Miriam Beerman (American, 1923-1922). "Falling (Part I)" and "Falling (Part II)" lithographs on high quality paper, 1994. Both from limited editions of 9. Both are hand-signed, numbered, and dated in pencil. Two powerful and profound hand-signed, limited edition lithographs by artist pioneer Miriam Beerman who developed her artistic style and political voice when male artists dominated Abstract Expressionism. Beerman noted that her earlier years as an Abstract Expressionist continued to impact her later work, manifesting in a "physicality" that helped her to "create ideas". "Falling (Part I)" presents a visceral image of a falling nude figure delineated in jet black that is imbued with palpable psychology and terror of the human condition. "Falling (Part 2)" features text inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca, one of Beerman's favorite poets who was murdered by Fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The powerful words, "INSIDE THE GARDEN / I SHALL SURLY DIE / INSIDE THE ROSEBUSH / THEY WILL KILL ME / MOTHER MOTHER / I WENT OUT GATHERING ROSES / BUT SURELY DEATH WILL FIND ME" are rendered in bold, blood curdling red expressive letters - with some letters embellished by angst-ridden creatures and text - as well as Abstract Expressionist drips and splatters to further convey violence and brutality. Size: 56.75" L x 40.5" W (144.1 cm x 102.9 cm)
Miriam Beerman has been described as a "humanist expressionist" and her work consistently championed the vulnerable and the oppressed, including victims of Vietnam, Hiroshima, and the Holocaust. In her own words, "I have spent most of my life creating images that are responses to the brutality of our time. I am reminded constantly of the world's injustice. It weighs upon my mind and body. Therefore, I seek the beauty and the vigor of the paint and the poetry that inspires the act of painting."
Brief Artist Biography: "Miriam Beerman's works are housed in the collections of over 60 museums, including the Metropolitan Museum, the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, LACMA, The Phillips Collection, RISD Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK. Throughout her career she has won awards from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Pollock Krasner Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, NJ State Council on the Arts, Anonymous Was a Woman Foundation, RISD Alumni Award, as well as many others.
Miriam has exhibited her works in 30 solo shows, including solo shows at the Brooklyn Museum, Graham Gallery, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Everson Museum, NJ State Museum, Lawrence University, Montclair Art Museum, and more.
In 2015 a film about Miriam, Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaos, was created by noted filmmaker Jonathan Gruber. This film has been shown in film festivals, PBS, and abroad. It is now available on Amazon Prime and Youtube where it has been viewed over 40,000 times. . .
Miriam graduated from RISD in 1945 where she studied with John Frazier. She worked at Atelier 17 while on a Fulbright to Paris and had her work critiqued by Marcel Brion. She also studied with Kuniyoshi and Yunkers in New York. She received many fellowships to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and also was awarded a fellowship to work at MacDowell." (Source: RISD Alumni website)
Provenance: Private Berthoud, Colorado, USA collection
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#172488
Condition
Both of these impressively large prints have fold marks and creases as shown. There is a small tear to the upper edge of Falling (Part II) and there are stains on the verso of this print that do not impact the image. Both are hand-signed, numbered, and dated in pencil. Interestingly, both are numbered "/9" with the exact number of the edition left blank; however, the artist's son has confirmed that the edition was extremely small and that no more than 9 exist.