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{{Short description|American conceptual artist (1927–2021)}} |
{{Short description|American conceptual artist (1927–2021)}} |
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'''Bettina Grossman''' (September 28, 1927 – November 2, 2021 |
'''Bettina Grossman''' (September 28, 1927 – November 2, 2021) was an American [[conceptual artist]], best known for her longtime residency at the [[Hotel Chelsea]] in [[Manhattan]] and her eccentric persona.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Greenberger|first=Alex|date=2021-11-03|title=Bettina Grossman, Reclusive Maker of Mysterious Art with Growing Following, Has Died|url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/bettina-grossman-chelsea-hotel-artist-dead-1234608701/|access-date=2021-11-16|website=ARTnews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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In 2021, Grossman, at the age of 93, became the first female artist to have her works simultaneously exhibited at the [[Museum of Modern Art|Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)]] New York City and [[MoMA PS1]] - one of the largest institutions in the United States dedicated to contemporary art<ref name=":2">{{Citation |title=MoMA PS1 |date=2022-03-13 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=MoMA_PS1&oldid=1076834551 |work=Wikipedia |language=en |access-date=2022-07-11}}</ref>. |
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Bettina Grossman has gained a community and significant visibility in her final years and her work is posthumously being archived, curated, and exhibited across the world. |
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== Biography == |
== Biography == |
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Grossman was born in [[Brooklyn]], to Saul and Pauline Grossman on 28 September 1927. She had three siblings. The family lived in [[Borough Park, Brooklyn|Borough Park]] and observed [[Orthodox Judaism]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Kilgannon|first=Corey|date=2021-11-13|title=Bettina Grossman, an Artistic Fixture at the Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 94|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/13/nyregion/bettina-grossman-dead.html|access-date=2021-11-16|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |
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Grossman studied commercial art in high school and worked as a textile designer, making enough money to move to Europe and pursue art during the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=":0" /> |
Grossman studied commercial art in high school and worked as a textile designer, making enough money to move to Europe and pursue art during the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=":0" /> After struggling to make ends meet overseas, she moved back to [[New York City]] and settled into [[Manhattan]]'s historic [[Hotel Chelsea]], a haven for artists, musicians, and cultural icons. She lived in room 503, which doubled as her living quarters and art studio.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kilgannon|first=Corey|date=2011-11-04|title=First, No More Guests; Now, Chelsea Hotel Says No More Art|url=https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/first-no-more-guests-now-chelsea-hotel-says-no-more-art/|access-date=2021-11-16|website=City Room|language=en-US}}</ref> Her apartment became overloaded with years of accumulated art and materials, so she resorted to sleeping in a lawn chair in the hallway.<ref name=":0" /> |
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| ⚫ | Despite her decades long career, Grossman finally began to experience notoriety for her work during her later years. She was the subject of a 2012 documentary film, ''Girl With Black Balloons'', directed by Corinne van der Borch.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Movie review: 'Girl With Black Balloons' a portrait of artist seeking order|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/movie-reviews/2012/03/29/Movie-review-Girl-With-Black-Balloons-a-portrait-of-artist-seeking-order/stories/201203290306|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|language=en}}</ref> |
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As one of the longest Hotel Chelsea residents, Grossman lived among other [https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/10/chelsea-hotel-oral-historydary artists and talent legendary artists and talent] such as [[Andy Warhol]], [[Billy Reid (fashion designer)|Billy Reid]], [[Ed Hamilton]], [[Madonna]], [[René Richard]], and many others. She lived in Apartment 503, which doubled as her living quarters and art studio.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kilgannon|first=Corey|date=2011-11-04|title=First, No More Guests; Now, Chelsea Hotel Says No More Art|url=https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/first-no-more-guests-now-chelsea-hotel-says-no-more-art/|access-date=2021-11-16|website=City Room|language=en-US}}</ref> Over the next several decades, Grossman produced a body of prolific work that is now part of her collection and spans across various contemporary art mediums. During this time, Grossman was also referred to as the "most beautiful woman to have ever lived in Chelsea<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kilgannon |first=Corey |date=2008-05-11 |title=At a Haven for Creative Souls, a Prolific Talent Is Affirmed |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/nyregion/11chelsea.html |access-date=2022-07-11 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>". |
