ARTISTS
Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible
16 Feb, 2014 - 18 May, 2014
Self-described 鈥渧isionary鈥� artist Forrest Bess (1911鈥�1977) is a unique figure in the history of American art. He eked a meager living fishing and selling bait by day in Bay City Texas, while, in his free time, he read, wrote, and painted prolifically. He created an extraordinary body of mostly small-scale canvases rich with enigmatic symbolism based on symbols he saw in his dreams. Bess drew meaning for these symbols from various disciplines such as medicine, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy, eventually formulating a theory, which he referred to as his 鈥渢hesis,鈥� that the unification of male and female within one鈥檚 body could produce immortality. Despite his remote location, Bess gained recognition in the New York art community, showing his work between 1950 and 1967 with the prominent artist and dealer Betty Parsons.
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Self-described 鈥渧isionary鈥� artist Forrest Bess (1911鈥�1977) is a unique figure in the history of American art. He eked a meager living fishing and selling bait by day in Bay City Texas, while, in his free time, he read, wrote, and painted prolifically. He created an extraordinary body of mostly small-scale canvases rich with enigmatic symbolism based on symbols he saw in his dreams. Bess drew meaning for these symbols from various disciplines such as medicine, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy, eventually formulating a theory, which he referred to as his 鈥渢hesis,鈥� that the unification of male and female within one鈥檚 body could produce immortality. Despite his remote location, Bess gained recognition in the New York art community, showing his work between 1950 and 1967 with the prominent artist and dealer Betty Parsons.
Artists on show
Contact details
Sunday
12:00 - 5:00 PM
Tuesday - Saturday
12:00 - 5:00 PM
735 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, NY, USA 10577
