Gary Garrels

For the 30th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Gary Garrels, curator of the exhibition “Willem de Kooning and Italy” and editor of the associated catalogue, published by Marsilio Arte and distributed internationally by Artbook D.A.P..

In the interview, Gary provides insight into Willem de Kooning’s engagement with Italy in the 1950s and early 1960s, sharing how the artist was “steeped in the history” of the place. The book and the conversation between Gary and Megan zero in on a crucial, but unexplored, period in de Kooning's career.

“Willem de Kooning and Italy” is a beautifully illustrated accompaniment to the exhibition at Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia (closes September 15, 2024). The exhibition is curated by art historian Gary Garrels and Anish Kapoor Foundation director Mario Codognato, and is the first to analyze the impact of de Kooning’s Italian sojourns on his later production. Bringing together 75 works belonging to the period from the late 1950s to the 1980s, such as the famous “Door to the River,” “A Tree in Naples,” and “Villa Borghese,” painted in 1960 in New York, it is the largest de Kooning retrospective ever organized in Italy.

Gary Garrels is a highly respected and influential curator for more than thirty-five years at major museums in the United States, including: Dia Art Foundation, New York, Director of Programmes, 1987-1991; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Senior Curator, 1991-1993; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture, 1993-2000; Museum of Modern Art, New York, Chief Curator, Department of Drawings and Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, 2000-2005; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Public Programmes, 2005-2008; and again at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture, 2008- 2020. He is currently an independent curator living and working in New York, focused on projects of special interest.

PURCHASE THE BOOK:

In Italy: Marsilio Arte.
Internationally: Artbook D.A.P.

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"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden