A Curated Life

Harry Hilson: Master Artist

Sheafer + King Modern recently acquired an extensive collection by late American artist Harry Hilson (1935-2004). Though Hilson has seemingly slipped through the cracks of art history, research has proven that his career was

undoubtedly successful during his lifetime with showings at the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. Hilson displayed his work at Purdue University during the 1960s and later kept a residence local to Indianapolis for a short period of his life around the year 2000. 

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In my previous blog post, I introduced you to the life and work of artist Juliet Holland. Juliet Holland’s partner, Cortland Jessup, was the owner and operator of Cortland Jessup galleries in Provincetown, Massachusetts and New York City. Since January, Sheafer + King has continued to work with Holland’s son, local photographer Mark Nickerson, to bring attention to and sell works previously held in Jessup’s private collection. One such artist is the prominent American feminist artist and writer Kate Millett (1934-2017). She remains best known, much to her chagrin, for her 1970 feminist written work Sexual Politics. What began as her doctoral dissertation at Columbia University soon effectively initiated the second wave of the women’s liberation movement, more commonly known as second wave feminism.

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Building literally from dust and earth, sand and clay... my work focuses on the process of transformation - from disintegration and decay to a new form of beauty. The surface reveals an archaeological history of the treatment it has received: rain and earthquake, ancient graffiti, hints of fragmented calligraphy like scars on the skin and soul. Erosion and layering evoking passing time and the continuum of change in nature's infinite progression.

An aspect that has always intrigued me is the mystery that lies within and behind---piercing of layers leading to unexpected discoveries beneath. This combination of deterioration and inflicted markings, construction and destruction, becomes a means of stating both the quality and unity of all things. No endings --- the process of becoming.

Juliet Holland,  New York City

Just as the waves carve the seemingly unchanging shore; mixed media artist Juliet Holland was formed by the tides. As a child, tidepools provided an illusion of stillness, a mirrored surface that allowed her to witness the slow, cyclical rhythm of nature. Read more.

An anonymous donor recently donated a fantastic collection of Mid-Century Modern furniture, Modern & Postmodern art, collectibles, and décor to The Cabaret in Indianapolis.

As someone who previously made my living in the performing arts, it's been difficult to see so many close friends who are musicians, actors, or just work at theaters struggle during the pandemic, so I was very enthusiastic when Shannon Forsell, the Artistic Director and CEO asked us to help sell this collection.  We decided that it would fun to do an old school silent auction out of our shop.  For the next two weeks, we've cleared out a third of our showroom to host this silent auction to help reopen The Cabaret.

Click here above to see all the cool stuff available!

Derrière le Miroir  - “Behind the Mirror” was a French art and literary journal published from 1946 through 1982.  Aimé Maeght was a prominent gallery owner and lithographer in Paris and Barcelona. Following World War II he created the publication as a way to make the work of important modern artists affordable and accessible to a wide audience.  The publication featured artists exhibited by Maeght Gallery including many of the most significant artists of the 20th century: Miro, Calder, Kandinsky, Chagall, Giacometti, Leger, Kelly, etc.

Each issue of Derrière le Miroir included exceptionally high quality loose leaf original lithographs (a few issues also had original etchings or woodblock prints) created by the artists for the publication.  The prints are unsigned and unnumbered because the artist authorized the printing by Maeght Gallery rather than printing the lithographs themselves. These lithographs have become highly collectible.  They are generally less expensive than signed numbered prints by the same artists, and provide a great opportunity for new collectors to own high quality original lithographs that will maintain their value over time.