Giorgio Cavallon was an Italian-born American painter, who represented Abstract Expressionism movement. Painting rectangles of color in light layers of oils, Cavallon aimed at the creation of beautiful forms, rather than the expression of emotions or the revelation of a method.
Background
Giorgio Cavallon was born on March 3, 1904 in Sorio, Italy. He was a son of Augusto Cavallon, a cabinetmaker, and Agnese (Scarsi) Cavallon. In 1920, Giorgio came to the United States, and some time later, in 1929, he became a United States citizen.
Education
In 1926, Giorgio Cavallon enrolled at the National Academy of Design in New York, graduating in 1930. In 1927 and 1928, he studied art under the guidance of Charles Webster Hawthorne, and some time later, in 1934, Giorgio attended Hans Hofmann School of Fine Art.
In 1934, Giorgio served as Arshile Gorky's assistant in the Works Progress Administration/Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP) Easel & Mural Division. In 1936, he participated in the formation of the American Abstract Artists group. These artists were committed to illuminating the aesthetic qualities of their materials and to the production of beautiful ideas.
Between 1951-1957, the painter took part in the invitational New York Painting and Sculpture Annuals. During that time, he also participated in the 9th Street Art Exhibition. In 1964, Cavallon was an artist-in-residence at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Three years later, in 1967, he served as a visiting art critic at Yale University. In 1977, a retrospective of Giorgio's works was held at the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, New York.
American Academy of Arts and Letters
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United States
1988
American Abstract Artists Group
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United States
1936
Personality
Cavallon was remarkably a self-reliant person. He preferred to do everything by his own hands. He built his own freezer, stove and sofa, made his duck press, motorized his pasta machine and was known to spend days disassembling and assembling cars. Also, Giorgio was an excellent cook.
Connections
Fabiola Caron, a singer, was Giorgio's first wife. Some time later, the couple divorced, and on March 25, 1954, Cavallon married Linda Lindeberg, a painter, who died in 1973.