NEW YORK, NY.- On the occasion of TEFAF New York, Almine Rech will present a selection of emerging, midcareer, and established artists from the gallery's program.
Each artist presents a unique perspective and distinctive formal language pushing the boundaries of contemporary and modern art. Each delves into the components of visual language, drawing from a range of sources that coalesce into an array of gestures, symbols, and materials. Creating an eloquent dialogue between abstraction and figuration, our presentation will reflect the diverse character of the gallery's program.
The artists include 20th–century pioneers such as Pablo Picasso, Ha Chong-Hyun, Marie Laurencin, Heinz Mack, Serge Poliakoff, Cy Twombly, De Wain Valentine, and Tom Wesselmann as well as contemporary artists Farah Atassi, Ali Cherri, Paul de Flers, Dylan Solomon Kraus, Inès Longevial, Sam McKinniss, Chloe Wise, and Zio Ziegler.
VIP Days (by invitation only)
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 1 – 8 pm
Early access hour for collectors daily 10:30 – 11 am during run of fair
Public Days
Friday, May a, 2025, 11 am – 7 pm Saturday, May 10, 2025, 11 am – 7 pm Sunday, May 11, 2025, 11 am – 7 pm Monday, May 12, 2025, 11 am – 7 pm Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 11 am – 6 pm
Pablo Picasso
Seated Nude Man and Woman,1954
Pablo Picasso was a pioneering Spanish artist whose career spanned over seven decades and profoundly shaped 20th-century art. Renowned for co-founding the Cubist movement, he broke with traditional artistic conventions, exploring fragmented forms and perspectives in a way that challenged and transformed visual representation. His prolific output encompassed painting, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics, with key works such as Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and fiuernica (1937) standing as iconic examples of modernist innovation and social commentary. Picasso's ability to constantly reinvent his style across a vast array of subjects—from his Blue and Rose periods to Surrealism and beyond—cemented his legacy as one of the most influential and versatile figures in the history of art.
Marie Laurencin Laurencin
Jeune Fille au bouquet, c. 1935
Born on October 31, 1883, in Paris, Marie Laurencin initially learned porcelain painting at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres before taking drawing courses with the City of Paris and at the Académie Humbert.
She was close to the French avant-garde artists of the Section d'Or movement, including Robert Delaunay, Jean Metzinger, and Francis Picabia. In 1907, she had her first solo exhibition and met Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) as well as the group of artists from the Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre, and the poet and art critic Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918). Although influenced by Fauvism at one point, Marie Laurencin simplified and idealized forms under the influence of Cubist painters. Working mainly in a palette of neutral tones such as gray, pink, and pastels, her delicate portraits focused on young women and animals. In the 1920s, she began painting graceful, ethereal female figures, which she later revisited in pale-toned canvases, evoking an enchanted world.
Tom Wesselmann
Blue Nude Blonde on Beach, 2001
Tom Wesselmann was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 23, 1931. He attended Hiram College in Ohio from 1949 to 1951 before entering the University of Cincinnati. In 1953, his studies were interrupted by a two-year enlistment in the army, during which time he began drawing cartoons. He returned to the university in 1954 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1956. During this time, he decided to pursue a career in cartooning and so enrolled at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he was accepted into the Cooper Union and where his focus shifted dramatically to fine art. He received his diploma in 1959. Tom Wesselmann emerged as a pivotal figure in the American Pop Art movement of the 1960s, setting aside abstract expressionism to embrace classical representations. His art, particularly in nudes, still lifes, and landscapes, carved out a unique niche with its integration of collage elements and assemblages.
These works often included everyday objects and advertising materials, reflecting his ambition to create imagery as impactful as the abstract expressionism he revered. Wesselmann is renowned for his American Nude series, marked by sensuous forms and vibrant colors. His Standing Still Life series of the 1970s, featuring free-standing shaped canvases, magnified intimate objects to an impressive scale, showcasing his innovative approach to art.
In the latter part of his career, Wesselmann, under the pseudonym Slim Stealingworth, penned an autobiography detailing his artistic evolution. He continued to experiment with shaped canvases and ventured into metal works, pioneering a laser-cutting technique that allowed precise translation of his drawings into metal forms. This period saw the creation of abstract three-dimensional images, culminating in his Sunset Nudes series. These oil paintings on canvas, with their bold compositions and abstract imagery, paid homage to the odalisques of Henri Matisse.
