The modern painter's world

Abstract

Written early in August 1944 and presented as a lecture at the «Pontigny en Amérique» conference at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, on August 10, 1944. The conference was divided into four sessions. Motherwell spoke at the third session, titled «Arts Plastique», which was moderated by André Masson. Other participants included Robert Goldwater, Stanley William Hayter, Jean Hélion, José Luis Sert, and Ossip Zadkine. The lecture text was originally titled «The Place of the Spiritual in a World of Property». It was retitled for publication: «The Modern Painter’s World», Dyn I, n.º 6 (November 1944), pp. 9-14. [Apud The Writings of Robert Motherwell, edited by Dore Ashton with Joan Banach, introd. by Dore Ashton, Berkeley / Los Angeles / London, University of California Press, 2007, pp. 27-35.]