Robert De Niro senior: talent and ambiguity of creativity

A talented sculptor, gifted artist and poet, Robert De Niro, Sr. significantly influenced the post-war art of America. His paintings were distinguished by the vitality and originality of representations.

While the tribesmen followed the traditions of the old school masters, he reveled in his work, using the reality depicted by expressive brush strokes. A bright innovator in the field of painting, Robert De Niro, Sr. - a unique and unordinary figure of abstract expressionism.

Childhood and youth

Robert De Niro was born in Syracuse (New York) in 1922. A talented child showed exceptional abilities at 5 years old. When he was twelve, he so impressed his art teachers that he got his own studio in the school museum.

The mother of the child tried in every way to encourage the desire to paint, but the father was strongly against the boy's entrainment.

In 1939, De Niro spent the summer studying art with the famous master and teacher Hans Hoffman, and then went on to continue his studies in North Carolina. But very soon he realized that he was far from the strict theory of color inherent in this school, and in 1941 returned to Hoffman. It was the teacher's love for abstract expressionism and cubism that had a huge impact on the development of Robert De Niro the elder as an artist.

The appearance of the heir

A year later he fell in love with the artist Virginia Admiral, and soon they became spouses. In 1943, the couple had an heir - the future great film actor, Robert Jr.. The child's godfather was his beloved teacher and friend, whom Robert De Niro Sr. highly valued. The biography of an outstanding experimental artist is rich in ups and downs, recognition of the public and forgetting. After the birth of his son, the golden couple, as they called Virginia and Roberta, divorced.

Maturity

After the unexpected divorce of spouses, and to this day there are rumors that the reason for the separation was the non-traditional orientation of De Niro. But one way or another, they parted, and Robert went headlong into the work.

In the mid 40's and 50's he exhibits his works in the Guggenheim gallery and wins the status of a rising star in the world of American painting. Some critics compared De Niro to Matisse and Van Gogh. But its uniqueness lies in the fact that the famous favists only inspired the creator. He did not copy their ideas, but sought to create something of his own, special.

When Robert De Niro, Sr. was only 24 years old, his first solo exhibition (1946) was held. His works were highly appreciated by critics who noted their uniqueness and temperament. The manner of this artist did not fit into the standard framework of expressionist contemporaries. He purposefully followed his own ideas, which made Robert a kind of outsider of the New York art community. But by 1950, he was completely determined what his final artistic style would be: a modern pictorial representation.

Unfortunately, some of the artist's early works did not reach us. In 1949, a fire broke out in the creative studio, destroying much of his early work.

The Tragedy of Oblivion

"Recognition is a success that you do not have power over," says Robert De Niro, Jr.. This is the result of the actor's own experience, which can be confidently applied to the work of his father. What was the cause of oblivion? Many contemporaries of the artist noted a steep temper and inability to accept mistakes of other people, some believed that his paintings are too attached to European art. The third is called the main reason for the cooling of the public the propensity of the creator to homosexuality and the unexpected fire that happened.

Despite all the conjectures and statements, the son always remembers his father with deep tenderness and highly appreciates the extraordinary talent that Robert De Niro Sr. possessed. Photos of the father and son - confirmation of not only their external similarity, but also the spiritual closeness of native people.

On the walls of the restaurants, owned by the youngest De Niro, hang the canvas paintings of his gifted father.

End of life

In the late 60's De Niro received a grant from the Guggenheim, but continued to write and create his work. He enthusiastically engaged in teaching at various schools of visual arts in New York: Buffalo and Cooper Union. In the mid-70's he wrote two successful series of lithographs in New Mexico. In addition to creating paintings and sculptures, Robert De Niro Sr., an artist, was a writer and poet, and in 1976 published a volume of his poems.

In 1977, he moved briefly to San Francisco, but again returned to his hometown, which remains until the end of his days.

In 1993, De Niro Sr. died of an incurable disease, leaving behind beautiful canvases full of bold decisions and a synthesis of reality and abstraction.

His unique style, creative use of light brush strokes and unique color solutions can cause dislike or delight the viewer, but will not leave anyone indifferent. Today, his works are adorned with the collections of the Hirschhorn Museum and the Sculpture Garden, the Korkoran Art Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum and Whitney Museum.