Robert McCurdy (born 1952) is an American artist known for his photorealistic oil paintings and photographs of notable figures in contemporary history. Among works held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., are paintings of Toni Morrison, Jane Goodall, Neil Armstrong, and others.[1][2][3] In 2002, McCurdy was commissioned to paint a portrait of US Representative Martin Sabo for the US Capitol.[4] He completed the official White House painting of former President Barack Obama in 2018. The portrait of President Obama was unveiled at a ceremony in the White House, simultaneously with the portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama by Sharon Sprung, on September 7, 2022.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
Robert McCurdy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 (age 71–72) |
| Education | Maryland Institute College of Art (BFA, 1974) |
| Known for | Portraiture |
| Website | robertmccurdy |
Among those who have stood for McCurdy are the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Jane Goodall, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Toni Morrison, Neil Armstrong, Muhammad Ali, Carlos Fuentes, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Mario Vargas Llosa, Isabel Allende, James Hansen and Barack Obama.
Robert McCurdy has been exhibiting his photography and paintings for the past forty years. Select showings and collections include the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Frye Museum, Seattle; Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida; Le Tresors des Arts, Gstaad, Switzerland; Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; Nancy Solomon Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia; Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington; Venetia Kapernikas Gallery, New York, Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, among others. McCurdy attained his BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and received an Arts Fellowship from Yale University.
Solo exhibitions
2009 Venetia Kapernekas Gallery, New York, NY
2008 Venetia Kapernekas Gallery, New York, NY
2007 Venetia Kapernekas Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc., New York, NY
2003 Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc., New York, NY
2001 Venetia Kapernekas Gallery, New York, NY
1999 Pamela Auchincloss, New York, NY
“Robert McCurdy, Paintings”, Shick Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
“Robert McCurdy, Paintings”, Frye Museum, Seattle Washington
1997 Nancy Solomon Gallery, Projects Room, Atlanta, Georgia
1992 Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1990 Le Tresors des Arts, Gstaad, Switzerland
1989 Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1986 Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1985 Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1984 Addison-Ripley Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1980 “Recent Works”, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, D.C.
1976 Robert McCurdy: Works in Virginia”, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Selected group exhibitions
2020 "Visionary: The Cumming Family Collection" National Portrait Gallery[11]
2010 National Portrait Gallery
2008–09 “Gaze: Vision, Desire and Difference in the Frye Collections” Frye Museum, Seattle, Washington
2006 National Portrait Gallery
2003–04 “Crosscurrents at Century’s End” Selections from the Neuberger Berman Art Collection
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, September 2003
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida December 2003
Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Florida, January 2004
Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois, June 2004
1996 “Untitled”, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1995 “Art without Frontiers”, curated by Claude Simard, La Rouche, Canada
1995 “The Verdict is...”, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1995 “Paper Work”, Nancy Solomon Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
1994 “Sculpture/Painting Robert McCurdy and Don Porcaro” Nancy Solomon Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia curated by Mary Dinaberg
1994 “Robert McCurdy. Elisa D’Arrigo” Victoria Anstead Fine Art, New York, NY
1993 “Abstratagies, Painting in the Nineties” Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL curated by Genevieve Linneham
1991 “Le Plaisir de la Raison”, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1990 “Heroes & Saints of Contemporary Art”, Transart Exhibition, Koln, Germany curated by Akim Monet
1988 “David & Goliath Exhibition”, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1987 Summer Group Exhibition, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1985 Invitational Exhibition, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY
1984 Public Works (Site-specific sculpture proposals for public and city sites) Artists’ Space, Washington, D.C.
1983 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1982 "Hanover" Osuna Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1981 “Final Annual New Talent Show”, Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD
1980 “Hanover Show”, Osuna Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1979 “Fifteen Washington Artists”, Arts Gallery, Baltimore, MD
"Elements Of Art: Texture”, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
“Miniatures”, Foundry Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Site pieces
1981 Rattler (commissioned site-specific monumental table) Spaulding & Style, Bethesda, MD
1980 House (commissioned site-specific sculpture for International Sculpture Conference), Washington, D.C.
1976 Outdoor Sculpture, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Selected bibliography
2022 Kenikott, Phillip: "In New Obama Portratis, A Traditional but Necessary Nod to Goodwill", The Washington Post, September 7, 2022
Edwards, Eve: "Robert McCurdy is Not Telling Obama's Story in His White House Portrait", The Focus, September 7, 2022
2021 Isis Davis-Marks: "Why Robert McCurdy's Photo-Realist Paintings Stop Viewers In Their Tracks", Smithsonian Magazine, January 2021
2020 Julia Ostmann: "Transforming Portraiture and the World", Harvard Magazine, May 2020
Nancy Kenney: "National Portrait Gallery Acquires 20 Works from Collecting Couple", The Art Newspaper, January 2020
2019 Sarah Shoen: "Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeff Bezos, Anna Wintour and More in the National Portrait Gallery's Newest Additions", Vanity Fair, September 19, 2019
Jesmyne Keimig: "Currently Hanging", The Stranger's Blabbermouth Podcast Ep 223, November 20, 2019, and "We Need to Talk About This Painting of Jeff Bezos", November 19, 2019
1999 Ken Johnson: New York Times
1996 Kim Levine: "Voices Choices", Village Voice July 30, 1996
1994 George Melrod: "Robert McCurdy/Don Porcaro", Art and Antiques December
1993 Joanne Milani: "Abstratagies", The Tampa Tribune, May 1993
1992 Maria Vescovo: "Robert McCurdy", Titolo, May 1992
1986 Leone Lawrence: "Robert McCurdy", ARTNews
1982 Paul Richard: "Robert McCurdy: Abstract at Shaiman's", The Washington Post Nov. 23, 1985
Paul Richard: "Chic to Chic", The Washington Post, June 15, 1985
1982 Patrick Ladden: "Robert McCurdy", New Art Examiner, January 1982
David Tannous: "Robert McCurdy", Art in America
1981 Paul Richard: "Miracle on 7th Street", The Washington Post, November 13, 1981
References
- ^ Perry, Warren (2009-04-03). "Toni Morrison Portrait, a Face-to-Face Talk". iheart.com. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
- ^ Sajet, Kim (2020-10-02). "Getting Real with Robert MCurdy". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ Vidangos, Karen (2019-09-23). "A Host of Contemporary Luminaries Join the National Portrait Gallery's Collection". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ Gopnik, Blake (2005-05-29). "Portrait Capital". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
- ^ Pogrebin, Robin (2022-07-22). "Official Obama Portraits Are Finally Unveiled at the White House". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Le Monde with AP (2022-07-22). "'Welcome Home': Obamas Unveil Their White House Portraits". Le Monde. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Artnet News (2022-07-22). "18 Revelatory Behind-the-Scenes Facts About the Newly Unveiled White House Portraits of Barak and Michelle Obama". Artnet. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ^ Obama Foundation (2022-07-22). "Meet the Artists Who Created the Obama's White House Portraits". YouTube. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ^ Ables, Kelsey (2022-07-22). "Meet the Artists Who Painted the Obama White House Portraits". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ^ Liptak, Kevin (2022-08-22). "Obama Quips About Infamous Tan Suit During Portrait Unveiling". CNN. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ^ Exhibitions, Smithsonian (2020-09-18). "Visionary: The Cumming Family Collection". Smithsonian Exhibitions. Retrieved 2020-09-18.