Two exhibits (one at the Centre Pompidou & the other at the Calouste Gulbenkian Cultural Center) are revitalizing the legacy of Armenian American painter, and Genocide survivor, Arshile Gorky in the French capital.
Le Monde reviewed the show on Friday, April 6 (review) and asked why the 2009 Gorky retrospective in Philadelphia, which goes onto London’s Tate Modern, shouldn’t show up in Paris?
The paper also asks why he is the least known of his generation of New York painters:
Pourquoi est-elle si méconnue ? Parce que l’oeuvre s’est interrompue très vite et parce que Gorky a tout fait, de son vivant, pour demeurer insaisissable – et le reste aujourd’hui. [Let me paraphrase….Why is his work ignored? Because he died suddenly and Gorky did everything to stay under the radar – and that continues today.]
If anyone is planning a trip to Paris this spring, Gorky will be a must-see this season.
Le Monde‘s exhibit listings:
Centre culturel Calouste-Gulbenkian, 51, avenue d’Iéna, Paris-16e. Mo Iéna. Tél. : 01-53-23-93-93. Du lundi au vendredi, de 9 heures à 17 h 30. Jusqu’au 4 juin.
Centre Pompidou, Paris-4e. Tél. : 01-44-78-12-33. Du mercredi au lundi, de 11 heures à 21 heures. Jusqu’au 4 juin. 10 €. (Pompidou’s website on Gorky)
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