Architecture from Within

“The abstract art which arose in the Bay area from the 1940s to the mid-1960s was for a long time largely regarded as a reflection and further development of the so-called New York School. San Francisco's art scene, however, differed from New York's. The difference was due to a number of factors such as the influence of the local beatnik subculture, the characteristic West Coast orientation towards Asia, and a greater artistic confrontation with the landscape. Genn, whose parents had encouraged her creative ambitions from childhood, and who was especially sensitive to her physical environment, gradually became aware of the variety of artistic expressions in her immediate milieu.

“Attending the University of California at Berkeley with Sam Francis, she developed a primary interest in the spiritual and meditative dimensions of color and light. From the action painting of Jackson Pollock, the lyrical spatialism of Mark Rothko and the gestural abstraction of Helen Frankenthaler, she absorbed influences which she was able to filter and metabolize, thus forging a unique language of self-expression. The world emerging from her images is abstract: yet the juxtaposition of the absence of figures with a meticulously textured composition creates a sense of suspension pregnant with then human hand. She makes use of geometric abstraction, architectural images, and calligraphy. Her rigorously constructed works have a distinctive organic quality and include challenging fragments of kaleidoscopic memories.”

– From preface by Francesca Valente, 2018

“As a wife, mother of three, and an artist, I balanced three hats on my head, and, having lots of energy, I never doubted I could wear all three. At times my art operated in slow motion because I had to weave my work time around the children when they were young. My husband Tom always encouraged my work. His understanding of aesthetics was an essential aspect of our relationship.

“After our first child was born, I continued to paint by hiring a baby sitter several mornings a week. The money came from my savings so that I did not disturb the delicate balance of our young family budget. I used a bedroom for a studio and exhibited in juried museum shows. Even after our second and third children were born, I managed to keep the thread of work going. When they got measles or mumps, I knew I would probably not paint for six weeks a s each child caught the disease in turn.

“I was grateful that my time was my own. I never had to break off and say I would pick up my career later. I felt strongly that keeping the continuity of my work, the momentum of thinking about and doing artwork, was essential.”

– From Bronze, Paper and Paint by Nancy Genn, 2018