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Alfonso Ossorio Art

Filipino, American, 1916-1990

Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Ossorio grappled with themes of childhood, birth, sexuality, mythology and religion in his vivid art. Before becoming close friends with artists Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner and Jean Dubuffet, he inherited a sugar fortune and amassed an art collection that became part of the Fogg Museum at Harvard University. It includes works by artist Thomas Derrick, sculptor Eric Gill, wood engraver Philip Hagreen, illustrator Denis Tegetmeier and artist and poet David Jones.

Born in 1916, Ossorio grew up in Manila in the Philippines. He later attended a Catholic boarding school in England and settled in the United States in 1930. He enrolled at Harvard in 1934 and, in 1937, launched an art career with cover designs for publications of work by poet Arthur Rimbaud. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1938 and complemented his art history studies with studio art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design. After his first solo exhibition at the Wakefield Gallery in 1941, Ossorio served the American Armed Forces until 1946. He met his lifelong partner, Ted Dragon, in 1948, as well as Pollock who guided his exploration of Abstract Expressionism.

Ossorio’s major works included a mural commissioned for the Chapel of St. Joseph the Worker in the Philippines. His return to his home country fueled a search inwards as a source of inspiration.

Ossorio bought an East Hampton, New York, estate, known as the Creeks, in which he housed Dubuffet’s entire Compagnie de l’Art Brut collection. By the late 1950s, Ossorio was heavily involved in curating and organizing exhibitions including shows featuring Pollock, Dubuffet, Willem de Kooning, Hans Hofmann, Mark Rothko and David Smith

In the 1960s, Ossorio created his best known works. These “congregations,” as he called them, are assemblage sculptures of shells, pearls, feathers and driftwood playing on the connections between life and decay, and the raw and the refined.

Ossorio’s art is in collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. International exhibitions featuring his work have been held at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Scotland and the National Museum of Modern Art in Japan as well as the L’Art Brut Museum in Switzerland and the 2019 Singapore Biennale.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Alfonso Ossorio prints and multiples.

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Amordie, Abstract Expressionist Etching by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Amordie Year: 1983 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 36 Image Size: 11 x 7 inches Paper Size: 18 x 12 in. ...
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1980s Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Ossorio Art

Materials

Etching

Untitled VII, Abstract Expressionist Etching by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Untitled VII Year: 1984/1990 Medium: Etching, signed in pencil Edition: P.P. Image Size: 23.5 x 17.75 inches Paper Size: 30.75 x ...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Ossorio Art

Materials

Etching

Untitled VI, Abstract Etching by Alfonso Ossorio
By Alfonso Ossorio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino, 1916-1990) Title: Untitled VII Year: 1984 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: PP Image Size: 24 x 17.75 inches Paper Size...
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1980s Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Ossorio Art

Materials

Etching

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Alfonso Ossorio art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Alfonso Ossorio art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Alfonso Ossorio in etching and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1980s and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Alfonso Ossorio art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Sandy Kinnee, Katherine Chang Liu, and Steven Sorman. Alfonso Ossorio art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $2,500, while the average work can sell for $2,250.

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