THE WALTER
K.
GUTMAN COLLECTION
BOWDOIN COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
THE WALTER
K.
GUTMAN
COLLECTION
BOWDOIN COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
1966
Cover: Marcia Marcus, Portrait of Walter K. Gutman, lent by Mr. Gutman.
I
I,000 COPIES
Printed by
The Anthoensen
Press, Portland,
Maine
FOREWORD
Before
I
met Walter Gutman,
were any Bowdoin alumni
I
frankly never dreamed that there
like
him. That he was in Wall Street
was, of course, conventional enough; but that he had been an art
critic (for
the Nation, the
Creative Art) put
him
New
Repuhlic, Art in America, and
in a class all
by himself right
off the bat.
And that he avidly collected contemporary (that is to say, Abstract
Expressionist!)
(very
It
American painting, and,
much in the modern idiom)
in fact, painted himself
confirmed his uniqueness.
was Bowdoin's Capital Campaign (oddly enough)
me on to Walter in the first place.
(Bowdoin, Class of
tures that
1
President Coles and
926) had told
that put
Ed Tevriz
me that Walter had some pic-
he might be interested in giving
to the
College as his
contribution to the Campaign. In the Fall of 1963 Walter and
I
got together, and, happily got along famously from the begin-
ning. In the three years that ensued, the College gradually fell
heir to the pictures that are being exhibited here for the
first
time.
3
There were
tiations,
somewhat tickhsh moments
a couple of
however. Walter
at first insisted that the
in our nego-
photograph of
Aneta Vargas and him (by William Robinson) would have
exhibited with the pictures.
(surprised a
have
to
perhaps) turned around and said
But
a nice idea.
be
When this was consented to, Walter
show the photograph
would be
it
bit,
to
I
after
all,
we didn't really
although he
still
thought
thought Walter's reasons for want-
ing the photo shown were such good ones (cf pp. 12-14), ^^^^
.
have included
^
it.
In addition to works by Gorky, Tworkov, Kline, Guston, DrexKatz, et
ler,
Two
tion.
one
I
al.,
there are three by Walter himself in the collec-
of these
came
as gifts,
because
I
thought
In a very real sense, this exhibition
of
is
as
and by him,
trust
The
June
4
New York—
was good.
about Walter as
about the pictures he has given us— and even with the pictures
it is
incomplete without Walter himself. Hence,
you will find
title
of a ''Profile" of
20, 1959, issue of
Wall
Street,''"^
which
as interesting as I do.
MARVIN
^
it
much
the following essay by Bowdoin's 'Troust in
I
asked for them, and
purchased from a recent show of his work in
not to please Walter, but because
it is
I
The
s.
SADiK, Director
Walter by John Brooks which appeared
New Yorker,
in the
INTRODUCTION
I
give this fairly sizable
to the
These
I
collection of small paintings
Bowdoin College Museum with
days, as everyone knows,
this collection
its
and ranging
feelings of affection.
one often gives with
me
has been quite a profitable gift for
income tax impact, even though
say this because there
is
no need
it is
also given
for gratitude,
profit,
and
because of
with affection.
and
this
is
one
advantage of income tax giving. Gifts really should induce pleasure and not gratitude— gratitude
is
one not like you too much, and so
I
I
have not taken
The
it
the
first
step in
say this so as to
making some-
make sure
that
this step.
collection
is
ranging rather than representative because
doesn't include examples from a large part of the art scene. It
has neither Pop nor Op, for example, but
painting
I
it
ranges from the
first
owned to several bought very recently.
The first is the 'Wooden Soldier'' painted by Guy Pene du Bois
in
1924 and given
to
me
that year for
my
twenty-first birthday.
5
That was the year I graduated from Bowdoin.
to give
me
a watch, but
I
My parents wanted
hked Guy's painting.
by painting in many ways, and since he owed
was fascinated
I
my
father
$75,1
my father add a bit and get a painting. The status
of American artists then can be dug from that figure, for Guy
was well known. He was an exceptionally good friend of Mrs.
suggested that
Whitney, who
later
of his paintings
her.
founded the Whitney Museum, and several
were in the Metropolitan
He may have been
mother,
who was
a bit lenient
monitoring his
Museum
because of
on the price because of
and
class,
that,
judging by
my
my
mother's character, must have been a tempestuous relationship.
