Global InformationBen Aronson information
Ben Aronson
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|---|---|
| Born | October 4, 1958 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Boston University |
| Known for | Painting, Printmaking |
| Movement | Abstract Realism |
| Awards | National Academy of Design (2005), Childe Hassam Purchase Prize (American Academy of Arts and Letters (2006) |
| Website | www.benaronson.net |
Ben Aronson (born October 4, 1958) is an American painter living in Massachusetts. His work is represented by Tibor de Nagy Gallery[1] in New York, Jenkins Johnson Gallery[2] in San Francisco, LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe,[3] and Alpha Gallery[4] in Boston.
One of the strongest urban scene painters working today,[5] Aronson's painterly urban landscapes combine precise realism with gestural immediacy and Abstract Expressionist energy.[6] His work has become influential among, and emulated by many contemporary cityscape painters. His paintings are included in the permanent collections of more than fifty museums throughout the U.S. and abroad, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[7] the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the De Young Museum in San Francisco, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, MI, and the Suzhou Museum, Jiangsu Province, China, as well as numerous private and institutional collections.[8]
"Aronson's luscious impastos depict Manhattan's skyscrapers and concrete canyons, Paris's stately buildings, and San Francisco's skyline with great dexterity",[9] winning acclaim as "...the real deal: the rich physicality of oil paint married to the mutable physics of perception".[10]
In recent years his cityscapes have evolved to include contemporary social realist themes "...in which Aronson moves the human figure from its lesser role within the larger urban landscape, into a full subject of its own. Echoing his dramatically lighted single object still lifes, the solitary figures have now taken their place on stage with equal poignancy."[11] (Images/Nighthawks Series)[12] Exhibits at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, NYC ("Risk and Reward", 2010) and the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Maine ("Aronson to Aronson", 2011) revealed a new emphasis on social realism in a series of paintings with Wall Street themes exploring the contemporary world of big business. His "... scenes of the New York Stock Exchange floor in particular reveal one of the most energized and sophisticated brushes in the country. His high-contrast tones, boldly thick paint and slashing marks perfectly mirror the fast-moving, high-powered and high-tech world."[13]
Donald Kuspit, professor of art history and philosophy (Stony Brook University, Cornell) observes: "whatever social narrative is conveyed by Aronson's pictures, they are all exquisitely painted and emotionally haunting. Aronson is a social realist, like Edward Hopper—but he's dealing with a different [our current] social reality".[6]
- ^ Tibor de Nagy Gallery
- ^ Jenkins Johnson Gallery Archived April 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Today, Fine Art (2019-06-19). "Views From Above: Contemporary Urban Landscapes". Fine Art Connoisseur. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
- ^ Alpha Gallery Archived December 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Groff, Larry (March 2009). "Ben Aronson". Painting Perceptions.
- ^ a b Kuspit, Donald (October 2010). "Mood of Money". Artnet.com.
- ^ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2005). "Over Madison".
- ^ "Ben Aronson". artnet.
- ^ Miller, Donald (June 2010). "People, Places & Things". ARTnews. Vol. 109, no. 6. Reviews (column). p. 114.
- ^ Baker, R. C. (29 April 2008). "Anne Hardy, the Chamber Star". The Village Voice. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ O'Hern, John (May 2007). "Ben Aronson: Explorations". Gallery Guide, West Coast. New York, NY: LTB Media: Cover and p. 9.
- ^ "Nighthawks Series | Ben Aronson". Archived from the original on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
- ^ Kany, Daniel (28 August 2011). "...too good to miss". Portland Press Herald.