William Wolff: 1950s & 1960s Paintings from the Estate December 1, 2007

WILLIAM WOLFF
(1922 - 2004)
1950s and 1960s Paintings from the Estate

December 1, 2007 – January 19, 2008

Charles Campbell Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of William F. Wolff paintings from the 1950s and 1960s. These works trace the development of Wolff’s style over a period of two decades and provide an exciting view of mid century modernism. Early paintings of abstracted still lifes and figures from the 1950s gradually give way to mythologically-inspired subjects.
Wolff initially worked in a style that brought together Abstract Expressionist improvisation and Cubist structure to traditional subject matter. He shared studio space with James Weeks in the early Post War years and both artists shared an interest in experimenting with materials and techniques. Works in this show are oil and tempera, perhaps house paint, on canvas and masonite.
Early works typifying the Bay Area Figurative Movement gradually evolved into myth inspired subjects. They were further elaborated in the bold, expressive woodcuts that Wolff began working with in the 1960s. He is more well known today for his print works, though his first show of paintings was at the Lucien Labaudt Gallery, one of the most important for the Bay Area school, in 1951.
William Wolff was born in SF in 1922 and studied at the California School of Fine Arts (now the SFAI) and received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from UC Berkeley. Additionally, he studied with Rupert Garcia, Gordon Cook and Max Beckmann.
Thomas Albright, the well-known and respected Bay Area art critic, found in Wolff’s paintings of this period a sensibility reminiscent of William Blake’s. This show brings to light a trove of paintings that have rarely been seen since the 1960s and document the artists’ journey from realism to symbolism, from visible to invisible.
Tuesday – Saturday noon to 5:00

Reception Saturday December 1, 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Contact: Steven Lopez;
or visit our website, www.campbellgallerysf.com

Official Website: http://www.campbellgallerysf.com