For Ethel Schwabacher, beauty is everywhere: 'It reveals itself, lives, disappears, renews, lives, disappears, and renews again.' Living most of her life in New York (1903-1984), Ethel Schwabacher contributed significantly to the abstract expressionist movement.
From childhood, she experimented with painting, most depicting the family garden; however, a decisive encounter with Arshile Gorky in 1927 introduced her to surrealism, forging an essential friendship and artistic collaboration. After a period of deep psychoanalytical introspection in Europe, she returned to New York, married lawyer Wolf Schwabacher, and immersed herself in automatism, influenced by her experience in analysis. Personal tragedies, including Gorky's suicide and her husband's death, imbued her work with themes of fertility and mourning, culminating in her series of Odes. Schwabacher ventured into abstraction while exploring mythological figures, reflecting her struggle and resilience. Despite challenges, her commitment to artistic expression remained unwavering, leaving a profound legacy in modern art. Ethel Schwabacher, a voice resonating beyond her time, reminds us of the power of personal transformation in art.