Michael May/Housely Carr, Carversville, Pa.

Auctions, Subway and Still Lifes

The Work of Figurative Painter Daniel Greene at Hollis Taggart

NEW YORK CITY – Hollis Taggart Galleries will host a solo exhibition of more than 30 paintings and pastels by renowned contemporary figurative painter Daniel Greene. This expansive show entitled, “Auctions, Subway and Still Lifes,” opens October 26 with a reception for the artists from 5:30 until 8 pm and will remain on view until November 18.

The exhibit exemplifies Greene’s masterful ability to work in both oil and pastel in a varied range of subject matter. It encompasses more recent works from his critically acclaimed “Subway Series,” a recent group of paintings representing the world of auctions, and beautifully rendered still lifes. Greene’s intriguing new works associated with auctions, auctioneers and antiques are likely to receive as much critical acclaim as his earlier works from the “Subway Series.” “96th Street Tunnel,” a composition previously described in Artnews (October 1997) as “a knockout… dizzying view of receding tracks and tiled walls, a virtuoso display of technique and composition” is included in this show.

Greene’s “Auction Series” captures the intensity in this ever changing and fascinating industry. The thrill of the game, the collecting impulse and the prospect of obtaining valuable objects are all depicted in the new paintings. Some paintings focus on the workers displaying rare treasures for consideration, the auctioneers shown only peripherally, other works observe the gestures and attitudes of the bidders and the technique of signaling a bid.

“Dutch Vase,” for example, incorporates the auctioneer’s gesture to pull in bidders, the current lot for display, as well as tapestries, furniture and a glimpse of the audience that includes a rare self-portrait of Greene. He explores compositions and the wide range of emotions inherent in the excrdf_Descriptionent auctions present. In one of three diptychs that are part of this exhibition, “Paddle 342,” Greene focuses on the bidder’s hands striving to purchase the coveted lot and the auctioneer’s hand acknowledging the action. Additionally, the vast variety of auction subjects afford Greene an opportunity to combine his skill at portraiture and still life. He depicts auctions of jewelry, American paintings, prints and posters, furniture, tapestries and rugs and ancient artifacts.

Daniel Greene N.A. is one of America’s leading figure, portrait and still life painters and has been internationally acclaimed as one of the world’s most renowned pastelists. He is the author of Pastel, now in its eighteenth printing, and The Art of Pastel, which is published in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. He is a former instructor of painting at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League in New York. In 1969 he was elected to the National Academy of Design, and in 1983 the Pastel Society of America named him to the Pastel Hall of Fame, the first living artist so honored. In 1992, the Oil Painters of America Society named him to its Hall of Fame. Also in 1992, he was awarded American Artist’s Magazines’ first lifetime achievement award in the category of oil painting. In 1995 The American Society of Portrait Artists presented him with the John Singer Sargent award for life-long dedication to the achievement of excellence in portraiture. In 1999 he was awarded The Artists Fellowship Benjamin West Clinedinst medal for the achievement of exceptional artistic merit.

Greene’s paintings and pastels are in over 500 public and private institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cincinnati Museum of Fine Art, Norfolk Museum, Hammond Museum, The Yale Art Gallery, The Smithsonian Institution, The White House, Roosevelt Memorial Library, IBM, American Express, DuPont, The New York Stock Exchange, West Point Academy, Duke, Tufts, Harvard, Princeton, Rutgers and Columbia Universities, among others.

An illustrated color catalogue with an essay by Michael J. Berlingham accompanies this exhibition.

The gallery, at 48 East 73rd Street, is open Monday through Friday, 10 am until 5 pm, Saturday, 11 am until 5 pm. For information, 212/628-4000.