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Edward Boccia

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Edward Eugene Boccia (1921 – 2012) was an American painter and poet who lived and worked in St. Louis, Missouri and served as a university professor at Washington University, St. Louis.[1] Boccia's work consisted mostly of large scale paintings in Neo-Expressionist style, and reflect an interest in religion and its role in the modern world. His primary format was the altarpiece painting.[2]

Widely exhibited during his lifetime, and the focus of a number of retrospective and solo exhibits, the artist created over 1,000 paintings, and over fifty large scale altarpiece format oil paintings in a neo-expressionist style, such as Mystique Marriage (1979).[3] The American collector of avant garde European modernism Morton D. May was Boccia's most important patron, and held a large collection of Boccia's work.

Background

Born to Italian parents in Newark, New Jersey, Boccia attended the Newark School of Fine Arts. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, New York,[4] where he met his wife Madeleine Wysong. Boccia served in World War II,[5] in the 603 Camouflage engineer unit known in the Ghost Army. He continued to paint and draw during his time overseas, sending his artwork back to his mother.[6] After the war, Boccia earned both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree at Columbia University, concurrently teaching art at the Columbus Art School in Ohio, where he introduced the Bauhaus teaching method to his students. In 1951, he was appointed Assistant Dean of Fine Arts at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he taught painting for over 30 years.[7]

Boccia taught at the School of Fine Arts, Washington University from 1951 until his retirement.[6][8] While Boccia spent the majority of his time in his studio, his time at the university was important to his artistic growth. The artist continued to teach students until his retirement and created monumental paintings.

Artwork

Boccia's themes are linked to the mystical, occult, and theosophical traditions of modern art including the belief in the messianic role of the artist, seen in the work of the Symbolists, as well as the pictures of Paul Gauguin and Oskar Kokoschka among others.[9] Specifically, Boccia includes numerous self-portraits, and uses examples of esoteric imagery such as the androgyne and the hermaphrodite. The works for which the artist is most well known are the multi-panel works in Expressionist style.

Boccia's work shows the influence of Max Beckmann, and he was well aware of the older artist's work through May's collection.[10]

In 1956, Boccia began his altarpiece series, although many remained hidden within his studio for over fifty years and have only been recently uncovered by a research project led by the late artist’s trust.[11][12][13] Some of his most noteworthy series of multi-paneled paintings consist of up to nine panels.

During this time, the well-known art collector of German Expressionist artwork, Morton D. May, began amassing a collection of Boccia’s artwork.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

Some of the most well regarded pieces deal with the death of his son David in 1984 and are painted in a combination of styles including Surrealist, Expressionist and Magical Realist including David’s Death (2004) and Pieta (1984). Boccia painted into his eighties.

Boccia is currently the subject of all large-scale critical monograph in progress, authored by Rosa JH Berland, in cooperation with the Edward E. and Madeleine P. Boccia Artist Trust, St. Louis, Missouri.

In addition to his painting, Boccia was a published poet and the subject of numerous solo exhibits and group shows, the most recent being his inclusion in the show" The Ghost Army of World War II, The Salmagundi Club Gallery, New York, New York June 14, 2015 - June 25, 2015" honoring the special battalion of WW II, the Ghost Army whose artistic ingeniuty allowed them to create visual tricks to fool the Nazis into believing the Allied ground power was stronger than the reality. This exhibit is coordinated with the PBS 2013 Film Ghost Army as well as Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayle’s 2015 book The Ghost Army of World War II, Princeton Architectural Press.[20]

Other recent exhibits include a posthumous show at St. Louis University Art Museum, organized by The Sheldon Art Galleries in 2013.[21] Retrospectives of his works have been held posthumously as well as during the artist's life in St. Louis. [22] [23]<ref"'Internationally renowned American painter Edward Eugene Boccia dies in Saint Louis' : artdaily". www.artdaily.org. 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2015-08-04.</ref>

Museum collections

Boccia’s art is found in the collections of art museums including The Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis;[24] St. Louis University Museum of Art; St. Louis Art Museum; Denver Art Museum; Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City;[25] Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale;[26] The Weatherspoon Art Museum, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro and the National Gallery Athens, Greece.[27]

A number of commissioned works are on view in religious and public institutions and the artist’s work is held by over 600 private collectors.[28]

