Ronald Brooks Kitaj Art
American, 1932-2007
Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1932, R.B. (Ronald Brooks) Kitaj is considered a key figure in European and American contemporary painting. While his work has been considered controversial, he is regarded as a master draftsman with a commitment to figurative art. His highly personal paintings and drawings reflect his deep interest in history; cultural, social and political ideologies; and issues of identity.
Among his various honors are election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1982, and election to the Royal Academy in 1985 (the first American since John Singer Sargent to receive this honor.)
Numerous retrospective exhibitions of his work include shows at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.; The Jewish Museum, Berlin; The Jewish Museum, London; and the Hamburger Kunsthalle in Germany.
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and Troy, New York, Kitaj joined the Merchant Marines in 1949.
In 1950, between sailings, he attended classes at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. He went on to study drawing at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna, Austria.
Kitaj moved to Oxford, England in 1957, and enrolled at The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford.
In 1959, Kitaj was accepted into Royal College of Art, London, where he befriended classmate David Hockney. Upon graduation from the RCA, Kitaj signed with Marlborough Fine Art, London, where he had his first solo exhibition in 1963. His art career began in earnest, and he found critical acclaim alongside commercial success.
A second solo show followed at Marlborough Gallery, New York, in 1965, and he sold “The Ohio Gang” to The Museum of Modern Art.
In 1969, Kitaj taught for a year at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In 1976, he coined the term “School of London” in an essay he wrote as curator of the polemical exhibition, “The Human Clay,” at the Hayward Gallery, London. The term, though loose, continues to define a group of stylistically diverse artists, including Kitaj, who were working in London at that time focusing on figural representation.
In 1981, he spent a year in Paris, France, where he focused on drawing and use of pastel.
In 1994, the Tate Gallery, London, organized a major retrospective of Kitaj’s work. Hostile and personal attacks from some critics led to what Kitaj referred to as the “Tate War.” The exhibition subsequently traveled to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Kitaj moved to Los Angeles, California, and continued to exhibit with Marlborough Fine Art and the Marlborough Gallery, New York.
In 2001 the National Gallery London organized a solo exhibition of paintings: “R.B. Kitaj In the Aura of Cezanne and Other Masters.” Kitaj focused on his “late style” in his Yellow Studio in Westwood and died in 2007.
His gift of his archive to the UCLA Library Special Collections was celebrated with exhibitions at the Skirball Cultural Center and UCLA’s Young Research Library.(Biography provided by Rosenbaum Contemporary)
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Style: Contemporary
Artist: Ronald Brooks Kitaj
"Performing Arts Center" lithograph by R. B. Kitaj from "New York, New York"
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"Performing Arts Center" lithograph of dancers and musicians by R. B. (Ronald Brooks) Kitaj from the "New York, New York" portfolio published by the New York Graphic Society. Signed ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Ronald Brooks Kitaj Art
Materials
Lithograph
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Ronald Brooks Kitaj art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Ronald Brooks Kitaj 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 blue, orange, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ronald Brooks Kitaj in screen print, lithograph, charcoal and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large Ronald Brooks Kitaj art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of John Grillo, Zane Fix, and Seymour Chwast. Ronald Brooks Kitaj art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $224 and tops out at $4,200, while the average work can sell for $1,450.