A good time was had at the opening on 18 June of “Rediscovering Paul Hultberg (1926-2019):
Abstract Expressionism in Enamel” at Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia, on view until 24 September 2021. I initiated the exhibition and contributed the lead essay to the accompaniying catalogue, which includes a fascinating complementary essay by Glenn Adamson. On an amusing personal note Glenn and I are both identical twins! If you can’t get to Philadelphia you can take a 3D virtual tour of the show at Moderne Gallery’s website: https://www.modernegallery.com/ This project began when I contacted Paul and visited him in Pomona, NY, in Rockland County where he brought out many of his abstract expressionist enamel- on-copper paintings from storage for me to look at. I had continually encountered his name and work as I was researching craft publications from the 1950s and 60s for my 2003 article “Alluring Enamel, published in Modernism magazine. I lectured on the subject and Paul’s role as a leader in the fine craft movement at the Bard Graduate Center that year. Following Paul’s death I was pleased to be able to introduce Paul and Ethel’s son Lawrence to Robert Aibel of Moderne Gallery, who has an impeccable reputation as the leading galllery for American studio craft of the mid 20th century. Paul’s enamel-on-copper and enamel-on-steel paintings are beautifully complemented by furniture by George Nakashima and Wharton Esherick. Another feature of the exhibition is a continuous screening of the remarkable 13 minute screening of the film “REFLECTIONS: the imagery of Paul Hultberg enamelist” made in 1967 by George Ancona, which can also be viewed on Youtube: https://youtu.be/tYK9JEQm5FM. Lawrence Hultberg continues to restore his father’s work, which is remarkably well-preserved for glass on metal. As I wrote in the catalogue “enamel is much like life: paradoxically fragile and easily broken if mishandled but durable and very long-lasting when treated well.”