Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower examines Nazi-looted paintings found in a salt mine. Standing behind Eisenhower is General George Patton, who had resisted the MFA&A.

A ‘Retro-Modernist’ Turns to Still Life

The Paintings of Paul Weingarten at Salander-O’Reilly

NEW YORK CITY – Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, 20 East 79 Street, will hold their fifth solo exhibition of Paul Weingarten’s paintings through July 27. On view will be a selection of new still life paintings lushly inpastoed with saturated color. Long celebrated for his urban landscapes, Weingarten has as of late turned his hand to still lifes.

In a recent interview, the artist stated, “I have been calling myself a Retro-Modernist. Now to me, this is a term for an artist who is engaged in a dialogue with artistic tradition, with history. I believe that we live in a time when the marketplace functions like the old academy. The marketplace is the mechanism by which the old Modernist avant garde has been usurped. Also, it’s so important to me to try to make an experiential connection with my subject. Still lifes give me the opportunity to be intimate. Art becomes the bridge by which I can communicate intimacy.”

Weingarten received his undergraduate degree from New York University in 1968. While at university, he also attended The Arts Student’s League of New York on a merit scholarship. In the mid-70s, Weingarten was enrolled in the Columbia University MA Art Program. During the 80s and 90s, he actively exhibited in galleries and museums in New York and New Jersey including The New Jersey State Museum at Trenton, The Montclair Art Museum and the Cathedral of St John the Divine.

Weingarten’s paintings are included in the collections of the Cathedral of St John The Divine; The Newark Museum, N.J.; The High Art Museum, Atlanta, Ga.; and the Fine Arts Museum in Houston, Tex.

For information, 212-879-6606.