The first survey to explore the late paintings of one of the most influential American modernists, "Milton Avery: The Late Paintings" debuts Fri., Nov. 30 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where it hangs through Jan. 13. Concurrently, MAM will show "Wisconsin Collects Avery," an exhibition of Avery works from its own collection and works from other state institutions and private collectors.

Organized by the American Federations of Arts and supported by the National Patrons of the AFA, "Milton Avery: The Late Paintings" collects more than 50 works created in the final two decades of Avery's life. The artist died in 1965.

Among the works are nudes, interiors, seascapes, landscapes and Avery's eloquent "Self-Portrait" (1947). The paintings were executed between 1947, when Avery had his first gallery retrospective, "My Daughter, March," and 1963, when poor health forced him to abandon painting.

"Avery's common subjects and simple forms invite viewers to take the images at face value, but upon careful examination, his paintings reflect a powerful play between realism and abstraction," said Russell Bowman, director of the Milwaukee Art Museum and curator of the exhibition at the Museum. "They also have a wit and vitality that make them wonderfully accessible."

During his lifetime, Avery combined aspects of Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism with an American interest in the everyday, effectively uniting American traditions and modernism.

The exhibition "Milton Avery: The Late Paintings" allows MAM to tout its seven Avery paintings (in the Bradley Collection) and the acquisition of Avery works among Wisconsin collectors. Comprising more than 30 works, "Wisconsin Collects Avery" exhibits paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints, and reflects the full range of works produced during the artist's career.

After the presentation in Milwaukee, "Milton Avery: The Late Paintings" travels next to the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida.

An illustrated catalogue published by the American Federation of Arts and Abrams accompanies the exhibition. The book features an extensive essay by Robert Hobbs, examining the philosophical underpinnings of Avery's style and the ways in which modernist themes culminate in his late work. It also appraises the role that Avery played in the formation of the Color Field painters of Abstract Expressionism. A seminal essay on Avery by Clement Greenberg that originally appeared in the December 1957 issue of Arts Magazine, and was later revised by the author, is reprinted. The $25 paperback has more than 110 pages containing approximately 52 color plates and 35 black-and-white illustrations.

CATLETT FEATURED AT MAM
Elizabeth Catlett, a 20th century African-American sculptor and printmaker whose works have consistently addressed social issues for the working classes of the U.S. and Mexico, is the subject of a new exhibition at Milwaukee Art Museum.

"Elizabeth Catlett: Works on Paper, 1944-1992," on view through Jan. 13, collects 50 prints spanning nearly half a century. The show, curated by Sarah Kirk, curatorial assistant of prints, drawings and photographs, opened Fri., Oct. 26.