There are few stories as uniquely captivating as that of the life and legacy of American artist Walter Quirt. As a pioneer of the social-surrealist movement in New York in the 1930s and 40s, a member of the radical John Reed Club, a longstanding WPA muralist, and an outspoken and uncompromising defender of his own beliefs, who was known for publicly calling Salvador Dalí a fascist and once threw Peggy Guggenheim out of his own studio, Quirt’s life story reads like a fascinating hollywood biopic. And, while his paintings can be found in 28 major museums including SFMOMA, de Young, Smithsonian and MoMA his contribution to 20th century art history has been largely overlooked since his death in 1968.

Figures in Motion: The Mid-Century Paintings of Walter Quirt, is the first exhibition to specifically celebrate Quirt’s figurative work, executed between 1956 and 1964, and is an important part of our responsibility to not only understand Quirt’s contribution to art history as a whole, but to also comprehend each of the pillars on which that contribution was built.
 

Join us at the Opening reception, Saturday, September 21, 6-9 pm. Exhibition will be on display through October 14th