Arshile Gorky (Արշիլ Գորկի)
20th century phenomenon, Arshil Gorky, impressed the American public and the world with his never seen before contemporary art. He was a man before his time. It took years to understand and give value to all what he did and what he contributed to American art history. Talented artist, Arshil
Gorky, was born in a village situated near Lake Van, in historic Armenia, sometimes between 1902-1905. No-one exactly knows the exact year of his birth. He was born in an Armenian family, who became unfortunate witnesses of 20th century first Genocide, the Armenian Genocide in 1915 conducted by Ottoman Empire, to eliminate the whole Armenian population. As one of the many Armenian families, they were forced to leave their historic land and join the march. His mother died from starvation, leaving behind Gorky and his sisters. Gorky’s father moved to the US before the Genocide, in 1910, and after mother’s death Gorky moved to America to reunion with his dead. Arshil Gorky was born as Vostanik Manuk Adoyan (Արշիլ Գորկի, Վոստանիկ Մանուկ Ադոյան), and after he moved to the US he changed his name to start a new life, and to establish his identity. The influence of his name comes from the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky.
Gorky’s work shows the influence of Cezanne and Rembrandt, in his own unique identity. His work is considered surrealism, and the origin of Abstract Impressionism. In his abstract paintings and drawings are notable nostalgia, memories of his childhood years of living in his hometown, spending time within wheat fields and nature. His latest works has some erotic figures, traditional Armenian wedding fitures, nature, and even suffering.
His work considers a “new language” in American art history. That is why his contribution to American and world art is extraordinary.
That’s the legacy of Armenian-American artist Arshil Gorky, who committed suicide after all the travel of his life being combined. All his genocide memories, horrifying death of his mother wasn’t enough, his wife left him taking kids with her, his studio burns down with lots of his art work, he gets into car accident and eventually he is being diagnosed cancer. World becomes a heavy burden on his shoulders, and he commits suicide. Arsil Gorky dies at age 44, living tremendous valuable art work to America worth millions of dollars. His art works are all over the American museums: National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (which maintains the Gorky Archive), and in many worldwide, including the Tate in London.