Further reading

  • “American Painting Today,” Grand Rapids Gallery Catalog, Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 1961.
  • Sixteenth North Mississippi Valley Artists Exhibit, July 7 – September 22, 1963, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois, 1963.
  • Draftsmen in Missouri, Gallery of the Loretto-Hilton Center, Webster College, St. Louis, Missouri, 1968.
  • “Edward Boccia Exhibit at St. Charles Gallery.” John Brod Peters, St. Louis Globe Democrat, September 25 – 26, 1971.
  • “The Human Figure: Two Artists’ View.” James Auer, Milwaukee Journal, 1975.
  • “Meet Morton D. May.” Elaine Viets, St. Louis Post Dispatch, July 2, 1978.
  • Ten Missouri Painters, Missouri State Council on the Arts, 1968. Washington University Art Faculty and Photographs by Walter Grossman, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon, Illinois, 1980.
  • Art St. Louis II, Thompson Center, St. Louis Artists Coalition, 1986.
  • “Paintings Reminiscent of Cubism.” Nancy Rice, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 16 April 1990.
  • American Gallery Catalog. St. Louis, Missouri, February 1992.
  • Nexus – Generations of the Artistic Spirit, October 29, 1995 – January 14, 1996, St. Louis Artist’ Guild.
  • Halpert, V. B. Continuing Tradition: Doubly Gifted Artists, February 5 – May 30, 1999, Atelier A/E, New York.
  • Edward Boccia: About the Artist, March 23 – April 16, 2000, Dresser Foundation Gallery, The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, St. Louis.
  • “A New Masterpiece.” Universitas, The Magazine of St. Louis University, Summer 2002.
  • Boccia and Friends, A Spring Drawing Exhibition, April 14–28, 2007, McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts Gallery, St. Louis.
  • Good Friday, February 15 – April 26, 2009, Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis University.
  • Friedman Hamilton, Lynn. Maturity and Its Muse, October 1, 2010 – February 5, 2011, Sheldon Art Galleries & Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Gallery, St. Louis.

References

  1. ^ Early, Rosalind (January 18, 2013). "Edward Boccia Remembered". St. Louis Magazine. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  2. ^ "Edward Boccia - Museum of Contemporary Religious Art". wordpress.com. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  3. ^ Archives of The Edward E. Boccia & Madeline P. Boccia Trust, St. Louis, Missouri. Boccia, Edward E. 2007.
  4. ^ "Edward Boccia Dead: Seminal Figurative Expressionist Painter Dies At 91". The Huffington Post. October 20, 2012.
  5. ^ "Edward Boccia: Renowned artist, poet and professor". St Louis Beacon. September 7, 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  6. ^ a b Lee Enterprises (September 9, 2012). "Edward Boccia dies: Washington University teacher and artist who became famous by doing things his way". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  7. ^ "Edward Boccia, professor emeritus of art, 91". wustl.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  8. ^ "Aronson Gallery - Edward Boccia: Figurative Expressionist January 18 - March 3". St Louis University Museum of Fine Art. 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  9. ^ St. Louis Museum of Art, Edward Boccia Figural Expressionist, Exhibit Catalog, January 2013
  10. ^ The Morton D. May Collection of 20th century German Masters, St. Louis City Art Museum, 1970.
  11. ^ “New Talent in the U.S.A.” Katherine Kuh, Art in America, Vol. 44, No. 1, February 1956, 10 – 55.
  12. ^ “New Talent in the U.S.” H. H. Arnason, Art in America, Vol. 46, No. 1, Spring 1958, 12 – 29.
  13. ^ Weller, Allen. Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture, March 3 – April 7, 1957, University of Illinois, Urbana, 1957.
  14. ^ “Major St. Louis Collection on View: Morton D. May Expressionist Works at Pius XII Library.” George McCue, St. Louis Post Dispatch, February 14, 1960.
  15. ^ “Artist in Rome.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July, 1959.
  16. ^ “Artist’s Reflections from Italy.” St. Louis Post Dispatch, July 26, 1959.
  17. ^ “Education of the Artist.” Washington University Magazine, June 1960.
  18. ^ “Some Notes by the Artist.” E. Boccia: A Retrospective Exhibition, St. Louis University, M. B. McNamee, Editor. 1960.
  19. ^ “Essay on Painting.” Washington University Alumni News, Vol. 6, No. 3, May 1964.
  20. ^ "Edward Boccia Exhibits in The Ghost Army of World War II". Prweb.com. 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  21. ^ "'Edward Boccia: Figurative Expressionist' : Saint Louis University : SLU". Slu.edu. 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  22. ^ "'Edward Boccia's 90th Birthday Bash' : St. Louis Magazine". stlmag.com. 2011-06-23. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
  23. ^ "'MOCRA exhibitions: Eye of the Painter' : Saint Louis University : SLU". slu.edu. 1996-05-03. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
  24. ^ "Edward Boccia". wustl.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  25. ^ "The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Collections". Nelson-atkins.org. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  26. ^ "NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale - Museum". moafl.org.
  27. ^ "National gallery". nationalgallery.gr. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  28. ^ "TWO HEADS". kodnergallery.com. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
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