Ronchini Gallery’s Alice Baber Catalogue ©Artvisor

Ronchini Gallery has launched a new catalogue celebrating the work of Alice Baber, a pioneering figure in abstract art. Baber’s dynamic compositions, characterised by fluid, overlapping forms, continue to captivate collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide, cementing her legacy as a key voice in postwar abstraction.

The publication features an insightful essay by curator Piero Tomassoni, titled “Abstraction Lyrique: American Style. Alice Baber in 1960s Paris”. Tomassoni explores Baber’s transformative years in Paris, where she lived alongside her husband, artist Paul Jenkins, and immersed herself in the city’s vibrant cultural scene.

Paris was a hub for American artists in the 1950s and 1960s, and Tomassoni highlights how Baber’s work was shaped by her interactions with European and American figures, particularly within the Abstraction Lyrique movement. He discusses how Baber’s approach to colour, light, and fluid form aligned with the emotional and spiritual explorations of artists like Georges Mathieu and Hans Hartung, setting her apart from her contemporaries in New York.

Tomassoni draws a fascinating connection between Baber’s work and the Japanese Gutai movement, noting her embrace of process and materiality. While her work lacked the aggressive gestures associated with Abstract Expressionism, Baber’s transparent layers of colour conveyed a quiet dynamism, reflecting her sensitivity to the act of creation itself. Through Tomassoni’s lens, we see how Paris played a crucial role in Baber’s development, placing her firmly within the evolution of Abstraction Lyrique and postwar abstraction.

Ronchini Gallery’s Alice Baber Catalogue ©Artvisor

The catalogue is now available through Ronchini Gallery, offering a deeper appreciation of an artist whose influence continues to resonate across generations.