| John Kacere, American (1920 - 1999)
Born: June 23, 1920; Walker, IA Kacere was born in 1920 in Walker, Iowa. He showed artistic ability as a child and did his first professional sign-painting job at age 12. Attending art school in Chicago from 1938 through 1940, he studied commercial art at first. Exposure to fine art at the Art Institute of Chicago and other museums, however, inspired kacere to shift the direction of his own work to the fine arts. At first, Kacere was especially interested in the work of Van Gogh, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec. He also cites Holbein and Ingres as favorite artists. Before he entered the army, Kacere held his first one-man show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Stationed in California during the war years, he began to study the work of the European moderns: Picasso, Miro, Klee and Matisse. Upon leaving the army, Kacere studied fine arts at the University of Iowa. He began his teaching career in 1950 at the Umversity of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. Since then he has taught at the University of Florida, Arizona State University, the Rhode Island School of Design, New York University, the University of New Mexico, and Cooper Union and the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Kacere does not consider himself a photo-realist, although his highly detailed work is sometimes called photo-or hyper-realistic. Unlike the photo-realist painters, who work from detail to detail of their canvases, Kacere works on all areas of the canvas at the same time and builds up layers of paint. Despite criticism from feminists, some of whom have labeled his work sexist, Kacere has continued to specialize in paintings of the female body since 1963. "Woman is the source of all life, the source of regeneration," he has said. "My work praises that aspect of womanhood." Kacere has had many one man shows in New York City. He has
also shown in Paris and Hamburg, and his work has been enthusiastically
received in Europe. It is held in private collections worldwide.
1949 University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; B.F.A. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 1954 Zabriskie Gallery, New York, NY 1955 Zabriskie Gallery, New York, NY 1956 Zabriskie Gallery, New York, NY 1961 Allan Stone Gallery, New York, NY 1963 Allan Stone Gallery, New York, NY 1971 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1972 Galerie de Gestlo, Hamburg, West Germany 1973 Galerie de Gestlo, Hamburg, West Germany 1973 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1975 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1978 Joseph Gross Gallery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 1978 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1980 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1981 Galerie Jean-Pierre Lavignes, Paris, France 1982 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1983 Galerie Jean-Pierre Lavignes, Paris, France 1984 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1987 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY 1989 Galerie Lavignes Bastille, Paris, France 1989 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY GROUP EXHIBITIONS
York, NY 1961-62 Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT 1962 Barnard College, New York, NY 1963 Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 1963 Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY 1964 Byron Gallery, New York, NY 1964 Geigy Chemical Corporation, Ardsley, NY 1964 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 1965 "Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture," University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 1966 "Sculpture and Painting Today," Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA 1970 "The Human Image," John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI 1970 "Younger Artists from O.K. Harris," Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, OH 1971 "New Realism," Art Gallery, State University College, Potsdam, NY 1971 Purdue University, Lafayette, IN 1971 "Radical Realism," Contemporary Art Museum, Chicago, IL 1971 "Shape of Realism," Deson-Zaks Gallery, Chicago, IL 1972 "32 Realists," Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH 1972 "Colossal Scale," Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, NY 1972 "Documenta and No-Documenta Realists," Galerie de Gestlo, Hamburg, West Germany 1972 "Hyperrealistes Americains," Galerie des 4 Mouvements, Paris, France 1972 "Realisme