biography of Alfonso OSSORIO (1916-1990)

Birth place: Manila, Philippines

Death place: NYC

Addresses: East Hampton, NY

Profession: Painter, sculptor, collage and assemblage artist

Studied: Harvard Col. (A.B., 1938); RISD, 1938-39.

Exhibited: Wakefield Gal., NYC, 1942-43; M. Brandt Gal., NYC, 1940s; WMAA, 1953-70; Osaka Art Festival, Japan, 1958, 1960; "Structure & Style," Turin, Italy & Bochum, Ger., 1962; Documenta, Kassel, Ger., 1964; "The New American Painting & Sculpture," MoMA, 1969; Cordier & Ekstrom Gal., NYC, 1970s

Work: PMA; NY Univ.; Guggenheim; MoMA; WMAA; MMA; Yale Univ., New Haven. Commissions: murals, Church St Joseph, Victorias, Negros, Philippines, 1950-51 & Washington Square Village, NYC, 1954; large circular assemblage, New York Hilton Hotel, 1964.

Comments: Immigrated to the U.S. in 1930 and became a citizen in 1939. Therafter, he was linked to the Surrealist movement. In 1951 he purchased the Long Island estate previously owned by artist Alfred Herter and began devoting a great deal of attention to the estate (called "The Creek"), creating a botanical and sculpture garden and decorating his home with his collages, assemblages, and sculptures. He also had a large collection of contemporary painting and sculpture, as well as primitive and Asian art objects. Positions: dir. exhibs., Exec. House, NYC, 1956-57; co-founder & dir., Signa Gallery, East Hampton, NY, 1957-60.

Sources: WW73; Jean Dubuffet, Peintures Initiatiques d'Ossorio, (La Pierre Volante, Paris, 1952); Michel Tapie, Ossorio, (Ed Arte Fratelli Pozzo, Turin, 1961); B.H. Friedman, Ossorio (Abrams, 1972); 300 Years of American Art, vol. 2: 958; Wechsler, 31.