But even
so,
most
artists, at
that time, unless they
the family, were rather poor.
I
Guy out
took
for
had money
in
lunch or dinner
even though I was a not too pecunious young squirt,
several times,
and he a somewhat renowned painter and savoiyard.
I
may have
word— if so, apologies to the French Department. I
he knew a lot. You could call him sophisticated— he
coined that
mean
that
was that— but he was warmer than a
ists
most
art-
he wasn't very verbal— our lunches were rather silent— but
when he
spoke you
painting— you
say
sophisticate. Like
what
it is.
felt
feel there
there
is
a
was
a
meaning
there. It
meaning in paint but you
was
like
can't really
Guy— to explain him a little better to you— was
the
man who had apparently come to
America with considerable means— among them a large library—
as well as considerable culture. He died, I gathered, broke. Guy
son of a French litterateur— a
was always very
bitter
about his father's publisher,
had taken the old man when the
From
this
painting of Guy's there
lection to the artists of the
years.
6
Well,
library
1
this isn't quite
is
940's and
was
felt
gap in the
col-
sold.
a very long
1
whom he
950's and of more recent
true— Arshile Gorky painted in the
late
1920's— I knew him when
me and
I
hke him.
didn't
I
was an
I
art critic— he didn't
had the impression
that
he thought
We
was one type of phony— I thought he was another.
proved
to
be
of the other
much
all right,
but
now— were
we would
he
alive.
of a painter— his great
hke
I
each
probably each be suspicious
In those years Gorky wasn't
work came
later. It is a
mistake,
I
think, to believe that one can foresee the development of a great
talent.
this
Some people
than
I,
but
much more
my opinion is that what is later called foresight is
One can be aware of a talent,
ship or business.
will be great— that depends,
come much
later.
pieces
think,
I
on
which may
good,
conventional figure
were quite conventional, and neither greatly inspired nor
came
after quite a
work
of an artist
few years of
depends on you
which released
struggle.
When
it
it
him.
I
was very
have often failed
did.
insight,
one
after all
to recognize a
me a long
came to me sud-
clear to others. It took
time, for instance, to appreciate Picasso— but
it
the talent and
Not always— this
rather instantly.
as well as
great artist even after
denly when
his full talent
somehow becomes combined with
can often recognize
it
This insight that a painter has or that a person
looks at paintings has
is
not, in
verbal education or experience— it
ion,
to predict that
insights
later; Kline's early
skillful— the extraordinary insight
ence.
but
friend-
The early landscapes of Mondriaan were
but his greatness came
who
sensitive about
some type of accidental involvement coming out of
really
it
are undoubtedly
When it comes
to
is
my
opinion, a product of
a product of direct experi-
understanding
art,
one can, in
my opin-
throw all the books away, except the reproductions. But then,
now and then one does
cially in the
read something that
few things that
artists
sometimes what writers write
is
is
elucidating— espe-
themselves have written.
interesting to read.
And
Harold
7
Rosenberg s book on Gorky,
for instance,
learn anything about Gorky, but
with Harold. Writing
good reading.
shared a
I
a different art.
is
is
You
common
didn't
I
experience
learn about painting
by looking, and you may share whatever experience you have had
by reading or
One doesn't understand everything or
no matter how much experience one has
also writing.
appreciate everything
—one shouldn't try— it's really enough to understand a lot.
I got to know the abstract expressionists— whose work forms
the core of this collection— quite accidentally.
ceased to be an art
I
rarely
Now when I read what I wrote— which
critic.
do— this was one of the luckiest things that ever happened
to
me— I don't say this
as
clumsy today as when
ary task— impossible
I
didn't go
around
ht not have
to
I
put myself
down— art
did it— it
after all a very difficult liter-
when
it is
is
criticism
is
fully
performed weekly or monthly. So
to the galleries for a
good
many
and
years
I
known— certainly not intimately— about the great
burst of insight
which had engulfed American
wife been studying the piano.
