Vostanik Adoyan

[argonaft]

Arshile Gorky - real name Vostanik Adoyan (1904-1948), considered one of the founders of abstract expressionism.

Born in a family of merchant in Horkome (territory of modern Turkey in the province of Van). In 1920, the artist's family immigrated to the United States to avoid the fate of 1.5 million Armenians who fell victim to genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

Gorki attended art school in Rhode Island in Providence, then (1926-1931) taught at New York, in art school and Central School of Arts.

In his stage name connected the name of "Arshile" (Armenian "Achilles") with the name "Hills" (in honor of Maxim Gorky).

Among his works - "artichoke leaf as an owl" (Museum of Modern Art, New York), "The liver as a cock's comb" (Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo), "How embroidered apron my mother unfolds in my life" (private collection, U.S., all work - 1944), "Engagement" (1947, Whitney Museum, New York)