Leon Berkowitz
American, 1919 - 1987
Leon Berkowitz, originally from Philadelphia, achieved prominence as a distinguished Washington painter, dedicating four decades of his life to the city. His artistic journey involved studying at the University of Pennsylvania, the Art Students League in New York, and international pursuits in Paris, Florence, and Mexico City. Serving in the Army during World War II, he later settled in Washington, D.C., post his military service in 1945. Berkowitz played a significant role in the local art scene, teaching at D.C. high schools for over ten years before joining The Corcoran Gallery’s School of Art in 1969. He held the position of chairman in the painting department until his passing in 1987.
A pivotal figure in Berkowitz's life was his first wife, poet Ira Fox Berkowitz. Together, they founded the Washington Workshop Center for the Arts in 1945, a cultural hub that brought together prominent artists such as Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, and Gene Davis. This collaborative effort laid the groundwork for the establishment of the influential Washington Color School group. Following the center's closure in 1956, Leon and Ira spent the subsequent decade traveling and living abroad, marking a transformative period in Berkowitz's artistic expression.
By the 1970s, Berkowitz's art had evolved into complete abstraction, characterized by ethereal mists of light and color. Although often associated with the Color School painters, he vehemently rejected this connection. Instead, he emphasized that his floating washes of color conveyed light and, through this light, a spiritual presence. The strategic use of an intense white ground as a primer for his canvases resulted in a luminous, color-drenched, atmospheric effect. Describing his artistic mission, Berkowitz stated, "Endeavoring to find that blush of light over light and the color within the light; the depths through which we see when we look into color and not at color."
A pivotal figure in Berkowitz's life was his first wife, poet Ira Fox Berkowitz. Together, they founded the Washington Workshop Center for the Arts in 1945, a cultural hub that brought together prominent artists such as Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, and Gene Davis. This collaborative effort laid the groundwork for the establishment of the influential Washington Color School group. Following the center's closure in 1956, Leon and Ira spent the subsequent decade traveling and living abroad, marking a transformative period in Berkowitz's artistic expression.
By the 1970s, Berkowitz's art had evolved into complete abstraction, characterized by ethereal mists of light and color. Although often associated with the Color School painters, he vehemently rejected this connection. Instead, he emphasized that his floating washes of color conveyed light and, through this light, a spiritual presence. The strategic use of an intense white ground as a primer for his canvases resulted in a luminous, color-drenched, atmospheric effect. Describing his artistic mission, Berkowitz stated, "Endeavoring to find that blush of light over light and the color within the light; the depths through which we see when we look into color and not at color."
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