IN THE SPOTLIGHT
ALICE BABER
Alice Baber
ALICE BABER AN ARTIST’S TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY BY GAIL LEVIN
ABOUT THE BOOK
The definitive biography of abstract artist Alice Baber, whose luminous and beloved works took the world by storm.
From one of the most acclaimed art biographers writing today comes the surprising life of Alice Baber, who produced exquisite abstract paintings of vibrantly colored shapes that created an illusion of floating light. Heralded as an “artist of lyrical abstractions,” Baber’s paintings had already entered the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney at the time of her premature death at just fifty-four. How could such an accomplished and visionary artist then fall into near obscurity?
In Alice Baber, Baber's fascinaitng story is finally revealed, despite efforts to consign her to oblivion by her competitive ex-husband, his surviving widow, and by major male art historians and curators who conspired to promote his art and at her expense. Her ex-husband’s widow sold the late Baber’s work to a gallery only if it agreed not to give her a show.
Alice Baber is a vital corrective to the history of American art and a thrilling opportunity for the next generation experience Baber anew. Vividly written and richly detailed, we journey through her rural upbringing as a childhood prodigy to her years exhibiting around the world and experience the heady mid-century art world in all it’s glory.
Levin’s dynamic prose brings to life this synesthetic artist who links color to both movement and sound. We witness Baber's talent and ambition, her tenacity, charm, and her generosity of spirit. Her early feminist activism and her work as a curator helped other artists, and her deep connection to literature and poetry. Alice Baber: An Artist's Triumph Over Tragedy is an insightful and stunning portrait that resurrects a central figure in modern art.
About the Author
Gail Levin is the author of Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography, Becoming Judy Chicago, Lee Krasner: A Biography and many other books on twentieth-century and contemporary art. She is Distinguished Professor of Art History, American Studies, and Women's Studies at the Graduate Center and Baruch College of the City University of New York.
Publisher: Pegasus Books (February 3, 2026)
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Length: 448 pages
ISBN13: 9798897100408
The Book will be released on February 3, 2026
NEW YORK TIMES
CALL IT THE ‘‘REDISCOVERY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX”: ART ADVISERS AND DEALERS ARE TURNING TO THE PAST TO DISCOVER TOMORROW’S BLUE-CHIP STARS.
IDENTIFY A PROMISING ARTIST WHO TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.
"Other dealers approach rediscovery work methodically. In the early days of New York’s Berry Campbell Gallery in 2013, the founders, Christine Berry and Martha Campbell, visited the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in Washington to pore over the historical records and photographs of dealers, including Betty Parsons, who popularized Abstract Expressionism. They circled the names of artists they did not know and went on to show several. Since then, figures like Alice Baber, a postwar painter of biomorphic watercolors, and Bernice Bing, an Asian American artist from the Bay Area, have seen their auction prices grow by leaps and bounds."
ART HISTORIAN TALK WITH ALEX GRIMLEY
The Art of Alice Baber and Paul Jenkins
Listen to art historian Alex Grimley for a powerful talk on Shared Light: The Art of Alice Baber & Paul Jenkins. Discover how these two abstract masters shaped Postwar art through bold techniques—Baber’s cloth-dabbed halos and Jenkins’ gravity-led pours—and shared philosophies rooted in color, movement, and Eastern thought. With behind-the-scenes stories, artistic analysis, and insights into their travels, advocacy, and intimate connection, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into the vibrant legacy of Baber and Jenkins.
LINK ART GALLERY
“Color in Motion: The Vibrant Worlds of Alice Baber” a Retrospective Exhibition
Explore a dynamic retrospective that explores Baber’s expressive use of color and fluid forms, celebrating her unique vision through a kaleidoscope of abstract compositions that pulse with energy and emotion.
June 13th – July 11, 2025: “Color in Motion: The Vibrant Worlds of Alice Baber” Reception: Friday, June 13, 2025, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
132 S. Central Avenue Paris, IL 61944
JOHN MORAN AUCTIONEERS
Modern & Contemporary Fine Art
Alice Baber
The Jaguar Drum Leaps to Daylight, 1978
Spring Modern + Contemporary sale, led by two important 1970s paintings by 20th Century AbEx painter Alice Baber, The Jaguar Drum Leaps to Daylight and Cave of the Hermit. Exceptional paintings by Richard Mayhew, Samella Lewis and Merton Daniel Simpson, three noted African American contemporary artists are represented. The sale also featuring fine works by celebrated California artists Raimonds Staprans, Henrietta Berk, Robert Kenton Nelson and Chuck Arnoldi. Other highlights include works by James Bishop, Pablo Picasso, Eric Orr, Margaret Keane, Marina Abramovic & Ulay, Nathan Oliveira, John Baldessari and much more!
