Louise Berliawsky Nevelson
Louise Nevelson: A Pioneer of Assemblage Art
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Louise Berliawsky Nevelson (September 23, 1899 – April 21, 1988) was a renowned American artist known professionally as Louise Nevelson. Her work spanned multiple mediums, including painting, sculpture, and installation.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born in Kiev, Russia (now Ukraine), Nevelson immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of four. She spent much of her life in New York City, where she would eventually establish herself as a leading figure in American modernism.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nevelson was an American artist, though her early life and work were influenced by Eastern European culture. Her artistic profession spanned multiple mediums, with notable achievements in painting, sculpture, and installation art.
Early Life and Background
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Growing up in a family of modest means, Nevelson's early life was marked by hardship and displacement. She suffered from depression as a young woman and later moved to New York City to study art under the tutelage of Hans Hofmann. This early training laid the groundwork for her future success as an artist.
Major Accomplishments
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Nevelson's artistic career was long-lived and distinguished by numerous awards, exhibitions, and commissions. She was a key figure in the development of Assemblage Art, using found materials to create large-scale installations that challenged traditional notions of sculpture. Her work often explored themes of nature, mortality, and the relationship between art and environment.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Nevelson's most notable works include:
Sky Cathedral (1958), a massive installation made from wooden boxes and black paint that showcased her innovative use of found materials.
Dawn's Paw (1975), a sculpture composed of hundreds of wooden blocks arranged to evoke the movement of waves.
* Her participation in the 1960 MoMA show "The Art of Assemblage," which solidified her status as a leading figure in American modernism.
Impact and Legacy
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Nevelson's influence on modern art is immeasurable. She paved the way for future generations of female artists and expanded the possibilities of sculpture and installation art. Her use of found materials, industrial processes, and environmental themes continues to inspire artists today.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Nevelson's quotes and writings offer a glimpse into her creative process and artistic philosophy:
> "I always wanted to be an artist, but I never knew what it was until I had done it."
— Louise Nevelson
Her commitment to innovation, experimentation, and pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms has made her one of the most respected and celebrated artists of the 20th century.
Quotes by Louise Berliawsky Nevelson
Louise Berliawsky Nevelson's insights on:
What we start with is a conviction to fulfill our being. Horses, trees fulfill themselves. Why shouldn’t people.
When you are doing a piece you are with it. You don’t want to wait until next week, when experience will have given you something else.
I still want to do my work. I still want to do my livingness. And I have lived. I have been fulfilled. I recognized what I had, and I never sold it short. And I ain’t through yet.
It’s a hell of a thing to be born, and if you’re born you’re at least entitled to your own self.
I never for one minute questioned what I had to do. I did not think for one minute that I didn’t have what I had. If just didn’t dawn on me. And so if you know what you have, then you know that there’s nobody on earth that can affect you.
I was discouraged about life, discouraged about people being blind, but I don’t think I had a day that I ever questioned creativity. There has never been a day like that.
The outside wold pressures you into a mold, but if you don’t accept that – you gamble with life. Call it gambling.
In my studio I’m as happy as a cow in her stall. That’s the only place where everything is all right.
I’m in tune with the right vibrations in the universe when I’m in the process of working.
Another thing about creation is that every day it is like it gave birth, and it’s always kind of innocent and refreshing. So it’s always virginal to me, and it’s always a surprise.