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Grossman died from respiratory failure on 2 November 2021 at the age of 94 at a care centre in Brooklyn.<ref name=":0" /> |
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In the 2010s and in her 80s, Grossman generally found it difficult to trust people and had a difficult time owing to her declining mobility, neglect, and fragility due to old age. She was isolated. |
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In 2018, Grossman accidentally met a [[UNESCO]] professional Varun [http://eurscmag.eu/?p=2215 Khanna] in Chelsea, who was visiting New York and rapidly and mysteriously developed a deep friendship and was introduced to her art collection. |
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Together with another [[Hotel Chelsea]] resident Rachel Cohen of [http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/12/magazine/look-sunglasses.html Mercura Sunglasses]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The New York Times featuring Mercura NYC aka Merrilee Cohen & Rachel Cohen original art sunglasses {{!}} Nyc art, Original art, Art |url=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/the-new-york-times-featuring-mercura-nyc-aka-merrilee-cohen-rachel-cohen-original-art-sunglasses--472244710925881809/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=Pinterest |language=en}}</ref> and filmmaker van der Borch, Khanna mobilized to take care of the welfare of Grossman and her art works in her final years under the banner of ''One Woman's Work'' as per Grossman's wishes. |
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They invited French-Moroccan visual artist and art curator [[Yto Barrada]] in early 2019, who had met Grossman a few years prior, to assist with the safeguarding of Grossman's collection and worked on a [[catalogue raisonné]] of her work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Landes |first=Jennifer |last2= |date=May 20, 2021 |title=Yto Barrada's Nonessential Storytelling |url=https://www.easthamptonstar.com/arts/2021520/yto-barradas-nonessential-storytelling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116180213/https://www.easthamptonstar.com/arts/2021520/yto-barradas-nonessential-storytelling |archive-date=2021-11-16 |access-date=2021-11-16 |website=The East Hampton Star |language=en}}</ref> Subsequently, this collaboration led to Bettina's first exhibition in decades ''The Power of Two Suns'' with Barrada, which was on view at the [https://lmcc.net/remembering-bettina/ Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Arts Center] at the [[Governors Island|Governors' Island]] in New York. In early 2020, Grossman's wood work was flown to Germany to displayed in Hamburg's Sfeir-Semler Gallery<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yto Barrada {{!}} Art Gallery |url=https://www.sfeir-semler.com/hamburg/exhibition/yto-barrada-0?page=4 |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=www.sfeir-semler.com}}</ref>. |
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In 2021, Bettina Grossman became the first female artist to have her works simultaneously exhibited at the [[Museum of Modern Art|Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)]] New York City and [[MoMA PS1]] - one of the largest institutions in the United States dedicated to contemporary art<ref name=":2" />. |
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Despite her decades long career and a lifetime of artistic pursuit, Grossman finally began to experience notoriety for her work during her final years like fellow contemporary artist [[Carmen Herrera]]. |
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== Artwork == |
== Artwork == |
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Grossman’s oeuvre consists of drawings, sculpture, and photographs. An example includes the photographic series ''Phenomenology Project'' (1979–80), featuring distorted views of [[New York City]] seen from window reflections.<ref name=":1" /> Grossman |
Grossman’s oeuvre consists of drawings, sculpture, and photographs. An example includes the photographic series ''Phenomenology Project'' (1979–80), featuring distorted views of [[New York City]] seen from window reflections.<ref name=":1" /> [[Yto Barrada]], a Moroccan-French artist who exhibited with Grossman, is working on a [[catalogue raisonné]] of her work.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Landes|first=Jennifer|last2=|date=May 20, 2021|title=Yto Barrada's Nonessential Storytelling|url=https://www.easthamptonstar.com/arts/2021520/yto-barradas-nonessential-storytelling|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-16|website=The East Hampton Star|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116180213/https://www.easthamptonstar.com/arts/2021520/yto-barradas-nonessential-storytelling |archive-date=2021-11-16 }}</ref> |
