In the art world, the period between 1945 and 1950 are considered a pivotal moment for modernist artists, particularly in America, where a bold, muscular intensity – and sometimes a spirit of playful freshness – began to emerge, probably a reaction to the end of the Great Depression and the cessation of World War II.
As the pain and grief of the previous era gave way to a certain cautious optimism, many artists channeled those feeling onto their canvasses, and the result of those first few years is some of the most explosive and innovative artworks of the entire postwar period.
A new exhibit, titled, “Postwar Modernism of the West,” has opened at the Calabi Gallery (144 Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma, calabigallery.com), featuring many eye-opening examples of postwar modernism, 1945 – 1985. A number of pieces represent the earliest moments of that period, including works by Robert McChesney, Nathan Oliveira, Roy De Forest, and more.
The treasure-filled Calabi Gallery, founded by collector and art restorer Dennis Kautsky Calabi, has become a vibrant destination for casual and committed art aficionados across the Bay Area, with a series of rotating exhibits showcasing Calabi’s expanseive knowledge of art and artists.
With a specific passion for rarely seen works and styles, those that fall outside the boundaries of the current trends, Calabi established the gallery as part of his lifelong efforts to, as he has put it, “shine a light into some of my favorite shadows.”
