John Little Art
American, 1907-1984
Born in Alabama, John Little attended the Buffalo (NY) Fine Arts Academy as a teenager, until 1927. Soon after, he moved to New York where he began operatic vocal training and opened what would become a very successful textile business designing fabric and wallpaper.
In 1933, he enrolled at the Art Students League under the tutelage of George Grosz. Little’s early work consisted predominantly of landscapes, until 1937, when he began studying under Hans Hofmann and his work naturally shifted toward abstraction. During his time with Hofmann, he with artists such as Lee Krasner, George McNeil, Gerome Kamrowski, Giorgio Cavallon, and Perle Fine.
Little entered the the service in 1942 as an aerial photographer for the Navy. Returning to New York after the war and with nowhere to stay, he reconnected with Hofmann and moved into his 8th Street studio, alongside his friend Lee Krasner and her husband Jackson Pollock.
In 1946, Little earned his first solo exhibition at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, with a subsequent solo exhibition at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York two years later.
In the early 1950s, Little abandoned the flat, linear style in favor of a new aesthetic consisting of the thick, gestural buildup of paint. This stylistic change was concurrent with his move to East Hampton In 1951. This enabled him to continue a close friendship with Krasner and Pollock, who had already left the city in favor of the more rural area around East Hampton. Little and Pollock had a joint exhibition in 1955 at Guild Hall, one year before Pollock’s tragic death.
John Little exhibited extensively during his career, with solo shows at Betty Parsons Gallery (1948), Bertha Schaefer Gallery (1957, 1958), Worth Ryder Gallery (1963), A.M. Sachs Gallery (1971), and a retrospective at the Guild Hall Museum (1982). His work can be found in many private, institutional, and corporate collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guild Hall Museum, Ball State University Museum of Art, and Galerie Beyeler.(Biography provided by Waterline Fine Art)
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Artist: John Little
Dealer: Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art
“Untitled”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Early, original oil on canvas painting by the well known American abstract expressionist artist, John Little. Signed and dated lower right, 1958.
Signed and dated verso. Rose Fried...
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist John Little Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Double Play”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Strong, vibrant original oil on canvas painting titled “Double Play” by the well known American artist, John Little. Signed and dated lower left, 1963. Signed, dated and titled vers...
Category
1960s Post-Modern John Little Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Untitled”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting by the well known abstract expressionist artist, John Little. Signed lower right. Signed and dated 1965 on top stretcher bar verso. Betty Parsons Ga...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist John Little Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Untitled"
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Woodblock by the American artist John Little. Signed and dated in pencil lower right, 1974. Number 11/15. Inscribed "Merry Christmas to Alfred and Harold" in pencil lower right. Condition: excellent. In thin metal frame 29.25 by 33.25 inches.
John Little was born in Sanford, Alabama. He left home at the age of fourteen to become an artist, and moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1923. After spending a year working as a stevedore on the docks to save money, he enrolled at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and developed an interest in singing. In 1927 he moved to New York City where he continued his vocal work and studied operatic literature. He also became involved in textile design, opening his own store in 1920, called John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design. He ran the store until 1950.
In 1933 John Little resumed his painting studies at the Art Students League in New York under the guidance of George Grosz (1893-1959). The following year he made his first visit to East Hampton, Long Island, which he would eventually call home. Later in the decade, he traveled to Paris where he became familiar with European modernism. On his return to America, he taught textile design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He hired Josephine Watkins to work for him; she later became his wife. Little’s textile store and teaching job gave him a financial security that was rare during the Depression, and he never found it necessary to find employment with the Works Progress Administration. At the end of the decade, John Little studied with Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York and Provincetown. Little was greatly influenced by Hofmann, particularly by his views on color theory.
In 1942 John Little joined the Navy as an aerial photographer. In the late 1940s he purchased a rundown house on Three Mile Harbor...
Category
1970s Abstract Expressionist John Little Art
Materials
Woodcut
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Born in 1908 in Chicago, John Opper moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1916. In high school, he began studying art and attending classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
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Watercolor on paper laid down on panel. Executed in 1973 by the American artist John Little. Signed lower right in pencil and dated 1973. Inscribed verso "Merry Chrismas Harold and Alfred, John". A note on from the artist is included. See photo. The Watercolor on paper laid down on panel. Executed in 1973 by the American artist John Little. Signed lower right in pencil and dated 1973. Inscribed verso ' Merry Chrismas Harold and Alfred, John" A note from the artist is included. See photo. The artwork is in a handcrafted frame made by the artist. Condition is good. Has several small waves in paper. Slight fold lower right corner; slight natural toning of paper. No glass. Overall framed size 17.5 by 13.5 inches.
John Little was born in Sanford, Alabama. He left home at the age of fourteen to become an artist, and moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1923. After spending a year working as a stevedore on the docks to save money, he enrolled at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and developed an interest in singing. In 1927 he moved to New York City where he continued his vocal work and studied operatic literature. He also became involved in textile design, opening his own store in 1920, called John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design. He ran the store until 1950.
In 1933 John Little resumed his painting studies at the Art Students League in New York under the guidance of George Grosz (1893-1959). The following year he made his first visit to East Hampton, Long Island, which he would eventually call home. Later in the decade, he traveled to Paris where he became familiar with European modernism. On his return to America, he taught textile design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He hired Josephine Watkins to work for him; she later became his wife. Little’s textile store and teaching job gave him a financial security that was rare during the Depression, and he never found it necessary to find employment with the Works Progress Administration. At the end of the decade, John Little studied with Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York and Provincetown. Little was greatly influenced by Hofmann, particularly by his views on color theory.
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John Little art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic John Little art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by John Little in paint, oil paint, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large John Little art, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Richard Andres, Robert Goodnough, and Norman Carton. John Little art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $40,000, while the average work can sell for $7,700.