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The Art Gallery at the Rockefeller Preserve in cooperation
with Gallery
Moderne, Piermont, NY will present an exhibition of the
Historic and renowned Swiss-American artist John Konstantin
Hansegger to be held September 22nd thru October
28, 2012. The opening on September 22: 2:00-4:30 p.m. is
hosted by the Friends of Rockefeller State Park, as well as
Mark Waller and Audrey Leeds, co-curators.
J.K. Hansegger, born in St. Gallen, Switzerland in 1908, was
a unique figure in 20th Century art, working at
the highest level in most of the major movements of the
century. His career spanned seven decades and five
continents. Finding solace in art from the pain of his early
life as an orphan he was recognized as a prodigy, achieving
his first one-man show at the age of 20, Zug, Switzerland.
Hansegger moved to Paris and became a member of an artistic
circle of avangarde artists, among them Picasso with whom he
developed a friendship. Hanseger is one of the few artists
to ever paint Picasso’s portrait. He mastered Cubism,
Surrealism and invented a unique style, Abstract Parallels
filled with symbolic imagery in bright primary colors.
Picasso and Swiss Fernand Leger encouraged his career.
After World War 11, in need of adventure, Hansegger
travelled extensively, holding successful shows in Japan,
Sweden, Israel and in 1947 America where he exhibited his
work along with Klee, Kandinsky and others at the famous
Galerie Nierendorff, NYC. Travels to South America as well
as Africa brought him more fame with his vistas of brilliant
impressionist paintings of new places, people and animals.
While there, he became a friend of Albert Einstein, who
granted him the honor of painting his portrait. In
addition, he explored and developed playful Rectilinear
Figurative portraits and a captivating landscape style he
called Ornamentalism.
In 1953, Hansegger was invited to hold a solo exhibition at
Princeton University’s Art Museum. Albert Einstein
befriended him and granted him the privilege of painting his
portrait. Reviews acclaimed his talent and the University
offered him a position, however JK chose to open a studio in
NYC.
He enjoyed great artistic freedom, moving between more
styles, painting for the joy of it. Portraits continued to
sustain his career and included Governor Nelson Rockefeller,
Toscanini, Thomas Mann, Zen Master D.T. Suzuki, Rabbi
Herzog, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and many others.
Mark Waller is a Fine Art dealer and the founder of Gallery
Moderne in Piermont, New York. He specializes in historical
American Paintings from the Lower Hudson Valley and 20th
Century Decorative Arts.
The
Art Gallery at Rockefeller State Park Preserve is located at
125 Phelps Way (Route 117), Pleasantville, NY 10570. The
gallery is open daily 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The Preserve is
one of 15 state parks, six historic sites and two golf
courses administered by New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation – Taconic Region. Visit
the Preserve on facebook:
www.facebook.com/RockefellerSPP. For further
information about the Preserve, visit
www.nysparks.com/parks/59/details.aspx or
www.friendsrock.org
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