News

September 29, 2018 - January 20, 2019
Museum of Fine Arts 
St. Petersburg, Florida

Syd Solomon’s (American, 1917–2004) gestural canvases are exemplary of the tenets of Abstract Expressionism, as seen in the large-scale painting Westcoastalscape (1968) currently on view in the Acheson Gallery.  He has stated, “I am interested in the immediate, the chance and the transitory aspects […] in my work.  The truth of the moment, I believe may frequently be the artist’s opening to permanent quality.”  His multilayered paintings, characterized by stunning sweeps of color contrasts, are inspired by nature, and specifically the Florida landscape.  This Spotlight exhibition brings together works ranging from 1945 through the 1980s, drawn from the Museum collection as well as the Estate of Syd Solomon, which has also loaned archival images and publications.

After serving in WWII, Solomon divided his time between Sarasota, where he established the Institute of Fine Art at New College, and East Hampton, New York. At his invitation, a distinguished group of artists taught at New College in the 1960s including Conrad Marca-Relli, Larry Rivers, and Philip Guston.

Photo: Syd Solomon, Westcoastalscape (detail), 1968, oil and acrylic on linen, Gift of the St. Petersburg Times