Robert S. Neuman: Works on Paper

American abstract artist Robert S. Neuman’s career spanned more than six decades and stretched geographically from his birthplace of Idaho to the San Francisco Bay Area to coastal Maine. Though mostly known for his colorful, energetic paintings, Neuman was also prolific in printmaking and mixed media. Robert S. Neuman: Works on Paper presents various prints and other paper-based artworks from the artist’s long career, showcasing his adept talent at translating his visions across multiple different media.

Neuman embraced the tenets of modernism early in his career and devoted his life to an exploration of its visual essentials — an exploration infused with abstract, symbolic and occasionally overt references to places and people familiar to the artist. As Neuman worked in series that would span decades, his body of work defies the traditional expectations of artistic trajectory and development. Using shapes, symbols, and calligraphy, Neuman created a specific reoccurring visual language in each of his series that tie the pieces together across his lengthy career. Robert S. Neuman: Works on Paper highlights works from many of Neuman’s best known series including Alhambra, Lame Deer, Ship to Paradise, Space Signs, and Voyages.

The exhibition also celebrates the release of Pieces of the World: The Art and Life of Robert S. Neuman, a new documentary which gathers in-person interviews with scholars, family, and friends, archival and personal photographs, and images of numerous artworks to create an intimate and compelling portrait of the artist. A screening of the documentary will be held at Childs Gallery on Thursday, September 22, 6-8pm.

Robert S. Neuman: Works on Paper is on view in Childs Gallery’s upstairs Print Department, August 4 through October 1, 2022, with an opening reception Sunday, August 21, 2-4pm.