Audrey Flack, a trailblazing artist who challenged conventional norms with her hyper-realistic paintings, passed away on June 28 at the age of 93. Her remarkable career spanned decades, leaving an indelible mark on the art world.
Flack’s work defied traditional standards, blending high and low art, photography, and kitsch. Her “Vanitas” series, created between 1976 and 1978, was a testament to her unique style, featuring oversized paintings filled with symbolic objects and imagery. While some critics found her work offensive, Flack remained steadfast in her artistic vision.
A feminist undercurrent ran through her paintings, differing from her male Photorealist counterparts. Her work faced initial criticism from some female observers who deemed it too excessive and feminine. However, her contributions to feminist art are now widely recognized, with her work featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s feminist art gallery.
Flack’s journey began in New York in 1931, surrounded by Old Master paintings that inspired her. She pursued her passion at Cooper Union and Yale University, studying under Josef Albers. Her early work was influenced by her friends, including Philip Pearlstein and Alice Neel, who shared her interest in figurative art.
In her memoir, Flack reflected on her artistic journey, including her discovery of Luisa Roldán’s sculpture, which resonated with her own style. She experimented with sculpture in the 1980s, creating monumental works that celebrated goddesses and the human form.
Flack’s later work embraced a “Post-Pop-Baroque” style, characterized by vibrant accumulations of images and text. Her legacy continues to inspire, with a survey of her art scheduled at the Parrish Art Museum in October. Audrey Flack’s unwavering commitment to her artistic vision has left an enduring impact on the art world.
