FORT WORTH, TX.- On June 9, 2012, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents American Vanguards: Graham, Davis, Gorky, de Kooning and Their Circle, 1927–1942, an exhibition that brings together more than 60 pioneering works of American modernism. Organized by the Addison Gallery of American Art, the exhibition is on view through August 19, 2012, and admission is free.

During the early 20th century, the enigmatic and charismatic John Graham (1886–1961) and his circle of New York artists, which included Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning, forged their identities and dramatically transformed conceptions of what a painting or sculpture could be. They, along with others in Graham’s orbit, such as Jackson Pollock and David Smith, played a critical role in developing and defining American modernism. American Vanguards showcases works of art from this vital period that together demonstrate the inter-connections, common sources, and shared stimuli among the members of Graham’s circle.

“Much has been written and many exhibitions organized about the most significant artists in Graham’s circle, yet surprisingly, despite Graham’s close links with so many of these artists in the evolution of American abstraction, he remains little known,” notes Brian Allen, director of The Addison. “This long-overdue exhibition rediscovers Graham and puts his art and charismatic influence in the context of his time… . This assembly of paintings and sculpture evidences the creative energy of New York painting and sculpture during this crucial period and fosters greater understanding of the associations formed by the leading artists of this formidable generation.”

Graham was a painter, theoretician and mystic whose advanced ideologies ultimately affected the course of American modernism. Born in the Ukraine to aristocratic parents, Graham seemed an unlikely figure to be such a pivotal force in American art in the 1920s and 1930s. He studied law in prerevolutionary Russia, served in the czarist cavalry, and was a counter-revolutionary imprisoned by the Bolsheviks, all before arriving in the United States in 1920. Settling in New York where he studied with Jan Matulka, Graham developed close associations and friendships with Davis and Gorky, who were together so constantly that they were known as “the Three Musketeers.” The trio was soon joined by de Kooning who always credited the “Musketeers” with developing his understanding of modernism. To these artists, Graham was a vital conduit of knowledge regarding the latest developments in European modernism. Graham’s inner circle grew to include David Smith, as well as Dorthy Dehner, Adolph Gottlieb, Lee Krasner, Edgar Levy and Jackson Pollock— a cross-section of some of the most remarkable American artists of the period.

Graham’s influence was disseminated further through his seminal text, Systems and Dialectics of Art (1937), which affirmed the American modernist belief about art—that it is a creative process of abstraction, it is a form of communication independent of any imitation, and it reveals the unknown. By 1942, the visionary Graham was organizing a landmark exhibition at the McMillen Gallery, French and American Painting, that for one of the first times featured Davis, de Kooning, Krasner and Pollock, alongside European modern masters such as Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso. Although French and American Painting was largely forgotten, it was pivotal in launching the career of the young Pollock, whom Graham was credited with discovering.

“Visitors to the Amon Carter are familiar with the work of Stuart Davis; however, this exhibition puts his work in a new light alongside other modernists not represented in our collection,” says Andrew Walker, director. “We hope that our visitors will take advantage of the opportunity to see these great works and gain a sense of how these artists impacted the history of American art.”