Magical Means: Milton Avery and Watercolor (Knoedler, 19 E. 70, up through Aug. 10). Three dozen watercolors, many of them never before shown publicly. The early ones are a bit stiff, but by the Forties Avery had found himself, and the not-quite-abstract works of the Fifties are quietly stunning realizations of his artistic credo: “I am not seeking pure abstraction; rather, the purity and essence of the idea–expressed in its simplest form.” The sumptuous catalogue includes a lucid essay by Ruth Fine (TT).
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
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