Fine— who has become
One
of those she
art
had not
Martha Graham. Vivian was
warm-hearted, enthusiastic
my
met was Vivian
composer of some note— especially
a
the music she has written for
built,
had long since
I
woman whose
for
a well-
husband, Ben
Karp, was a sculptor. Ben was giving classes in art appreciation
once a week
I
had
to
around
to raise a
few
dollars,
to the class,
us draw as well as
He
student does.
is
8
since, for certain reasons,
spend a part of the week lonely in
even though
preciation than he did. But Ben's
teacher.
and
glows
listen.
I felt I
at practically
You have to be
as
York,
knew more about
method was
He was
New
different.
and no doubt
still is
went
art ap-
He made
a fantastic
everything the clumsy, idiotic
happy about teaching
about painting or a bank robber
I
is
as a painter
about robbing, or you'd give
it
up. In other words, every
Usually
it
remains a small illusion but sometimes
and
a real big fact
collector aches to
great
becomes the
it
pay $6 million
illusion of
for a
it
illusion.
becomes
others— like
also
when
a
Da Vinci. One could buy a
many fine works of art for $6 million— even those of famous
the last hundred years.
artists of
of
human being has to have his
It is
doubtful
if
a single painting
Da Vinci is that great— but the Da Vinci illusion is a very great
Ben had the
one.
great teacher's illusion.
sort of like starting a cold diesel
enough heat
is
put into that engine and
it
It
fuel.
starts, it can't
was
Once
stop as
lasts.
was one of those accidents that Ben was
Tworkov and
Jack
worked on me.
engine with low-grade
long as the low-grade fuel supply
It also just
It
that Tworkov's studio
was
a friend of
in the rear of the
the
De Kooning had his studio and that when Ben got
teaching job and moved away, he sent me to Tworkov, who
had
a
same
I
floor that
number of evening pupils
when
realized
eyes that
I
would
didn't have
real painter,
I
also.
opened the door and met Tworkov's stern
either
become
much enthusiasm
but like most
a painter or not.
for pupils.
artists
Tworkov
really
He was much more
he couldn't make
it all
a
by paint-
De Kooning was teaching too— at Yale once a week. One day
I bought a sketch of his— it, as many, was lying on the floor. They
ing.
He said ''Do
you want to buy one?" I said "Sure— how much?" He said "$25."
He was a little sorry later after it was framed, but even so, at that
were
time
I
all
it
gave
it
I
said ''Don't
throw them away."
wouldn't have been much.
to
it
ing that
gave
beautiful.
I
to
It isn't
in the collection because
my wife after we were divorced.
It
bought during our marriage that she
her in memory of those times.
both showed
at the tiny
Egan
was the one paintreally liked,
and
I
De Kooning and Tworkov
Gallery, as did Kline, Guston,
9
Nakian, and others
now
famous, and so in this accidental
way
I
landed right in the midst of a great movement.
After that
slowly became a painter.
I
really did this. It
had never been one
was excited by painting and long
ways,
it
had never occurred
doubtedly a great deal was due
is
due
to
my fetish.
of
to
hard
my ambitions.
had dabbled
that
why
Much as
to say
I,
too,
in
might
Ben Karp, but
it
I
I
in small
paint.
Un-
a great deal also
my mind, are underrated in their
Or put it another way— the force of a fetish
Fetishes, to
creative possibilities.
is
as I
me
to
of
It is
overrecognized in the sexual area and underrecognized outside
it.
Regardless of what word
long-lasting force
is
used
to describe
an intense and
which sometimes drives individuals and groups
of people to extended efforts, the results of this effort are because
of
what they are— long searches
to lead to
into the nature of reality— likely
products and other results which were not envisioned
when the force was first felt and the search started. I felt the force
of my fetish when I was about four years old. It wouldn't be mete
to describe
my fetish
tain manifestation of
most often in
to paint
woman— the
The
search took
at the
campy affair
concerned with a
cer-
one
sees
sort of manifestation
me
from model
to
place— the
model, and
I
had
a
one-man show of my india-ink
Poindexter Gallery in 1958.
in the back room,
and due
as
much
It
to
was
a rather
an old friend-
ship with Ely Poindexter and a shrewd guess on her part that
would throw a big party,
However,
it
I
them.
