Piri Halasz's 1983 Theory of Multireferential Imagery in Abstract Art
In 1983, while contributing to Arts Magazine, art critic Piri Halasz introduced the concept of "multireferential imagery." This theory, elaborated in her memoir published in 2009, suggests that abstract art amalgamates various visual cues from the artist's subconscious. Halasz supported Clement Greenberg's views on Abstract Expressionists such as Jackson Pollock, arguing that Pollock's poured paintings (1947–1950) merged diverse subjects into indistinct images. Utilizing Freudian dream analysis, she spoke with artists like Friedel Dzubas, connecting his work "Trough" (1972) to his personal experiences. She also examined Picasso's "Ma Jolie" as a fusion of guitar and zither. The theory first appeared in an article titled "Abstract Painting in General; Friedel Dzubas in Particular," published in September 1983, which reviewed a Dzubas retrospective that opened on June 16 at the Hirshhorn Museum.
Key facts
- Piri Halasz formulated her theory of multireferential imagery in 1983.
- The theory argues abstract art unconsciously synthesizes multiple visual references.
- It was first published in Arts Magazine in September 1983.
- Halasz developed it while defending Clement Greenberg and Abstract Expressionism.
- The theory draws on Freudian dream interpretation and the Rorschach test.
- Jackson Pollock's poured paintings (1947–1950) are a key example.
- Halasz interviewed Friedel Dzubas about his painting "Trough" (1972).
- The theory is expanded in her 2009 memoir published by iUniverse.
Entities
Artists
- Piri Halasz
- Clement Greenberg
- Jackson Pollock
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Friedel Dzubas
- Pablo Picasso
- Stanley William Hayter
- Tony Smith
- Anne Truitt
- Adolph Gottlieb
- Lee Krasner
- David Alfaro Siqueiros
- Arshile Gorky
- Willem de Kooning
- Mark Rothko
- Kenneth Noland
- Alfred Barr
- Henry McBride
- Emily Genauer
- Chad Mandeles
- Ellen Johnson
- B. H. Friedman
- George Williamson
- Lawrence Alloway
- William Agee
- Rose Carol Washton Long
- Gail Levin
- Harry Rand
- Graham Wallas
- Robert Sternberg
- Selden Rodman
- Pepe Karmel
- Kirk Varnedoe
- Anna C. Chave
- Jon Borgzinner
- Cranston Jones
- Ethel K. Schwabacher
- Perry Miller Adato
- John O'Brian
- Sarah Greenberg
- Cora Kelley Ward
- Dr. I
- Richard Martin
- Charles Millard
- William Rubin
- William Wright
- D'Arcy Thompson
- William Shakespeare
Institutions
- Arts Magazine
- Columbia University
- Hirshhorn Museum
- Knoedler Kasmin gallery
- Museum of Modern Art
- Art in America
- Barnard College
- Time magazine
- Life magazine
- University of Chicago Press
- Archives of American Art
- Smithsonian Institution
- Educational Broadcasting Corporation
- Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation
- iUniverse
- artcritical.com
Locations
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Europe
- Paris
- France
- Washington D.C.
- Boston
- Syracuse
- Chicago
- Germany
- The Springs
- Long Island
- Amenia
- Quogue
- Spain
- China
- Hiroshima
- Japan
- Mediterranean
- Northern Europe