Noyes Museum of Art
609-652-8848
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
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rev. 10/18/10
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