As a result of the search,
drawings
it is
circuses, in the ballet, or in a strange
wrestling ring.
had
here except that
as
any penetrating admiration
was pleasantly reviewed. The party was
There were models from
'Ti'l Abner''
for
I
my art.
a great one.
and 'West Side
Story";
my mistress of a year or so before who, I secretly called ''the storm"
10
bomb
—everything could have exploded, but the
case.
stayed in
its
John Cage had an exhibition of notes from his musical scores
at the Stable
Gallery the same night. Rauschenberg, Jasper
Merce Cunningham, and Tworkov had arranged the show
Johns,
money for Cage. Times have changed— v^ho
knew Rauschenberg then— let alone Johns and Cunningham?
Tworkov as a matter of fact was one of the most knowledgeableto try to raise a bit of
looking back
gift for
now
to
I
perception
seeing an important talent.
herent reasons
ment.
at Jack's
why he
later
I
I
realize that
he has a true
guess that's one of the in-
became head
of the Yale art depart-
bought two of Cage's drawings that night and gave them
Dorothy— in other words my ex.
The Poindexter opening had an important relation to this little
collection because
it
was through
that party that
I
met
a
whole
Some of them had been members of
the Hansa Gallery, one of the focal points of new development,
and many also had been students of Hans Hoffman during the
group of the younger
artists.
richest period of his teaching. I
cause
I
liked
bought pictures from them be-
them and what they
Gorky drawing, every piece
did.
With
the exception of the
in the collection
was made by some-
knew and liked, and also at the time I bought it, it was not
famous. Some aren't now. I should tell you about one. It is a little
one
I
landscape done with magic markers.
picking what he wanted from
what he
liked
my
When
Marvin Sadik was
collection, I told
and not care whose signature
it
him
to take
was. Marvin was
quite resolute about this, considering that the Ford Foundation
was giving the College one-third of the value of a gift such as these
paintings. In other words, the right signature
the College,
it's
not just prestige.
ing and asked 'Is this
German
is
worth money
to
He came across this little draw-
expressionist?" ''No,"
I said, "it's
1
by
my ex-wife Dorothy Darrow,
Dorothy was an
artist
when
I
but take
ize
it
was
much
way
was.
it
whatever satisfaction there
I
haven't met anybody
was
far less. It
gift so little.
One must
is lies
fortunate indeed to be caught
but
gift of
an
visual
used
to
bug
time on what she could do only with
and followed her
best the
it."
was not her great illusion— music was much
that she spent so
great struggle
really like
manual statement and
greater even though her facility in this
me
you
met her— she had the
extraordinary close relationship of
perception. But art
it if
up
But of course
I
follow one's illusion,
along that way.
One
is
fully sustained
by the
confi-
dence that he would again have the pleasure of a pretty day.
But
very
in the great illusions of nature,
who was
report card always intrudes.
real-
to
some extent
The
this collection
does represent such a momentary confidence. Dorothy's drawing
has no commercial value— its only value
is
art— it
is
the opposite
Da Vinci— yet no one can deny that it is a charming little
landscape. I am very glad to have it in the safekeeping of a mufrom
seum which,
a reality in
too, is
charming but also not widely known. There
fame but
also a strong reality in
its
opposite, as
is
Emer-
son once pointed out.
While Marvin was picking what he wanted, I made a condition
about the
that
gift
which has since been
whenever the
collection
relaxed.
This condition was
was put on exhibition— now and
then, throughout eternity— the photograph of
me and Aneta
me as we were walking
through my rooms and I saw the photo now on display with my
paintings, lying against a wall. Aneta, who is one of the world's
great acrobats— one of only a few— maybe only two— who can do a
Vargas be shown with
it.
This occurred
to
one-armed handstand on a slack wire— is a supreme example of
the force that has driven
12
me
along.
I felt
the collection should
have a picture of the donor and that this was
it.
I
had some doubts,
my
however, that the College would entirely sympathize with
feelings,
and
so I wrote
Marvin
as follows.
should say a word
why
am
insistent
on the
co-
exhibition of the photograph by William Robinson.
