Interior

About MODERNISM

Founded in 1979, Modernism has since presented more than 300 exhibitions, both historical and contemporary, in media ranging from painting to photography, sculpture to performance, by an international roster of artists.

Throughout its 30 years, owner Martin Muller has striven to keep the gallery's challenging, museum quality program at the forefront of the art world.

Early landmarks included being the first gallery to show Andy Warhol in the Bay Area (1982), and holding the first exhibition on the West Coast (in a gallery or museum) of the Russian Avant-Garde 1910-1930 (1980, 17 more retrospectives have since been mounted).

In the 1990s Modernism highlighted its strong abstract program with the exhibition of "Four Abstract Classicists" (1993), a recreation of the show presented by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1959, while at the same time introducing America to the confrontational, and ofttimes disturbing, conceptual works of Austrian born artist Gottfried Helnwein (1992).

This year Modernism celebrates its 30th anniversary, and with it many more firsts of recent years, including the first major exhibition of the works of Le Corbusier on the West Coast(2003), and in 2006, the first major retrospective in the U.S. of the paintings, drawing, collages, and photographs of Erwin Blumenfeld.

In addition to the milestones above, Modernism prides itself on the scope of its program:

Historical exhibitions encompass areas including Dada, Cubism, Surrealism, Vorticism, German Expressionism, and foremost, the Russian Avant-Garde 1910-1930.

The contemporary program features rotating shows, six to seven weeks in duration, of the nearly 50 gallery artists—including various representational and abstract modes, sociopolitical, and conceptual works—presented at both Modernism and Modernism West, as well as at art fairs in the United States and Europe.

Modernism  publishes numerous books, monographs, catalogs, and fine art editions.

Modernism is a member of the prestigious Art Dealers Association of America and the San Francisco Art Dealer's Association.

Staff

Martin Muller, President
Danielle Beaulieu, Director
Lindsay Jones, Assistant to Director
David Peniston, Registrar
Robin Johnston, Assistant to Director
Allyson Beaulieu, Gallery Assistant

Interior

News

THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION

September 10 - October 31, 2009

 

 

In October of 1979, Modernism gallery opened its doors in San Francisco’s South of Market district, commencing a run of over 350 exhibitions from cutting edge to blue chip contemporary art, as well as modern and early 20th century avant-garde works. The gallery moved from South of Market to its current location in the Monadnock Building at 685 Market Street in 1986, but owner Martin Muller never wavered from his dedication to a museum-quality program of exhibitions. It is noteworthy that Modernism was the first commercial gallery outside of New York to organize Russian Avant-Garde [1900-1930] exhibitions (24 shows to this day), as well as Dada, German Expressionist, Cubist, and Vorticist shows, etc.

 

On the occasion of Modernism’s 30th anniversary, the gallery will be presenting a contemporary exhibition (see J. Kearns press release), but also a group show of important artworks by groundbreaking artists of the early 20th century—European, Russian, and American—by way of a survey indicative of Modernism's interests and exhibition program over the years.

 

Prominently featured are works by LE CORBUSIER; cubist paintings and works on paper by Jean METZINGER, Albert GLEIZES, Georges VALMIER, and Henri HAYDEN; an important painting by Burgoyne DILLER; and iconic drawings by Kasimir MALEVICH...all punctuated with some striking Oceanic and African sculptures.

This rich and colorful group of works represents a cross-section of the various ideas that enlivened the art world a century ago, in particular with regard to abstraction.

The goal of the regular historical (i.e. modern art versus contemporary) shows at Modernism has been to highlight the bridge between the work of the early pioneers and the current developments in art.

 

 

Modernism is a member of the Art Dealers Association of America, and will celebrate its 30th Anniversary on October 16 of this year, with an anniversary exhibition opening on September 10, with reception from 5:30-8PM.

 





Please visit Modernism at

ART MIAMI

art-miami.com
December 3 - 7, 2008
The Art Miami Pavillion
The Miami Midtown Arts District
Midtown Blvd (NE 1st Avenue) between NE 32nd & NE 31st
Miami, Florida 33137
Booth A30

THE ART SHOW

Art Dealers Association of America
February 21 - 25, 2008
The Park Avenue Armory (@ 67th Street), Booth A23
New York City

Upcoming Exhibitions

Mark STOCK: "Reverie"

March 13 - May 3, 2008

West Coast Abstraction: Selected works from 1975-2007, Part I

Charles ARNOLDI
Edith BAUMANN
James HAYWARD
Peter LODATO
Daniel MENDEL-BLACK
John M. MILLER
Erik SAXON
David SIMPSON

March 13 - May 3, 2008

Reception for the artists Thursday, March 13, 5:30-8pm

Interior

Press

Mark STOCK
The Mystery of Mark Stock
2009-12-10

Catherine COURTENAYE
Flexibility brings pressure for Courtenaye
2009-11-18

MODERNISM
Gallerist Martin Muller marks 30 years in S.F.
2009-11-06

MODERNISM
Modernism Turns 30
2009-10-15

MODERNISM
The Style Saloniste
2009-10-04

MODERNISM
The Buzz: Robert Johnson
[original sfgate article]
2009-08-07

MODERNISM
Ostler: DiMaggio in the Raw
[original sfgate article]
2009-08-07

Gottfried HELNWEIN
Gottfried Helnwein receives the 2009 Steiger Art Award
2009-06-17

David SIMPSON
David Simpson’s 1970s abstractions still radical
[original sfgate.com link]
2009-01-24

Jonathon KEATS
Jonathon Keats Press Release
2009-01-04

Jonathon KEATS
The Good 100: Jonathon Keats
2009-01-03

Jonathon KEATS
California Artist Jonathon Keats Rebuilds World Economy With Antimatter
2009-01-02

Jonathon KEATS
First Bank Of Antimatter Issues Anti-Money
2009-01-02

Jonathon KEATS
Jonathon Keats Derails Econopocalypse With Antimatter Currency
2009-01-02

Jonathon KEATS
The latest from Jonathan Keats
2009-01-02

Jonathon KEATS
Artist Creates New Universe From Uranium and Chewing Gum
2008-10-31

Charles ARNOLDI
Charles Arnoldi's paintings at Modernism
[original sfgate.com link]
2008-10-04

Yang MIAN
The Cultural Evolution, China's art market comes of age: Forbes Magazine
2007-09-01

MODERNISM
Russian Evolution: Forbes Magazine
2006-09-01

Erwin BLUMENFELD
Blumenfeld - beauty and mystery: San Francisco Chronicle
[original sfgate.com link]
2006-04-21

MODERNISM
What's the avant-garde up to? Ask Martin Muller: San Francisco Chronicle
[original sfgate.com link]
2005-02-16

MODERNISM
Dare You to Look: San Francisco Magazine
2004-09-01

Map

Contact

Location

MODERNISM
685 Market St., Suite 290
San Francisco, CA 94105

Hours

Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5:30pm

Phone

(415) 541-0461

Fax

(415) 541-0425

E-mail

info@modernisminc.com

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