By Rebecca Pikus
John Neumann, sculptor, is a major influence in the current exciting Exhibit “This.Is.Now” at Rebecca Fine Art Gallery. Born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1952, Neumann immigrated to the United States in 1957. He obviously inherited his artistic genius from his parents! His mother, Vera (Vera Neumann) was the iconic artist who created the “Vera” trademark, especially her signature silk scarfs. His father George Neumann had a family background in textiles. Together they created a fashion empire in the 1960s.
Neumann majored in Fine Art at the University of Albuquerque, NM. He was compelled to move to Italy to learn from the best — he studied at Scuolo Politecnica de Desegno de Milano in 1974 -1975. Upon returning to the U.S,, he served an apprenticeship with sculptor Albert Wein from 1975-1976, working with him on the Libby Dam project. In 1977-1978 he served as an assistant to New York sculptor Roy Gussow.
John Neumann has worked directly with a number of artists in fabricating their sculptures, including Marjorie Strider, Leslie Dor, Robert Goodnough, Del Geist, Clement Meadmore and Elbert Weinberg. He is also a former finisher at Talix Foundry. Neumann began exhibiting in the early seventies, and has shown his work in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, California and Italy. He has art in private collections throughout the United States, and is also represented in collections in Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.
The major influences on Neumann’s work are Cubism, Constructivism and Abstract Expressionism. Among his favorite artists are Alexander Archipenko, Julio Gonzales, Anthony Carro, David Smith, Franz Kline and Hans Hofmann. He has recently relocated to the High Desert, where he lives with his wife & muse Fatima, also an artist. John Neumann, in addition to continually creating new sculptures and experimenting with metals and new materials, is also available for commissions.
John Neumann: Artists Reception, SAT. June 3, 2017, 5:00-8:00PM – “This.Is.Now” Exhibit – through June 30, 2017 REBECCA FINE ART GALLERY, 68895 Perez Rd, #7, Cathedral City, Ca (760) 534-5888 Rebeccafineart.net – Open Bar, Music, Great Art.
