Albert Kotin

Albert Kotin (1907-1980) belonged to the early generation of New York School abstract expressionist artists whose artistic innovation by the 1950s had been recognized across the Atlantic including Paris. New York School abstract expressionism— represented by Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Franz Kline, and others— became the leading art movement of the post-World War II area.

Albert Kotin was among the 24 artists from the total of 256 participants who were included in the famous 9th St. Art Exhibition, (1951) and in all the following New York Painting and Sculpture Annuals from 1953 to 1957. These Annuals were important because the participants were chosen by the artists themselves.

Alexander Calder wrote in 1968: As long as there are people such as Al Kotin, there is no danger to art.

Biography

Albert Kotin was born August 7, 1907 in Minsk, Russia. He emigrated to U.S. in 1908. He became a U.S. Citizen in 1923. Albert Kotin died February 6, 1980 in New York City.

He Studied

• 1924-1929: National Academy of Design with Charles Hawthorne, Provincetown, MA;
• 1929-32: Academie Julian, Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Atelier de Fresque and Colarossi,Paris;
• 1947-1951: Arst Students League of New York, NYC; with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, MA, and in New York City.

During the depression Albert Kotin participated in the creation of New Deal Post Office Murals. Patricia Raynor, described the era:

Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as "the Section," it was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer, businessman, and artist, the Section's main function was to select art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all people.

Albert Kotin participated in the Federal Art Projects, Public Works of Art Project (PWAP): 1933-34.

He also participated in the Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP) 1935-40

Albert Kotin won competitions for Post Office Murals in Ada, Ohio and in Arlington, New Jersey

Albert Kotin took part in World War II Military Service. He served 1941-1945 in the U.S. Army Engineering School.

Albert Kotin held a number of teaching positions:

• 1947-51: City College, NYC, NY;
• 1952-61: Polytechnic Institute, Brooklyn, NY;
• 1961: Visiting Professor in Art, Southern Illinois University;
• 1964-65: Stout State University; Menomonee, WI;
• 1966-1975: Long Island University, NY.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• 1951: (first) Hacker Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1958: Grand Central Moderns Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1959: Tanager Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1960: Galerie Iris Clert, Paris, France; Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
• 1961: Mili-Jay Gallery, Woodstock, NY;
• 1964, 65: Byron Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1968: "Ten Year Retrospective of Albert Kotin's Work," Long Island University; Brooklyn, NY; "Kotin and Carton," Art Faculty two man show, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY;
• 1982: "Albert Kotin, 1907-1980," Memorial Exhibition, Barron Arts Center, Woodbridge, NJ.

Selected Group Exhibitions

• 1935: "Exhibition of Oil Paintings," WPA Federal Art Project, Federal Art Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1936: An American Group, Inc., NYC, NY;
• 1946: "First National Print Competition Exhibit," Associated American Artists, NYC, NY;
• 1947: "J & E.R. Pennell Exhibition of Prints," Library of Congress, Washington (U.S. state), D.C.;
• 1948: "46th Annual Exhibition," The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA;
• 1949: "8 & 2 Exhibition" The New School for Social Research, NYC, NY;
• 1951: "9th St." Show, the first "New York Painting and Sculpture Annual," 60 E. 9th. St. NYC, NY;
• 1953, 54, 55, 56, 57: "New York Painting and Sculpture Annual," Stable Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1956: "Painters and Sculptors on 10th Street," Tanager Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1957: "First Spring Annual Exhibition," March Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1958: "A to Z in American Arts," Provincetown Arts Festival, M. Knoedler & Co., NYC, NY; Camino Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1959: "10th Street," Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas;
• 1960: "New York Artists: A Drawing Show," Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL; Gallery Iris Clert, Paris; Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Canada;
• 1960-61: Mili-Jay Gallery, Woodstock, NY;
• 1961: Allyn Gallery, St. Louis, MI;
• 1962, 72: Long Island University, NY;
• 1963: "Multiples," Graham Gallery, NYC, NY; Key Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1963-64: "Hans Hofmann and His Students," circ. by The Museum of Modern Art, NYC, NY;
• 1963, 64: Aegis Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1965: "79 painters who paint," held simultaneously in: Grace Borgenicht, Graham, Martha Jackson, Kornblee and Poindexter Galleries, NYC, NY;
• 1966: "New York '66," College Museum, Hampton Institute, Hampton, VA;
• 1971: Roko Gallery, NYC, NY;
• 1994: "Reclaiming Artists of the New York School. Toward a More Inclusive View of the 1950s," Baruch College City University, NYC, NY; "New York-Provincetown: A 50s Connection," Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, MA;
• 2004: "Reuniting an Era Abstract Expressionists of the 1950s.," Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL.

References

• Smithsonian Institution Research Information System; Archival, Manuscript and Photographic Collections, Albert Kotin

Books

• Marika Herskovic, American Abstract and Figurative Expressionism Style Is Timely Art Is Timeless An Illustrated Survey With Artists' Statements, Artwork and Biographies. (New York School Press, 2009.) ISBN 9780967799421
• Marika Herskovic, American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s An Illustrated Survey, (New York School Press, 2003.) ISBN 0-9677994-1-4
• Marika Herskovic, New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists, (New York School Press, 2000.) ISBN 0-9677994-0-6

External links for image reproduction

• Albert Kotin paintings from albertkotin.com
• Albert Kotin Online