1960s Abstract Expressionist Painting by Gladys Aller, American School, Framed

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This stunning abstract expressionist painting by Gladys Aller (1915-1970), signed Gladys Farber on the back (her married name), measures 32" … Read more This stunning abstract expressionist painting by Gladys Aller (1915-1970), signed Gladys Farber on the back (her married name), measures 32" x 37". This vibrant oil painting is executed on masonite and is presented in an artist-made frame. Created in the late 1969, this mature work epitomizes Aller's late abstract expressionist style.
Gladys was a prominent and influential American painter. She was born to a Jewish Russian emigrant family deeply rooted in the arts. Her father and uncle, Joseph Aller, worked in Hollywood's film industry, while other relatives included noted musicians like Modest Altschuler and Gregory Aller. Her cousin, Boris Leven, was an acclaimed art director.
Aller showed early promise as an artist, becoming the youngest member admitted to the California Watercolor Society at 14. She studied at the Otis Art Institute and Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles before moving to New York City in 1933 to study at The Art Students League under George Grosz, Richard Lahey, and John Sloan.
Her watercolor "Portrait of Helen" was purchased by the New York Metropolitan Museum in 1937. She was recognized in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin in 1940 as part of a promising group of West Coast watercolorists. Aller's exhibitions included the California Water Color Society, Painters & Sculptors of LA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Zeitlin Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Brooklyn Museum, the Legion of Honor at San Francisco, San Diego Gallery of Fine Arts, and Riverside Museum in New York City.

In 1941, she married Eugene Farber and moved to Los Angeles. During World War II, she accompanied her husband to his military postings, where she taught painting and created works inspired by the landscape and people, such as "Two Women of Tonopah" and "Tonopah Laundry."
After the war, Aller's artistic focus shifted towards abstract expressionism. In the 1960s, she became politically active, contributing to the Clean Air Act, Women Strike for Peace, and the anti-Vietnam War movement. Her later works reflect the influences of the Ashcan School, the Southern California watercolor school, Diego Rivera, the Mexican Mural Movement, and German Expressionism.

Aller's paintings from this period, created in the studio of LA artist Sueo Serisawa, often merged art with politics. She was part of a close-knit group of women painters including Mary Clarke, Lucy Adelman, and Wallace Albertson. Gladys Aller's work is held in several prestigious collections and has been exhibited widely, marking her significant contribution to American art. See less