Jonah Kinigstein
Jonah Kinigstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Painter, cartoonist |
| Movement | Expressionism |
Jonah Kinigstein (born June 26, 1923) is an American artist known for his Expressionist paintings.
Early life and education[edit]
Kinigstein was born on June 26, 1923, in Brooklyn, New York City.[1][2][3][4] His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland.[4] As a teenager, he would use chalk to make sidewalk art.[4] At times he worked with his father, a house painter.[4]
After high school, he attended Cooper Union.[4][5] Before he graduated, he was drafted into the army during World War II, where he served in a photo topography unit.[4]
Art career[edit]
After being discharged from the army, he moved to Paris, where he attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma.[4][5] He exhibited at the Galerie Huit.[6]
He later moved back to Manhattan.[4] The rise of abstract expressionism and the loss in popularity in figurative art prevent Kinigstein from being able to paint for a living.[4] He worked in commercial art, where he designed Bloomingdale's first collectible shopping bag in 1961.[4] He also began drawing political cartoons criticizing abstract expressionism and the figures in the art world promoting it.[4]
Kinigstein continued to paint for himself. He dubbed his style "figurative expressionism", and his painting frequently depict distorted figures in front of surreal backgrounds.[4] At age 99, he continues to paint for two or three hours a day in his home.[4]
Kinigstein's work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art,[7] the Smithsonian American Art Museum,[2] and the Whitney Museum of American Art.[8]
Personal life[edit]
Kinigstein has been married twice and has two children.[4] His second wife is Eileen Muken Kinigstein.[4] Kinigstein turned 100 in June 2023.[9]
Awards[edit]
He is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship as well as a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation award.[10]
Publications[edit]
In 2014, a book of his cartoons entitled The Emperor's New Clothes: The Tower of Babel in the "Art" World was published by Fantagraphics Underground.[4][11]
In 2022, Unrepentant Artist: The Paintings of Jonah Kinigstein was published.[4][12]
References[edit]
- ^ Who's Who in the World. Marquis Who's Who. 1970. p. 519. ISBN 9780837911014. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Jonah Kinigstein". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Young America 1957. Whitney Museum of American Art. 1957. p. 45. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Schuerman, Matthew (January 1, 2023). "This artist stayed figurative when art went abstract — he's finally recognized, at 99". NPR. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "Jonah Kinigstein". AskArt. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Galerie Huit American Artists in Paris 1950-52 Catalog". Worthpoint. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Jonah Kinigstein MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Jonah Kinigstein". Whitney Museum of American Art. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Meet the artist who just turned 100 years old — and is finally having his moment". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- ^ "Jonah Kinigstein". National Academy of Design. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Kinigstein, Jonah (2014). The Emperor's new clothes : the Tower of Babel in the "art" world. Seattle, Washington: Fantagraphics.
- ^ Kinigstein, Jonah (2022). Unrepentant artist : the paintings of Jonah Kinigstein. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics. ISBN 9781683965411.
External links[edit]
- images of Kinigstein's work on ArtNet
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