Adolph Gottlieb, "Swimming"

An Abstract Artist

New York native Adolph Gottlieb (1903-1974) left high school in 1920; he worked during the day and took night classes at the Art Students League. In 1935, Gottlieb became part of a group of young New York artists, The Ten, who together put their work on display through 1940. During those years, Gottlieb painted colorful depictions of the human form and abstract scenes of nature. In the 1940s, he produced one of his first major series, "Pictographs." His paintings were simple but intended to evoke something much larger, such as an entire landscape or a strong emotion. In the 1950s, he produced an abstract painting series called "Imaginary Landscapes." His last series was "Burst," in 1957. It depicted discs and other shapes that he pulled together with the elements of design, particularly the use of contrasting colors, shapes, and sizes. Gottlieb's paintings can be found today in the Jewish Museum in New York, the American Contemporary Gallery, and in traveling exhibits.