ADOLPH GOTTLIEB A RETROSPECTIVE - Peggy Guggenheim Venice

ADOLPH GOTTLIEB. A RETROSPECTIVE
September 4, 2010–January 9, 2011
curated by Luca Massimo Barbero



The exhibition surveys the art of the American artist Adolph Gottlieb (1903-1974): from his initial paintings of Surrealist influence, to his expressionist and abstract works. The popularity of Gottlieb derives from his invention of a visual language more basic and universal than written language, purged of symbols with historical precedents.

His Pictographs are images of what appear to be archaic symbols in irregular grids; his Bursts and Landscapes are symbols of cosmic and universal, as well as uniquely aesthetic value. The show includes sketches, prints and sculptures.

The exhibition has been organized in partnership with the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, New York. It includes loans from the American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich, various private collections, as well as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou), and the Museum Frieder Burda.