Esphyr Slobodkina: An Unbound Creativity

Esphyr Slobodkina was a Russian-born author, illustrator, and pioneer of early American abstraction. Slobodkina was a forerunner of hard-edge painting, and her work often incorporated juxtaposing planar shapes in harmonious arrangements of color and form. She became a founding member of the American Abstract Artists group in 1936, which helped pave the way for the acceptance of abstract art in the United States. Slobodkina illustrated and published the children's book Caps for Sale in 1940, which remains a best-selling storybook. Slobodkina produced art until shortly before her death in 2002, consistently, and passionately exploring new media. The recent museum exhibition, Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina, has brought renewed institutional attention to Slobodkina's career. This exhibition will follow our solo presentation of Slobodkina's work at Independent 20th Century in September.