abstract artist dies at 106 Legacy.com
Carmen Herrera was an abstract artist who made her first sale at the age of 89 and went on to great fame in the art world.
A lifetime of art
Herrera was a native of Havana, Cuba, where she initially studied architecture. She turned this talent into one for art after she moved to New York City in the 1930s. She studied painting there, beginning to form the style that would be celebrated many decades later. Herrera’s art focused on bold colors and straight lines, with geometric shapes that harked back to her training as an architect. She continued creating art all her life, but she struggled for recognition, finding herself shut out of large galleries and museums. It wasn’t until 2004, when Herrera was 89 years old, that her show at Manhattan’s Latin Collector Gallery received a favorable review. She made her first sale, and widespread recognition quickly followed. Within ten years, Herrera’s paintings were selling for more than $150,000. Her paintings were exhibited at New York’s Whitney Museum of Art and her large-scale sculptures at City Hall Park in Manhattan. Herrera was profiled in the 2015 documentary “The 100 Years Show.” She continued working well past the age of 100, even after she had to use a wheelchair to get around.
Notable quote
“I hope my art will give some joy or pleasure or spark someone’s imagination. I hope that my so-called ‘discovery’ at 89 will encourage others waiting for the bus.” —from a 2021 interview for Town & Country
Tributes to Carmen Herrera
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Carmen Herrera. At 106, the legendary painter was one of the longest-lived artists in modern art history, actively working until relatively recently.
? Carmen Herrera, 1959. Photo taken by her husband Jesse Loewenthal. pic.twitter.com/OLXhnUeYor
— The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum) February 14, 2022
R.I.P. Carmen Herrera, the Cuban-born abstract painter who has died at age 106 in New York, and whose “Amarillo Dos” (1971) reminds us that perfection sometimes lies in imperfectly matched forms. ? pic.twitter.com/5bmVcYoDwT
— Deborah Solomon (@deborahsolo) February 14, 2022
One of my favorite artists has died at the age of 106. Unrecognized until age 89, she inspires us all to keep on follow our own vision and to just keep on. RIP Carmen Herrera. pic.twitter.com/gTtepvaNMH
— PainterPatriot (@Mene_Mene_Tekel) February 14, 2022
“The beauty of a straight line…” the beauty of a life. We are so saddened to hear of the passing of the great Carmen Herrera. ❤️???1/3 pic.twitter.com/2Z1l34BXeH
— publicartfund (@PublicArtFund) February 14, 2022
Carmen Herrera really was an inspiration.
Passing away at 106, like death literally had to ask her permission.
Regaining fame, on a much larger scale, at 89.
What a woman.
What an artist.
— Ìmóleãyo♡ (@MetallicNuance) February 14, 2022
Herrera’s commitment to her art and her certainty about her place in the world made her an inspiration.
She remained true to her vision, exploring the broad limits of hard-edge abstraction, regardless of fashionable styles.
© Carmen Herrera, Courtesy Lisson Gallery pic.twitter.com/ZWmUyTVlvG
— The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum) February 14, 2022
Full obituary: The New York Times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqTGEcZXhjQ
View More Legacy VideosncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue86boK2tkafGcK3BrKurmZOpeqK%2B06KqrWWUnrK0ecCtZGpoZmK5prPAnLBmm5%2BifA%3D%3D