Henry Rothman's Collages Gain Recognition in Chelsea Exhibition

Henry Rothman's collages, created from the mid-1960s to late 1980s, were displayed at Lori Bookstein Gallery in New York City from September 6 to October 6, 2012. The exhibition revealed works by Rothman (1910-1990), an Austrian immigrant who studied journalism at NYU after arriving in the U.S. in the 1930s. Initially a street photographer in the 1940s, he captured urban decay and graffiti before opening a framing business on Manhattan's 28th Street. His shop became a casual salon for artists like Weegee, Louise Nevelson, Jacques Lipchitz, and actor Anthony Quinn. Rothman's collages, incorporating advertisement typography and color scraps, echoed his photographic interests and showed affinities with Kurt Schwitters and Anne Ryan. Despite admiration from New York artists who were his clients, his modesty and aesthetic trends sidelined recognition. A master framer celebrated for water gilding, Rothman never promoted his own art, viewing collage-making as a personal activity. His son David continues the framing business on West 36th Street, upholding his father's standards. The exhibition highlighted Rothman's quiet authority in abstract shape and color juxtaposition, beyond typical MFA graduate skills.