Graham, John 1881-1961

Painter, collector; New York and Mexico.

Born Ivan Gratsianovitch Dombrovski in Kiev, Russia. His birthday is listed as 27 December, 1886 but after 1917 Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar changing the date to 7 January, 1887. He moved to New York in 1920, changing his name to John Dabrowsky Graham. He was a central figure among American avant-garde artists, especially from the late 1920's - 1940's. His understanding of cubism and surrealism made him a link to the European art scene. He helped Stuart Davis, Lee Krasner, William de Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Jackson Pollock, and David Smith gain recognition and critical acclaim. His interest in horses, Jungian psychology, yoga, and the occult appear as themes in his work. Graham collected African art which he exhibited in New York inspiring an interest in primitivism among artists. Frank Crowninshield commissioned Graham to assemble an African art collection for him. Graham moved to Mexico in 1936. In 1937 he published SYSTEMS AND DIALECTICS OF ART, stimulating American artists interest in primitive art.

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