NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s New York unveiled its exhibition, Roy Newell: Works from the Archives. Featuring works of art from the Estate of Anne Newell – wife and unwavering advocate of Abstract artist Roy Newell – the gallery showcases eighteen paintings spanning over half a century of the artist’s career. On view in New York from 5 May to 9 June, Roy Newell’s name once again stands alongside his contemporaries when exhibitions for Sotheby’s marquee auctions of Contemporary, and Impressionist & Modern art now open to the public.

Liz Sterling, Head of American Art at Sotheby’s New York, noted: “We are honored to be working with the Estate of Anne Newell, to shine the spotlight on this brilliant artist and his extraordinary artistic vision. A friend to many artists and muses in the New York art scene in the mid-to-late 20th century, Roy Newell shied away from the spotlight, developing a signature style in the privacy of his studio, including one previously occupied by Albert Pinkham Ryder, where he continuously reworked compositions over days, weeks, years and decades, always with the goal of achieving a level of perfection. Through this exhibition, and another later this year in Los Angeles, we look forward to introducing this original member of the Abstract Expressionist movement to a greater audience.”

Allan Schwartzman, Chairman of Sotheby’s Fine Art Division, commented: “As our S|2 gallery refocuses towards artists who have been celebrated art historically but are under-recognized by the market, we are thrilled to present shows dedicated to Alfonso Ossorio and Roy Newell. While these artists have many differences, both are distinguished for a creative output that stands alongside many of the giants of 20th-century art. We curated these exhibitions to showcase the depth and breadth of the artists’ practice, from fifty years of Newell’s brightly-colored, geometric abstractions, to works-on-paper, paintings, sculpture, and assemblage by Ossorio. It is my hope that S|2 can contribute to broader recognition of these as well as other influential, but less commercial artists.”

Featured alongside Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, Jackson Pollock, and many others in Ad Reinhardt’s Imaginary Museum 1961 Modern Art in America, Roy Newell was a well-respected figure of the New York art scene. Born in 1914 in the Lower East Side, the son of Eastern European immigrants, the self-taught artist was first shown by the prominent German dealer J.B. Neumann in 1951. His early work – experimentations with brushwork, irregularity and monochrome palettes, as well as powerful figural works – received praise from critics and support from his friends and artistic contemporaries. These central themes to his oeuvre led to the discovery of his signature style by the 1960s: brightly-colored, geometric abstractions.

While infrequently exhibited, Newell’s mature artistry and passion for abstract expression can easily be appreciated by a new audience, who are now able to rediscover the artistic genius of this pioneer of Abstract Expressionism. By examining his canvases – of which many were worked and re-worked for weeks, months, and sometimes years – one can see the artist hard at work: the thick crust of numerous layers of paint points to experimentations in color palette, while the words ‘Top ↑’’ marked and crossed out numerous times indicate his determination to find the best orientation for his works. Such passion and dedication to his craft is admirable in and of itself, and the glittering results are worthy of a solo exhibition.