06/22/2022
“Flight #3”, acrylic, 30” x 24”
“Yellow Sun”, acrylic 32” x 24”
“Brazil #3”, acrylic, 48” x 36”
Our this week is Taos Modernist, Beatrice Mandelman.
Born on December 31, 1912 in Newark, New Jersey, from an early age Bea was determined to be an
artist. She spent her childhood taking classes at local fine art schools included Rutgers University and the Art Students League in New York City.
In 1935, Mandelman was employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), first as a muralist and then as a printmaker with the Graphic Division of the New York Project. During this time, she was associated with numerous New York School artists including Jackon Po***ck and Stuart Davis.
By the 1940’s, her works were included in exhibitions at the Chicago Art Insitutue, the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
In 1944, her and her artist husband, Louis Ribak, settled in Taos, New Mexico.
Now removed from the art world’s mainstream, the couple found themselves working together with other modern artists in what would become known as the “Taos Modernists”.
Mandelman found freedom in the relative isolation of northern New Mexico, developing a style that was distinctly her own. Inspired by the light, local landscapes, and diverse cultures of Taos, her work
flourished.
Throughout her life, Mandelman was adventurous and profoundly curious.
The three paintings shown here are available for purchase in the gallery or by visiting our website; Davidcookgalleries.com
