David Park, Woman Reading, 1957

Hackett | Mill’s current exhibition, “Interiors and Places”, features a collection of thirteen sumptuous paintings by David Park, Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff, the founding members of the Bay Area Figurative movement.  It is an exceptional opportunity to see a selection of paintings by these artists that have rarely or never been exhibited publicly before, since most are on loan from private collections and institutions.

Elmer Bischoff, Red House, 1961

The Bay Area Figurative movement was a distinct departure from Abstract Expressionism, the dominant art movement of the time, and it is now considered the Bay area’s most singular contribution to 20th Century American art.  Park, Diebenkorn and Bischoff started as abstract painters and their move to figurative work was initially regarded as a step backwards.

In his article about the exhibition, art writer John Seed describes the genesis of the exhibition, the opening reception and the paintings in detail: “Seeing a David Park painting in person always offers a reminder of just how fresh and bold his use of paint was. Looking across the surface of his Surf Bathers, with its fluid intermixing of brushwork and palette knife, provides viewers the chance to appreciate the balance between representation and abstraction that give his works their aesthetic tension and vibrancy.”  

Richard Diebenkorn, Still Life with Book, 1958

The exhibition is on view through March 27, 2015. Hackett | Mill Gallery hours are 10:30 – 5:30 Tuesday through Friday or by appointment.

Nancy Boas, author of the biography, David Park, A Painter’s Life, will speak at Hackett | Mill on February 19. For information, call the gallery at 415-362-3377.