About Ben Mahmoud Expertise Questions regarding "the business of the arts (ie.artist/dealer relations).
Questions regarding the collecting of contemporary art.
Please keep in mind that I am not a professional appraiser, however, I can direct interested parties to sources of information.
Experience 40 years as professor of art, Northern Illinois University
Curator of University Art Collection (responsible for purchase and care).
Member of the board of directors, Illinois Arts Council.
Juror of many competitions.
See vitae: http://benmahmoud.com/resume.html
Publications Many conference proceedings.
"Advice to Young Artists in a Postmodern Era" with William Dunning, Syracuse University Press, 2000.
Education/Credentials MFA, Ohio University, 1960
Awards and Honors See vitae: http://http://benmahmoud.com/resume.html
Question QUESTION: Ben, I have heard the term "Master American painter" used to describe artist Hugh Cabot III (now deceased). Could you please tell me what that term means or signifies?
ANSWER: The term, "Master American painter," seems to have been attached to Mr. Cabot. This does not come from any academic or artistic organization, but rather it is simply a term that those interested in the commercial side of Cabot's work have constructed.
Cabot's work, to my mind, falls easily into the catagory of illustration, much as the work of Norman Rockwell. One could refer to Rockwell as a Master American Painter as well. But both artists stand outside of the major movements of 20th century American art.
If one looks at the mainstream evolution of American painting in this century one finds that such artists as Rockwell or Cabot are not within the historical development of American Art. Rather, their work stands on the shoulders of 19th century American illustration. In the late 19th and early 20th century this style of illustration was represented by the Brandywine Valley tradition, begun by Howard Pyle and carried on by his students, who included N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Jesse Willcox Smith and Frank Schoonover. And this is the tradition from which came Cabot.
In contrast to this the mainstream American begins with the introduction of European modern art in 1913. Early works by such artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Miro, et.al. were seen for the first time by most American painters. Before that, the mainstream of American painting had been deeply influenced by the Impressionists. The Armory Show in 1913 had a shocking effect on American painters. There was a period of experimenting that came from the influences of the Armory Show. Most of this work was highly derivative, but by the early 30s American painting began to evolve on its own, and this led to American Abstract Expressionism which was seen as the first truly original work done by American painters.
Of course, many artists in the country did not jump on this bandwagon. There were some who kept their distance from AbEx. And some of them managed to create a uniquely American style of painting. Artists such as George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Charles Sheeler, Georg Demuth, and John Marin were developing an altogether different kind of work based on imagery. However, in the late 40s and into the late 50s AbEx was the standard bearer for American art, and they dominated the major galleries in New York.
With the development of Pop Art (vis. Andy Warhol)there began to be an opening up of the focus in American art. From the early 60s there has not been one single genre dominating American art. Some see this as a sign of turbidity and stagnation, while other critics and artists see this development as one that allows greater freedom.
Well, that's a very short lesson on American art. And to return to your original question: it is fair to say that there are many collectors that are not interested in the historical developments. Cabot's work is probably in great demand, and maintains high prices.
I hope that I have been of some help to you in this matter. It was an interesting question.
Regard, Ben Mahmoud
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QUESTION: Ben, thank you so much for answering my question so quickly and for educating me.
As a follow-up question,is there a way to research what museums, in the U.S. and abroad, have shown Cabot's work?
Thank you, again.
Answer I don't think there is a catalog of such exhibitions by Cabot. The best that you can do is just type his name in Google and do a web search. In the process, you might come across someone who is a Cabot scholar.
