelson held her inaugural solo exhibition at the Nierendorf Gallery, where she remained represented until 1947. During this period, she acquired a shoeshine box, which she displayed at the Museum of Modern Art. This exhibit garnered her significant press attention for the first time in her career.

During the 1940s, Louise Nevelson began creating Cubist figure studies using materials such as stone, bronze, terra cotta, and wood. In 1943, she had a show featuring sculptures made from found objects inspired by the circus. The exhibition was not received well, prompting Nevelson to halt her use of found objects until the mid-1950s.

Throughout the 1950s, Nevelson diligently showcased her artwork, aiming to exhibit as frequently as possible. Despite receiving awards and gaining acclaim from art critics, she faced persistent financial challenges. To supplement her income, she started teaching sculpture. Concurrently, her own artistic creations began to expand into monumental scale, moving beyond the more modest human-scale works of the early 1940s. Nevelson's artistic vision was further enriched by visits to Latin America, where she drew inspiration from Mayan ruins and the steles of Guatemala.

In 1960, Louise Nevelson held her first solo exhibition in Europe at Galerie Daniel Cordier in Paris. During the same year, a collection of her artwork titled "Dawn's Wedding Feast" was featured in the group exhibition "Sixteen Americans" at the Museum of Modern Art. In 1962, she achieved a significant milestone when the Whitney Museum of American Art acquired her black wall sculpture titled "Young Shadows." That year, her work was also chosen for display at the 31st Venice Biennale.

Nevelson was awarded a fully funded six-week artist fellowship at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles. During her time there, she produced twenty-six lithographs, making her the most prolific artist to complete the fellowship up to that point. Her lithographs from this period are noted for their inventive use of unconventional materials such as cheese cloth, lace, and textiles on the lithographic stone, resulting in captivating textural effects. Energized by this creative period and bolstered by renewed resources, Nevelson returned to New York. She joined Pace Gallery in the autumn of 1963, where she continued to exhibit regularly until the end of her career.

Nevelson expanded her sculptural repertoire beyond wood to include materials like aluminum, plastic, and metal. She also embraced innovative materials such as plexiglass and cor-ten steel. In the latter part of her life, Nevelson cemented her fame and personal style, characterized as "petite yet flamboyant," which became integral to her legacy. She passed away in 1988.