Largely overlooked, Lawrence Calcagno was a significant figure in the 1950’s, when he was most commonly associated with the so-called San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism. He in fact had 80 solo shows in his career and was included in nine – count them – Whitney Biennials, that museum itself owning five of his works.
His paintings are perhaps best seen in person, where it becomes clear how he built up layers of paint, creating an almost sculptural texture on some works. Reviewing Calcagno’s 1955 solo show at Martha Jackson Gallery (where this painting likely appeared, it having remained in Jackson’s possession at her death, being later acquired from her son), Time described his paintings as “saturated with rich California earth tones and the shifting, fog-ridden horizons of the Pacific Coast.”