Relativiste/Relativerend Realisme," Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, Belgium 1972 "Relativerend Realisme," Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands 1972 "Sharp-Focus Realism," Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, NY 1972 "The Realist Revival," New York Cultural Center, New York, NY 1972 "The Shape of Realism," Deson-Zaks Gallery, Chicago, IL 1972-73 "Amerikanischer Fotorealismus," Wurttembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart, West Germany; travelling exhibition 1973 "28 Painters/New York Avant-Garde 74," Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal, Canada 1973 "American Realism-Post Pop," Meadow Brook Art Gallery, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 1973 "Amerikanske Realister," Randers Kunstmuseum, Sweden 1973 "Grands Maitres Hyperrealistes Americains," Galerie des 4 Mouvements, Paris, France 1973 "Hyperealisme," Galerie Isy Brachot, Brussels, Belgium 1973 "Hyperrealistes Americains," Galerie Arditti, Paris, France 1973 "The Super-Realist Vision," DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA 1974 "25th Anniversary Exhibition," Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, NY 1974 "71st American Exhibition," Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; State University of New York, Oneonta, NY 1974 "Kijken Naar de Werkeliheid," Museum Boymans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1974 "Tokyo Biennale `74," Tokyo, Japan 1975 "Photo-Realism," Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS 1975 "Unordinary Realities: Xerox Art Exhibition," Xerox Square Exhibition Center, Rochester, NY 1976 "Perspective 1976," Freedman Art Gallery, Albright College, Reading, PA 1977 "Fine Arts Festival," Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL 1977 Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, NJ 1977 "Nothing But Nudes," Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY 1977 "The Dada/Surrealist Heritage," Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA 1981 "45th National Annual Midyear Show," Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH 1981-83 "Contemporary American Realism Since 1960," Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; travelling to: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA; Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA; Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal; National Museum, Nuremberg, West Germany 1982 "Contemporary Realism," Brainerd Art Gallery, Potsdam, NY 1983 "American Super Realism from the Morton G. Neumann Family Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, IL 1983 "Realism Now," Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Japan 1984 Galerie Jean-Pierre Lavignes, Paris, France 1984 "O.K. Harris Artists," Royal Palm Gallery, Palm Beach, FL 1985 "American Realism: The Precise Image," Isetan Museum, Tokyo; Daimaru Museum, Osaka, Japan 1985 "Artists of O.K. Harris," Helander Rubenstein Gallery, Palm Beach, FL 1986 "Erotic Two," Brenda Kroos Gallery, Columbus, OH 1986-88 "Born in Iowa: The Homcoming Exhibition," Gallery of Art, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA; travelling in Iowa to: Charles H. MacNider Museum, Mason City; Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City; Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines; Blanden Memorial Art Museum, Ft. Dodge; Muscatine Art Center, Muscatine 1987 "Fifty-First National Midyear Exhibition," Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH 1987 "New Images," Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL 1987 "The Hot Centre: Contemporary Art Selected by Ivan Karp," Norton Center for the Arts, Centre College, Danville, KY 1988 "Tortue is O.K.," Tortue Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1988 "Travaux sur papier," Lavignes-Bastille, Paris, France 1988 "Variations On A Theme (Erotica III)," Brenda Kroos Gallery, Columbus, OH 1990 "Amerikansk Fotorealism," Art Now Gallery, Gothenburg, Sweden, October 20 - November 25 1990 Paintings included in photography in and as a part of motion picture "THE HARD WAY", Universal Studios, Universal City, CA 1991 "In Sharp Focus: Super-Realism," Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY 1991 "Photorealism: The Early Years," Isidore Ducasse Fine Arts, New York, NY 1997 “Photorealism”, Jaffe Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, FL, Jan. 9-31 1998 “Photorealism”, Jaffe Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, FL, February 12 – March 7 1998 “Lingerie – An Underworld”, Museum Bellerive, Zurich, Switzerland, February 27 – May 10 SELECTED BOOKS Meisel, Louis K. Photorealism. New York: Harry N. Abrams Publisher, Inc., 1980, pp. 458-465. Smith, Bradley. 