Hyman Bloom's Spiritual Art and Reclusive Life Revealed After Death at 96
Hyman Bloom, an American artist who passed away in 2009 at the age of 96, was first recognized by Dorothy Miller, a curator at the Museum of Modern Art, in 1942. He showcased his work representing the United States at the Venice Biennale in 1950 and had a retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum in 1954. Renowned for his expressionistic portrayals of corpses and apocalyptic themes, Bloom's artistic vision was shaped by Eastern philosophies and metaphysical inquiries. In the mid-1950s, he took part in an LSD creativity study and participated in séances. A collector of Middle Eastern and South Asian music, his collection is housed at Harvard's Archive of World Music. From 1983, he lived a reclusive life in Nashua, New Hampshire, and taught drawing at Harvard in the early 1950s. His passing came as a shock to many.
Key facts
- Hyman Bloom died in 2009 at age 96.
- He was discovered in 1942 by Dorothy Miller of the Museum of Modern Art.
- Bloom represented the United States at the 1950 Venice Biennale with Arshile Gorky, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning.
- He had a full retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1954.
- Bloom participated in an LSD experiment on creativity in the mid-1950s.
- His art focused on metaphysical themes, influenced by Eastern philosophy and mysticism.
- He taught drawing at Harvard in the early 1950s, with John Updike as a student.
- Bloom lived in Nashua, New Hampshire, from 1983 until his death.
Entities
Artists
- Hyman Bloom
- Arshile Gorky
- Jackson Pollock
- Willem de Kooning
- Odilon Redon
- John Updike
- Isaac Bashevis Singer
- Isaac Babel
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- Whitney Museum
- Venice Biennale
- National Academy of Design
- Harvard University
- Archive of World Music at Harvard University
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Venice
- Italy
- Cambridge
- Nashua
- New Hampshire