These
are
simple ways of saying it— one of which
merriment
''Perhaps
I
I
is
can coexist with dignity— something that
gotten in a
museum. But
photograph, which
Somehow
is
there
is
to say that
is
very likely to be
also a deeper
meaning
in the
the reason people react so strongly to
gives the feeling of bawdiness, lechery,
it
for-
it.
and even
The breaking of a shell can be
an extremely significant moment, as De Kooning once said to me
passion. It sort of breaks the shell.
in the presence of a very beautiful
Negro dancer. She asked him
what his painting was about and he tried to tell her by this illustration:
'Suppose you threw an egg against a window.
There would be
a
moment when
it
was breaking but
had not broken.'
"There
react
to, I
lection
is
that quality in this photograph.
think.
"A more
yet
it
to
is
exists
of the photograph
what people
and the
col-
because of what has been found.
elaborate
way
of explaining
interesting because
gives a feeling
of the
is
might give a sense of something that is more than has been
found and yet
picture
The combination
That
first
it
really
is
what
I
mean
is:
The
a very innocent picture,
beyond innocence. Miss Vargas
is
a
member
Yugoslavian State Circus, and her act was farmed out
Barnum &
Bailey where
I
met her
several years ago.
Her
requires great strength, an extraordinary sense of balance,
act
and
constant practice. She leads an extremely disciplined and moral
13
life.
Her husband, who
came
to the studio,
while she shook
and
my
assists her,
in fact
hand.
pursued and somewhat
it
was with her every time she
was he who kissed
The man
me
in the picture—
goodbye
me— has
satisfied his fantasies in respect to this
woman by the highly moral
action of painting.
The
blue shirt
is
simply a work shirt— not, as some people thought, a pajama top.
And it is open and exposes his hairy chest because the buttonholes
were worn from age and washing and the day was hot— and not
because of exhibitionism or lechery. But the picture
moral in
its
implications and that
tion. If the factual
this,
because
fact.
However,
I
is
why
I
want
background were immoral,
rather im-
in the collec-
would not require
cannot stand for immorality in
realize a college
colleges
I
it
is
do accept immorality when
it is
somehow
turned into morality. For instance, they acquaint the student with
the poetry of Coleridge— who,
instead of
opium and
at
if
he had been found smoking pot
Brandeis University instead of where
and when he did, would have been arrested by the Massachusetts
State Police as a friend of
mine was. And they bring the student
in touch with Lafcadio Hearn, Baudelaire, Rabelais, Toulouse-
who
Lautrec, Gauguin, and others,
which would make
it
impossible for
to various degrees led lives
them
college or even remain there as students.
doin, a
be professors
When
I
was
at the
at
Bow-
man in my dormitory got a dose of clap and was summarily
dismissed.
he hadn't gotten
It
long as he wished and
had become
given
to
made
a V.I. P. later,
that,
as
he could have stayed there
much
some
love as he could.
college
him an honorary degree. There
is
the relationship of culture to morality
And
if
as
he
would undoubtedly have
something strange about
which needs more exami-
nation.
'Indeed, there
is
something strange about the concept of the
contemporary world in relation
concept.
reason,
to
what might be
called the anti-
A college has a number of reasons for existence;
and one
that
found
I
The
ing of experience.
at
but one
Bowdoin, was that of a heighten-
me
College proved to
to
be not just a
further step in learning but an entirely different experience than
high school had been.
I
had not known
opened up an extraordinary world which
It
existed. It
seems
me a college should
to
but the fact
far as possible for this sort of thing,
is
stand as
a college has a
strong tendency to stand for only one part of experience— the
A trouble with our contemporary world, as
existence of the mind.
I
see
all,
it, is
that an illusion has
that with sufficient disciplined effort
and
things can be explained
an existence that
to
grown up that the mind can conquer
me, ignores the body.
the rival of the mind.
It
if
It is sort
the
only bring death.
Our
did not think that
life
logic.
But
this concept,
seems
it
ignores the body because the body
and Satan, in which Jehovah
nonrational. But
all
that all people can be satisfied with
dominated by
is
and understanding
of another battle
is
now
had
between Jehovah
the rational and Satan the
mind could conquer
ancestors
is
the body,
would
it
a clearer idea of this.
would be possible on earth
the influence of either Satan or God.