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In summer 2022, Bettina Grossman's first monograph was launched, edited by Barrada and photographed and edited by Swiss photographer Gregor [https://www.rencontres-arles.com/en/commissaires/view/269/gregor-huber Huber]. ''Bettina'' was the winner of the Luma Rencontres Dummy Book Award Arles in 2020. The materials for this first monograph of Grossman were discussed before Grossman's passing by her in consultation with her team members including Cohen, van Borch, Khanna, and ultimately put together by the book editors and curators Barrada and Huber. It is co-published by Aperture and ditions Xavier Barral and be available in all major [https://www.target.com/p/bettina-by-yto-barrada-greg-hubor-paperback/-/A-86012653 bookstores] and online retail shops globally. |
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== Exhibitions == |
== Exhibitions == |
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In 2019, Barrada and Grossman collaborated on a project that explored concepts of ecological devastation. The exhibition, titled ''The Power of Two Suns'', was on view at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Arts Center at [[Governors Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Garg|first=Sukanya|date=November 30, 2019|title=Yto Barrada and Bettina explored responses to disaster for exhibition in New York|url=https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-yto-barrada-and-bettina-explored-responses-to-disaster-for-exhibition-in-new-york|url-status=live|archive-date=2019-11-30|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Stir World|language=English}}</ref> Prior to her death, Grossman was one of 47 contemporary artists featured in the 2021 iteration of ''Greater New York'', [[MoMA PS1|MoMA PS.1]]’s annual survey of New York-based artists. At the age of 94, she was the oldest artist in the exhibition.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kinsella|first=Eileen|date=2021-10-05|title='Greater New York,' MoMA PS1's Closely Watched Survey, Returns to Excavate New York's Past and Reckon With Its Surreal Present|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/greater-new-york-at-moma-ps-1-2017270|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Artnet News|language=en-US}}</ref> |
In 2019, Barrada and Grossman collaborated on a project that explored concepts of ecological devastation. The exhibition, titled ''The Power of Two Suns'', was on view at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Arts Center at [[Governors Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Garg|first=Sukanya|date=November 30, 2019|title=Yto Barrada and Bettina explored responses to disaster for exhibition in New York|url=https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-yto-barrada-and-bettina-explored-responses-to-disaster-for-exhibition-in-new-york|url-status=live|archive-date=2019-11-30|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Stir World|language=English}}</ref> Prior to her death, Grossman was one of 47 contemporary artists featured in the 2021 iteration of ''Greater New York'', [[MoMA PS1|MoMA PS.1]]’s annual survey of New York-based artists. At the age of 94, she was the oldest artist in the exhibition.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kinsella|first=Eileen|date=2021-10-05|title='Greater New York,' MoMA PS1's Closely Watched Survey, Returns to Excavate New York's Past and Reckon With Its Surreal Present|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/greater-new-york-at-moma-ps-1-2017270|access-date=2021-11-16|website=Artnet News|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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In July 2022, the first posthumous solo exhibition of Bettina Grossman called ''Bettina. A Poem of Perpetual Renewal'' opened in [[Arles|Arles, France]] at the Les [[Rencontres d'Arles]] with support of [[Kering]]'s Women in Motion Lab<ref>{{Cite web |last=Disko |title=Women In Motion |url=http://www.kering.com/en/group/kering-for-women/women-in-motion/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=www.kering.com |language=en}}</ref>. This will be followed by the book launch of Grossman's first monograph, [https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Yto-Barrada/dp/1597115428 globally]. |
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== Death and Legacy == |
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Grossman had almost completely lost her voice and mobility during the Covid-19 pandemic which made it difficult for her to communicate her artistic wishes and caused frustration. She passed away from respiratory failure on 2 November 2021 at the age of 94 at a care center in Brooklyn where she had spent her final months due to declining health due to old age, concerned about her art collection.<ref name=":0" /> She was flown to be buried in [[Israel]] soon after. |
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Subsequently, a memorial ceremony in honor of Grossman, one of the longest Hotel Chelsea residents, was organized by Khanna and Cohen in the lobby of [[Hotel Chelsea]] on 19 December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog |url=https://www.chelseahotelblog.com/living_with_legends_the_h/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog}}</ref> Grossman's collection was moved out of her famous studio apartment 503 by her friends and art curators. |
