Ivan Albright- And Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida
A painting is life and a painting is death . . . the picture is our own legacy left by tomorrow’s dead for tomorrow’s living.
–Ivan Albright
As we near Halloween, I thought I’d share a revised post from many years back about the artist Ivan Albright (1897-1983) whose work sometimes feels like the stuff of nightmares. It often possesses a dark feel that wouldn’t be out of place for All Hallows’ Eve. Take a look for yourself…
The painting at the top, And Into The World There Came a Soul Called Ida, is the work of the late Ivan Albright. Not a household name by any means, but if you’ve seen his work, you’ll definitely remember it.
Ivan Albright- Self Portrait, 1982
I saw a large retrospective of his work a number of years ago at the Met and was fascinated– and a little uncomfortable and creeped out, to be honest– by his subjects and the darkness and tone of the work. But it was the incredible textures of the paintings that I found amazing. They were very sculptural on the surface, with deep and deep moonscapes of color, layer after layer of paint that seemed to be shoved and mashed on to the surface. It was unlike anything I had seen. It was obviously the product of a huge amount of labor but it wasn’t labored. It felt organic and there was something very beautiful there that transcended the unflattering depictions of the paintings.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1943
Albright was best known for the painting, shown here on the right. It was produced as the title object for The Picture of Dorian Gray, the 1945 film version of Oscar Wilde’s famous novel of a corrupt young man who defies the ravages of time while his portrait reflects the true result of his debauched life. It was the horrifying image revealed to the ever-young Dorian Gray at the end of the film.
I’m still fascinated by his work even though I have to admit I get a queasy feeling when I really take in the whole of his characters, like seeing a car wreck and not being to turn away. They are horrible and beautiful at once. I now also really appreciate the epic efforts that must’ve went into creating these pieces, the hundreds of hours that must have been spent. The patience it must have taken to maintain that vision.
So, check out the work of Ivan Albright. He had great titles, as well. You don’t have to like his work but you should be aware of it…
Ivan Albright- The Farmer’s Kitchen, 1934
Ivan Albright- Hail to the Pure, 1976
Ivan Albright The Wild Bunch (Or Hole In The Wall Gang) 1950-1951
Ivan Albright- Poor Room, 1957-1963
Ivan Albright- The Rustlers, 1962
Ivan Albright- Flesh, 1928
Ivan Albright- And Man Created God in His Own Image, 1930
Redtree Times 
These aren’t quite as distressing at noon as they were early this morning. I was especially interesting in “Poor Room.” It certainly evokes your Archaeology series; did you happen to draw any inspiration from it?
I saw the Albright exhibit not long after I had started painting, in 1997. This was right after I had done my early Exiles series of faces and as a result I was focused more on his figures and faces. I actually never even had his assemblage pieces come to mind until after I had started my Archaeology series. I think that if I had had them in mind, my Archaeology pieces would have been different in some way. Like you, I am really drawn to “Poor Room.” I think it’s a fascinating piece in many ways.