Only
if
They
removed from
after death, they
thought, could one live wholly with Satan or wholly with God.
We
control of one force.
human life can exist wholly under
The reason I want the exhibition of
Robinson photograph
is
seem
to
think that
that
it is
a polite
the
the
message from Satan
to
be shown along with various not so unusual messages from God.
I
have lived
at times a
very happy
want to live with him all the time.
nice too.
That is human life as
I
I
see
life
with Satan, but
think the
life
with
I
don't
God is very
it/'
WALTER
K.
GUTMAN
15
I
CATALOGUE
CATALOGUE
1
I
3
GUY P£NE DU
BOIS
JACK
TWORKOV
(1884-1958)
Untitled Abstraction, 1949
Wooden
Oil on paper, 28 x 26
Soldier,
1924
Oil on panel, 25 x 20
1964. 62
1966. 37
2
4
ARSHILE GORKY
JACK
(1905-48)
Untitled Abstraction, 1950
Untitled Abstraction,
1
944
Colored crayon drawing,
TWORKOV
Oil on paper, 25?^ x 38
1964. 61
i9^^x 25^^
1964. 63
19
lO
JACK
TWORKOV
GEORGE SEGAL
Untitled Abstraction, 1951
Oil on canvas,
36x42
Untitled,
1957
Pastel drawing,
18x12
1966. 35
1964. 59
1
JACK
TWORKOV
REUBEN NAKIAN
Ah siraction, 1954
Oil on canvas, 19x22
Untitled
1964. 60
Untitled
Brush drawing,
11^x14
1965. 44
7
12
FRANZ KLINE
REUBEN NAKIAN
(1910-62)
Untitled Ahstr action, 1952
Brush drawing, ^Vixii
Untitled
Brush drawing, iiV{ xi 4^/4
1965. 46
1964. 66
8
13
FRANZ KLINE
JOHN GRILLO
(1910-62)
Untitled Abstraction
Untitled Abstraction, 1955
Oil on canvas, 26^^ x
Brush drawing,
1
9% x 4%
1
30%
1965-35
1964. 65
JOHN GRILLO
PHILIP
GUSTON
Untitled Abstraction, i960
Untitled Abstraction, 1954
Oil on board,
Brush drawing, 23^/^x18
1965. 36
1964. 64
20
1
2V2 x
1
2V2
15
20
JOHN GRILLO
DOROTHY DARROW
Untitled Ahstraction
Woodland Scene
Oil on board, 9^4 x
Colored pen drawing,
1
0V2
1965- 37
1965. 42
16
21
EMILIO CRUZ
WALTER
Untitled, 1963
Venus
Pen and brush drawing,
Pastel drawing, 2^V2 x
18 X
23%
1965. II
K.
1 1
%x9
GUTMAN
(Museum
20
Purchase)
1965.40
22
WALTER
EMILIO CRUZ
1
GUTMAN
Woman, 1964
Oil on canvas, 18x14
Strong
Nudes
Pastel drawing,
K.
0% x 3%
1
1965.45
1966. 36
23
18
WALTER
SHERMAN DREXLER
Nude, 1966
MudWrestlers, 1961
Pastel drawing,
Encaustic on board, 20 x 24
1966. 40
K.
GUTMAN
26 x 20
1965. 41
24
PETER AGOSTINI
SHERMAN DREXLER
Collage III
Nude
Collage,
Watercolor,
1
8V2 x
1
0%
1 1
% X 7%
1
1966. 32
1966. 34
21
25
28
MILES FORST
ALEX KATZ
Untitled,
Beach Scene
1963
Watercolor,
1
7M x 23%
Collage,
4x6
1965. 38
1966. 31
26
29
MICHAEL GOLDBERG
ALEX KATZ
Untitled Abstraction,
Edwin Denhy
Oil on paper,
1
963
15x1 4^4
Cut out figures, 24 x 24
1965- 39
1966. 30
27
30
ALEX KATZ
PETER GOURFAIN
Landscape
Ruhher Tires
Oil on board,
1965. 43
22
i
^Vz x
i
/\V2
Drawing,
1966. 33
i
o x 1 0V4
PLATES
6
7
9
21