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As of 2022, the Studio of [[Yto Barrada]] has taken charge of archiving and showcasing the collection of Bettina Grossman, where much is still left to be uncovered and understood. Grossman spent an entire life in the pursuit of art and Barrada aims to bring to light the genius of her work over the years to come, as a "living artist who carries the legacy of the other", noting that "...the scandal was the Bettina was overlooked, like so many female artists of her generation."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Remembering the World of Bettina, Resident Artist of the Chelsea Hotel {{!}} Magazine {{!}} MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/702 |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=The Museum of Modern Art |language=en}}</ref> |
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In July 2022, a film [http://www.magpictures.com/dreamingwalls/ ''Dreaming Walls''] featuring Bettina Grossman and another longtime resident Merle Lister<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=2022-07-07 |title=New York's Famed Chelsea Hotel, a Longtime Home to Artists, Becomes the Star of the Show in a Documentary About Its History |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/dreaming-walls-chelsea-hotel-2139823 |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}</ref>, an elderly dancer, choreographer as protagonists by Maya Duverdier and Amélie van Elmbt premeired at the [[Tribeca Festival|Tribeca Film Festival]] and screens across the United States and on several online platforms. |
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The film focuses on residents of the Hotel Chelsea and was dedicated to Bettina Grossman. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Revision as of 16:10, 11 July 2022
Bettina Grossman (September 28, 1927 – November 2, 2021) was an American conceptual artist, best known for her longtime residency at the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan and her eccentric persona.[1]
Biography
Grossman was born in Brooklyn, to Saul and Pauline Grossman on 28 September 1927. She had three siblings. The family lived in Borough Park and observed Orthodox Judaism.[2]
Grossman studied commercial art in high school and worked as a textile designer, making enough money to move to Europe and pursue art during the 1950s and 1960s.[2] After struggling to make ends meet overseas, she moved back to New York City and settled into Manhattan's historic Hotel Chelsea, a haven for artists, musicians, and cultural icons. She lived in room 503, which doubled as her living quarters and art studio.[3] Her apartment became overloaded with years of accumulated art and materials, so she resorted to sleeping in a lawn chair in the hallway.[2]
Despite her decades long career, Grossman finally began to experience notoriety for her work during her later years. She was the subject of a 2012 documentary film, Girl With Black Balloons, directed by Corinne van der Borch.[4]
Grossman died from respiratory failure on 2 November 2021 at the age of 94 at a care centre in Brooklyn.[2]
Artwork
Grossman’s oeuvre consists of drawings, sculpture, and photographs. An example includes the photographic series Phenomenology Project (1979–80), featuring distorted views of New York City seen from window reflections.[1] Yto Barrada, a Moroccan-French artist who exhibited with Grossman, is working on a catalogue raisonné of her work.[5]
Exhibitions
In 2019, Barrada and Grossman collaborated on a project that explored concepts of ecological devastation. The exhibition, titled The Power of Two Suns, was on view at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Arts Center at Governors Island.[6] Prior to her death, Grossman was one of 47 contemporary artists featured in the 2021 iteration of Greater New York, MoMA PS.1’s annual survey of New York-based artists. At the age of 94, she was the oldest artist in the exhibition.[7]
References
- ^ a b Greenberger, Alex (2021-11-03). "Bettina Grossman, Reclusive Maker of Mysterious Art with Growing Following, Has Died". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ a b c d Kilgannon, Corey (2021-11-13). "Bettina Grossman, an Artistic Fixture at the Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 94". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ Kilgannon, Corey (2011-11-04). "First, No More Guests; Now, Chelsea Hotel Says No More Art". City Room. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ "Movie review: 'Girl With Black Balloons' a portrait of artist seeking order". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ Landes, Jennifer (May 20, 2021). "Yto Barrada's Nonessential Storytelling". The East Hampton Star. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ Garg, Sukanya (November 30, 2019). "Yto Barrada and Bettina explored responses to disaster for exhibition in New York". Stir World. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=requires|archive-url=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Kinsella, Eileen (2021-10-05). "'Greater New York,' MoMA PS1's Closely Watched Survey, Returns to Excavate New York's Past and Reckon With Its Surreal Present". Artnet News. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
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