JUNE 17, 2025
JOHN MORAN AUCTIONEERS
Modern & Contemporary Fine Art
Alice Baber
Cave Of The Hermit, 1972
Spring Modern + Contemporary sale, led by two important 1970s paintings by 20th Century AbEx painter Alice Baber, The Jaguar Drum Leaps to Daylight and Cave of the Hermit. Exceptional paintings by Richard Mayhew, Samella Lewis and Merton Daniel Simpson, three noted African American contemporary artists are represented. The sale also featuring fine works by celebrated California artists Raimonds Staprans, Henrietta Berk, Robert Kenton Nelson and Chuck Arnoldi. Other highlights include works by James Bishop, Pablo Picasso, Eric Orr, Margaret Keane, Marina Abramovic & Ulay, Nathan Oliveira, John Baldessari and much more!
JUNE 17, 2025
BONHAMS LONDON
20th & 21st Century Art
Alice Baber
The Green Door to the Wind
signed 'Baber' (lower left edge); signed, inscribed and dated '1976 Alice Baber "The Green Door to the Wind"' (on the overlap)
oil on canvas
30 x 40 in (76 x 101.5 cm)
Painted in 1976
GENE DAVIS
Gene Davis
HERITAGE AUCTIONS
Gene Davis
Three Untitled Works, 1972. Lithographs in colors on wove paper. 40-1/4 x 29...
Heritage Auctions' Prints & Multiples Showcase auction offers an exciting opportunity for dedicated collectors and art enthusiasts to acquire modern and contemporary prints from some of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. June's auction opens with a celebration of works by exceptional African American artists including Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, and Romare Bearden; as well as Heritage's first offerings of works by Gwendolyn Knight. Among the other highlights are works by figures such as Salvador Dalí, Gene Davis, George Rodrigue, and Robert Indiana alongside dynamic selections of pop artists and abstract expressionists. From bold, iconic imagery to innovative explorations of form and color, these curated sales showcase the vibrant spirit and enduring legacy of these artists. With highlights ranging from classic masterworks to colorful, joyful contemporary pieces, Heritage Auctions' Prints & Multiples auction present an exceptional opportunity to enrich any collection at a variety of price points.
June 18, 2025
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO
Moments in Modernism
Moments in Modernism highlights the diversity and high quality of the AGO’s modern art collection, which has been built over time by generations of museum curators and patrons.
This installation will show collection strengths from artistic movements such as Pop Art, Abstraction, Realism, and Minimalism. An international approach in artistic styles will be presented, including a body of work from the AGO holdings by Brazilian artists, recognizing the global nature of modernism. A selection of contemporary works that respond to modernist movements will also be shown.
Many of the artists, including Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski, Gerhard Richter, and Mark Rothko are well known while others are still yet to be broadly recognized such as Tomie Ohtake, Rubem Valentim, Gene Davis and Kazuo Nakamura. A particular focus will be Canadian artists including Alex Colville, Rita Letendre, Jack Bush, Agnes Martin, Guido Molinari and Norval Morrisseau.
June 14, 2024 - September 1, 2025
JON SCHUELER
Jon Schueler
SOROKIN GALLERY
Jon Schueler
St. Nazaire: Sky Red Blues
oil on canvas
New York, November 1982
70 x 63 in/177.8 x 160.02 cm
o/c 1276
Upcoming Solo Exhibition
Sept.18 to October 29, 2025
WOMAN IN THE SKY
Magda Salvesen lives amongst thousands of her late husband's paintings. Her loft -- the same one she and Jon shared as a couple -- remains both her home and the site of the recently formed Jon Schueler Foundation, a living museum dedicated to preserving Jon's legacy. Every wall is hung with Schuelers -- they surround Magda's life, and make it up. A celebrated garden and art historian in her own right, Magda has nonetheless dedicated her life to these paintings.
Director Biography - Max Woertendyke