Hugh Mesibov, an American artist whose
work has developed throughout most of this century,
displays elements of the American experience as well as
Abstract Expressionist and figurative works. A recipient
of national and international acclaim, Mesibov is
included in America's great collection of contemporary
art including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes foundation, the
Whitney Museum of Art. A veteran of over 30 one-man
shows, Mesibov has exhibited widely his works in
watercolor, oil, and acrylic as well as etchings,
lithographs and monoprints.
Born in Philadelphia, Mesibov first studied at the
Fleisher Memorial Art School, then at the Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts and the Barnes Foundation.
During the 1930's he worked with funding from the Works
Progress Administration producing paintings, murals and
prints depicting Depression Era themes of working life
and social commentary. During this period his
experimental work in printmaking led to his co-invention
(with Dox Thrash) of the Carborundum Print process with
which he made the first prototype, "Mystic".
His invention on the Color Carborundum Print brought him
national recognition.
Mesibov also began to develop his talent for mural
painting. The U.S. Treasury Section of Fine Arts
commissioned his work "The Steel Industry"
which hangs to this day in a post office in Hubbard,
Ohio.
In the 1940's, living in New York City,
his figurative style gave way to Surrealism and then to
Cubism. Experimenting with geometrical planes to express
feeling, he balanced structure and fluidity.
Then, while spending four summers in Aspen in the early 50's, a
lyrical response to the American West produced exquisite
watercolors with a whimsical twist. In contrast, a
vacation in the late 50's on Monhegan Island inspired
Mesibov to observe and depict the forms and qualities of
Nature - horizon, crashing ocean wave and boiling cloud -
elements that became as much a part of his palette as the
watercolor he used to represent them.
During the 60's Mesibov found himself inspired by literature. The Rime of
the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge and Cervante's
"Don Quixote" each produced a series of more
than thirty works. During this time, Mesibov produced
some of his largest works on canvas. Working in his
preferred canvas medium, acrylic, he painted on canvases
stretched sometimes to 8' x 10'. In 1972, Mesibov
produced a mural for the Temple Beth El in Spring Valley,
New York, that consisted of three large joined canvases
measuring 6' x 16' each. The mural theme, based on the
biblical Book of Job, depicts Job's challenge to God and
ultimately his suffering and redemption.
Mesibov returned to watercolor during the 80's.
Producing a large body of work he brought a lifetime of
experience to express winter, summer and pastoral scenes
in his "Pond" and "Sunroom" series.
During the 1990's, Mesibov has been occupied with
developing new techniques in print-making. The medium of
monoprint, which allows a single print to be taken from a
prepared plate, provided a rich area of technical as well
as creative challenge. Experimenting with pigment, paper
and adhesive, Mesibov again pioneered techniques in this
increasingly popular medium.
The works of each decade of Mesibov's long career may
be viewed on this web site as if walking through a
gallery traversing time. This exhibition reveals the
Artist as a profound viewer of the world in which he
lives. One may observe the evolution of this unique
creative energy as well as that of the century that
defines us all.