20th Century Masters of Erotic Art. New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1980, pp. 148-149. Brach, Paul. John Kacere. Turin, Italy: Lincoln Publishing-Sonodip/Galerie Lavignes-Bastille, 1989. SELECTED CATALOGS Realisme Relativiste/Relativerend Realisme. Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, Belgium, 1972. Relativerend Realisme. Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1972. Sharp Focus Realism. Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, NY, 1972. Dyens, George. preface to 28 Painters of the New York Avant-Garde`74. Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal, Canada, 1973. Hyperrealisme, Galerie Isy Brachot, Bruxelles, Belgium, 1973. Lamagna, Carlo M. Super-Realist Vision. DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA, 1973. Speyer, James A. Seventy-First American Exhibition. Art Institute of Chicago, IL, 1974. Hunter, Sam. intorduction to The Dada/Surrealist Heritage. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA, 1977. Goodyear, Frank. Contemporary American Realism Since 1960. New York Graphic Society, Boston, MA, 1981. John Kacere. Galerie Jean-Pierre Lavignes, Paris, France, 1981. Chase, Linda. introduction to American Super Realism from the Morton G. Neumann Family Collection. Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, IL, 1983. Realism Now. Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Japan, 1983. Arthur, John. American Realism: The Precise Image. Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan: The Asahi Shimbun, 1985. Williams, Bruce A. Born In Iowa: The Homecoming Exhibition. Gallery of Art, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, 1986. Zona, Louis A. Fifty-First National Midyear Exhibition. Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH, 1987. Photorealism: The Early Years. Isidore Ducasse Fine Arts, New York, NY, 1991. Schwartz, Constance. introduction to In Sharp Focus: Super-Realism. Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY, 1991. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS "Reviews and Previews", Artnews, May 1971, p. 57. "Review", Artforum, May 1971, p. 57. Schulze, Franz. "Art", Chicago Daily News, 29 May 1971. Sager, Peter. "Neue Formen des Realismus", Magazin Kunst, 11 Jahrgang 1971, pp. 2507-2546. Borsick, Helen. "Realism to the Fore", Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8 October 1972. Marmori, Giancarlo. "Realismus: Piu vero del vero", E (L'Expresso), 1972. Battock, Gregory. "New York", Art and Artists, June 1973, pp. 50-51. Hakanson, Joy. "Post-Pop realists break rules - `beautifully'", Sunday News, (Detroit, MI), 25 February 1973. Hegenbarth, Sue. "American Realism Gaining Deserved Recognition as `Art'", Oakland Press, 23 February 1973. "Het Superrealisme In De Schilderkunst", Panorama, December 1973. Kelley, Mary Lou. "Sharp-focus realism", Christian Science Monitor, 25 October 1973. Toupin, Gilles. "L'avant-garde newyorkaise au Centre Saidye Bronfman", La Presse, (Montreal), 22 November 1973. White, Michael. "New York avant garde on display", The Gazette, (Montreal), 1 December 1973. "The Lonely Look of American Realism", Life Magazine, October 1980, pp. 74-82. Godard, Agathe. "John Kacere: Tout me Passionne, les Femmes Comme les Cathedrales", Paris Match, November 1983. "Helander Gallery To Open Exhibitions", Palm Beach Daily News, 16 April 1987, p. A4. Baron, Jean-Marie. "Paris En Parle: Expositions", Vogue, September 1989, p. 26. Chalumeau, Laurent. "Portrait: John Kacere", Lui, September 1989, pp. 42-51. "The Dealer As Collector", Art & Antiques, March 1991, p. 96.
Teaching Experience: 1977 School of Visual Arts, New York, NY 1973-77 New York University, New York, NY 1964-72 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 1958-64 Cooper Union, New York, NY Parsons School of Design, New York, NY 1953-58 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 1950-53 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Selected Collections: Stedeljik Museum, Amsterdam, Holland Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR J.B. Speed Museum, Louisville, KY Technimetrics Inc., New York, NY Saul Steinberg, New York, NY Sydney and Frances Lewis, Richmond, VA Daniel Filipacchi, Paris, France Bernard Orenstein, Beverly Hills, CA Sydney Besthoff, New Orleans, LA Pierre Lescure, Paris, France E. Jean Belloni, Geneva Switzerland |
