“Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence

- a reconcentration... tearing away the veils that fact acquires through time.”

Francis Bacon

In a world that is so unpredictable, uncertain, and challenging, certain truths still apply. We are, willingly or by circumstances, reconnecting, rediscovering, and re-exploring, often to our delight. Art is a vessel taking us to different worlds, to our memories, habits, beliefs, and truths deeply established and embedded in us. We are, at our best, when we are connected – with family, friends, neighbors, and a community through an idea, customs, beliefs, or visual imaging.

The Anita Shapolsky Gallery, established in 1982 in SOHO, New York, is one of the pioneers, preserving and reintroducing over and over the world we recognize, but sometimes forget. Through her committed and undying work, stretching through four decades, she stands on the current art scene with a strong belief in the quality and relevance of the artists and artworks she represents. The title of the show, “From the Back Room”, symbolizes the underlying concept of our new exhibition: bringing into the spotlight art, that is familiar and known, but maybe a bit forgotten or overseen.

The artists, shown at the “From the Back Room” exhibition, have been represented by the Anita Shapolsky Gallery for years. The professional and social friendship between the gallery and some of the artists spans decades back. Many of them are immigrants or spent some of their working years abroad. Their work is recognizable, mundane, and cognizant to knowledgeable collectors and gallery connoisseurs.

There is a parallel between literature, music, and fine arts. When returning to the books and stories, music compositions, and art we once loved, our memories and emotions are triggered and we are finding comfort and pleasure. We are explorers unveiling new connections, qualities, and marvels.

The Anita Shapolsky Gallery is bringing vibrant visual stories to the newest exhibition. Although modest in size, these art pieces are true classics, created by real masters of the era that is forever part of the New York Art Scene. It is often not the kindest scene and many artists come and go, underappreciated and underknown.

Small galleries, once abundant and vital part of the New York colorful art scene, are today even more crucial for preserving, reintroducing, and bringing back the art that speaks of the past and appeals to our senses. As we are looking at and re-experiencing the masterful, sophisticated work, we can see that the work changed over time – but maybe so did we.

Let’s rediscover masterful artwork through new eyes and enjoy vibrant brushstrokes, vivid colors, and sophisticated visual stories by skillful, sometimes under-recognized artists belonging to the New York School of Abstraction.

Petra Valentova, January 2023

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The phrase “New York School” describes an informal group of American poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1950s and 1960s in New York City. Many of them were immigrants or veterans of the Second World War. They often drew inspiration from surrealism and the contemporary avant-garde art movements, and worked in a non-representational style, using abstract forms, bold brushstrokes, and gestural painting. The Anita Shapolsky Gallery in New York City specializes in the 1950s and 1960s New York School art and exhibits expressionism, geometric abstraction, and painterly abstraction.

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