9th St. Club: Elaine De Kooning, Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Lee Krasner, Mercedes Matter, Joan Mitchell

The exhibition features works from Elaine de Kooning, Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan,  Lee Krasner, Mercedes Matter, Joan Mitchell and is inspired in part by Mary Gabriel’s acclaimed book ‘Ninth Street Women’ about the work, lives and spirit of this group. Gazelli Art House is the first gallery to show these artists together in the UK, and the show coincides with the Tate Modern honoring Helen Frankenthaler with a new room devoted to her work, and a Lee Krasner retrospective at the Barbican this year. In the paintings and drawings on show we can observe the clear impact of this explosive moment on modern day aesthetics, whilst also acknowledging the particularity of their cultural backdrop. The post-war industrial boom with all its American-dream infused hope (and hubris) is palpable in the work’s commitment to freedom, liberations of style and fervor that could only have belonged to this specific group, place and time.

“It is pertinent to highlight these artists and draw on the parallels and ever-changing dynamics between the US, Europe and the UK today. As ever, we look to one another for reference within our own socio-political contexts, and are culturally in dialogue via the art each scene produces.” – Mila Askarova.