Willem de Kooning Dutch-American, 1904-1997

Featuring paintings, works on paper, sculpture, film, and archival ephemera from the SFMOMA Library, and SFAI archive, this ambitious exhibition showcases museum-quality works by contemporary and historical artists, illustrating Berggruen...

Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present The Human Form, a sweeping exploration of the human figure from the early 20th century to today. It will be the inaugural exhibition in its new space at 10 Hawthorne Street, across from the recently expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Bringing together over 60 works by 20th century masters such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Alberto Giacometti, Edward Hopper, Willem de Kooning, Gerhard Richter, Richard Diebenkorn, and Wayne Thiebaud, as well as leading contemporary artists George Condo, Cecily Brown, Joel Shapiro, Antony Gormley, Kiki Smith and Kehinde Wiley, The Human Form will look at the formal and conceptual ways that artists have approached the representation of the figure. As Dr. Steven A. Nash writes, “The human body has been a lightning rod for creative imagination since humankind’s earliest impulses toward graphic representation. As the most common attribute of our shared humanity, it provides a powerful channel for empathetic communication of ideas, emotions, ideals, and beliefs. Throughout the history of image-making, the body has inspired countless varieties of interpretation, but it is safe to say that no other period of art history has seen the inventive, radical, and expressive explorations of this human vessel that characterize the modern era starting in the early 20th-century.”

The exhibition is the first in the gallery’s new space, and reflects the Berggruen’s interest in putting into conversation works of historical significance with contemporary pieces that grapple with the most pressing issues of our time. The gallery has a long history of exploring figuration through its exhibitions, and this show provides an in-depth look at the significant role the figure has played for artists over time, and the way it has been adapted throughout the narrative of 20th and 21st century art. The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue with an introductory essay by Dr. Steven A. Nash, Founding Director of the Nasher Sculpture Center, Chief Curator at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and most recently, Director of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Full Artist List

Milton Avery Lucian Freud Elizabeth Peyton
David Bates Alberto Giacometti Francis Picabia
Max Beckmann Antony Gormley Pablo Picasso
Michaël Borremans Edward Hopper Martin Puryear
Cecily Brown Chris Johanson Gerhard Richter
Christopher Brown Alex Katz Tom Sachs
Nick Cave Yves Klein Jenny Saville
Chuck Close Roy Lichtenstein Joel Shapiro
George Condo Henri Matisse Kiki Smith
James Crosby Barry McGee Wayne Thiebaud
Willem de Kooning Henry Moore Adriana Varejão
Richard Diebenkorn Nathan Oliveira Kara Walker
Peter Doig David Park Kehinde Wiley

The Human Form, January 13 – March 4, 2017. On view at 10 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Images and preview are available upon request. For further information, please contact the gallery by phone
(415) 781.4629 or by email info@berggruen.com. Gallery hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

John Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper, a group exhibition that invites a new perspective on a history of drawing and painting by integrating works from both well known and emerging artists. This exhibition will open on Thursday, May 1st, and will run through Saturday, June 28th. An opening reception will be held on May 1st, from 5:30-7:30 pm.

From Willem de Kooning’s playful oil jitney to Sam Messenger’s meticulously rendered “veils”, Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper jumps around the various inspirations of the artists included to present a group of works in a fresh context. This exhibition incorporates the work of monumental and historical artists such as Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Mark di Suvero, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Longo with dynamic new work from emerging artists such as Diana Al-Hadid and William Cordova, both New York City artists who have received major exhibitions in 2013.

Mid career artists such as Peter Doig, Spencer Finch and Julie Mehretu balance out this topographical collection of works; their inclusion points to the range of various surfaces and textures an artist can explore within the expanse of their career. Mehretu’s careful drawings and di Suvero’s ink tinkerings contrast in each artist’s interpretation of an architectural perspectivism. Roxy Paine’s light hearted drawings work to inspire simplicity of style: his drawing Study for Line, 2014 is a study for his upcoming commission for the new Central Subway Yerba Buena/Moscone Station at 4th and Clementina streets in San Francisco. Ellsworth Kelly’s perennially loved flower drawings round out the show to underscore for the viewer a focus and appreciation for the artist’s touch inherent in a single line. Every work in Four Decades: Drawings and Works on Paper is inflected but not weighed down by each different artist’s past and procedures.

For further information and photographs, please contact the gallery at 415.781.4629 or info@berggruen.com.