Noyes Museum of Art

Oceanville, NJ

609-652-8848

http://www.noyesmuseum.org



 

The Cinematic "I": Justin McCarthy, American Maverick Painter

 

The Noyes Museum of Art is pleased to present The Cinematic "I": Justin McCarthy, American Maverick Painter, from June 20 through October 3, 1999. This exhibition includes more than 80 of McCarthy 's paintings and drawings, which are on display in two galleries. Guest curators Shari Cavin and Randall Morris of the Cavin-Morris Gallery in New York City have compiled works that capture McCarthy's ability to portray Hollywood celebrities, as well as everyday events with the flair of the cinema.

McCarthy (I892-1977) was born and lived most of his life in Weatherly, Pennsylvania. He is relatively well-known among followers of folk and outsider art, but remains unknown to the general art-going public. He began drawing and painting shortly before 1920, but his artistic talent was not recognized until the early 1960s. McCarthy gained some notoriety during his lifetime, despite a reclusive existence, with his works included in exhibitions at such institutions as the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of American Folk Art in New York as well as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. The artist painted through the 1970s.

McCarthy achieved a range of skills not common among self-taught and naive artists. Many of his paintings display a dramatic, painterly quality; yet McCarthy also was a remarkable draftsman. His subjects included nearly every aspect of American life: landscapes, still lifes, portraits, sports, and the entertainment world. McCarthy also captured the nation's transformation from rural to urban life. "McCarthy's work covers such a wide range of subjects. This exhibition allows us to focus on his cinematographic style, giving us an intense taste of his vision," states Randall Morris, guest curator. (top left: Hats, 1962, oil on Masonite, 15 x 34 inches; right center: Royalty, c. 1960, oil on Masonite, 24 x 16 inches; left: Adam and Eve, n.d., 19 x 25 inches)

Funding for The Cinematic "l" is provided by the Shop Rite LPGA Classic.
Read more about the Noyes Museum of Art in Resource Library Magazine

 

rev. 10/18/10


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