John Opper

John Opper

John Opper

Paintings And Work On Paper

PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER

Maya Frodeman Gallery is pleased to present PaintingsandWorksonPaper, a solo exhibition of works by artist John Opper (1908-1994).

This exhibition explores paintings from the late 1980s and works on paper from the mid1940s created during his time living and working in Laramie, Wyoming. Known for his extraordinary command of color, dynamic sense of movement, and deeply felt painterly vision, Opper bridged early modernist encounters with later abstract expressionist innovations over a six-decade long career.

Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1908 and later moving to Cleveland, Ohio with his family, Opper’s early fascination with art led him to study at the Cleveland School of Art and Western Reserve University. His exposure to modernist works by artists such as Picasso, Mattisse, Cézanne and Braque at the 1928 Pittsburgh International Exposition and mentorship under Hans Hofmann sparked his interest in abstract art. By the mid1930s, Opper immersed himself in New York’s vibrant art scene, contributing significantly to the American Abstract Artists group and participating in the WPA Easel Division.

Opper’s artistic evolution saw a shift from abstract gestural works influenced by nature to a refined, pure form of abstraction, both of which are highlighted in this exhibition.

He believed that art should transcend mere representation to evoke profound aesthetic experiences. His association with prominent artists such as Milton Avery, Adolph Gottlieb, and Mark Rothko enriched his creative approach. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Opper balanced teaching positions across the United States with his artistic pursuits, eventually settling into the purely abstract style that won him critical acclaim.

The works in this exhibition reveal Opper’s sustained engagement with movement and color as lived, felt experiences. Across gouaches, watercolors, and paintings, color operates as both structure and sensation: layered, juxtaposed, and allowed to interact freely. Opper rejected the idea of chromatic dissonance, instead embracing unexpected combinations that build luminosity through accumulation and tension. In these works, color does not describe form; it creates it.

A central highlight of the exhibition is a group of works on paper made in Wyoming, a pivotal period in Opper’s development. Responding to the openness of the landscape, shifting weather, and expansive skies, these works are marked by soft edges, fluid movement, and bold yet atmospheric color. Fauvist in spirit but distinctly Opper’s own, the Wyoming works

reflect his growing commitment to painting as if in nature (advice given to him by Hans Hoffman), allowing forms to emerge through sensation rather than structure. Vertical movement recurs throughout, animating the compositions.

The late 1950s marked a period of significant transformation in Opper’s work, characterized by simplified color palettes and interlocking planes. Critics like Dore Ashton and Hilton Kramer praised his ability to create dramatic intensity and elegant compositions through color and form. Opper continued to innovate, incorporating Color Field sensibilities and refining his gestural techniques to produce visually compelling and contemplative works.

The exhibition also includes paintings from the late 1980s, where Opper revisits earlier concerns with renewed freedom. These works reveal striking parallels to the Wyoming pieces – shared palettes, anchoring colors, and a continued fascination with movement – while pushing color relationships further through dense layering and radiant surface interaction. Beneath the apparent spontaneity is a careful orchestration of balance and tension, creating paintings that feel simultaneously intuitive and resolved. Throughout the exhibition, Opper’s works demonstrate his conviction that abstraction is not an intellectual exercise

but a means of communication and feeling. Forms converse, colors push and pull, and space remains active rather than fixed. Whether on paper or canvas, each work invites viewers to experience the painting physically – to sense its rhythm, weight, and motion.

John Opper’s legacy is preserved in prestigious museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all in New York, New York. He was also the recipient of numerous awards, such as a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Jimmy Ernst Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Special thanks to Berry Campbell Gallery and Jane Opper, John Opper’s daughter.

Wyoming, 1945

Formation/Rock Sculpture, 1947

17 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches

Approaching Rain Clouds, Wyoming, 1945

on paper

16 x 23 1/2 inches

JOHN OPPER

Born, 1908, Chicago, Illinois

Died, 1994, New York, New York

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Artists’ Gallery, New York, 1937. San Francisco Museum of Art, California, 1938.

Artists’ Gallery, New York, 1940.

Artists’ Gallery, New York, 1942.

Ferargil Galleries, New York, 1945.

Ten Thirty Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio, 1945.

Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, 1945.

Egan Gallery, New York, 1955.Stable Gallery, New York, 1959.

Stable Gallery, New York, 1960.

Stable Gallery, New York, 1962.

Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, New York, 1964.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1966.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1968.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1971.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1973.

Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, 1974.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1978.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1979.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1984.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1986.

Vered Gallery, East Hampton, New York, 1989.

Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, 1990. Foster Harmon Galleries, Sarasota, Florida, 1990.

Vered Gallery, East Hampton, New York, 1990.

Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1991.

DC Moore Gallery, New York, 1996.

Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, New York, 1997.

Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, East Hampton, New York, 1997.

Joan T. Washburn Gallery, New York, 2003.

Joan T. Washburn Gallery, New York, 2005.

Joan T. Washburn Gallery, New York, 2007.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, New York, 2009.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, New York, 2011.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, New York, 2014.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, New York, 2016.

Berry Campbell, New York, Paintings from the 1960’s and 1970’s, 2018.

Berry Campbell, New York, John Opper: Harmonies, 2020.

Berry Campbell, New York, In Focus: John Opper, 2025.

Maya Frodeman Gallery, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 2026.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Squibb Gallery, New York, American Abstract Artists, 1937.

Art Institute of Chicago, American Watercolor Exhibition, 1941.

Art Institute of Chicago, International Watercolor Exhibition, 1941.

Brooklyn Museum, New York, International Watercolor Exhibition, 1941.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Contemporary Watercolor Exhibition, 1941.

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Annual, 1941.

Art Institute of Chicago, International Watercolor Exhibition, 1942.

Brooklyn Museum, New York, International Watercolor Exhibition, 1942.

Brooklyn Museum, New York, International Watercolor Exhibition, 1943.

Art Institute of Chicago, American Watercolor Exhibition, 1944.

San Francisco Museum of Art, California, Oil, Tempura, Sculpture Annual, 1945.

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado, 1946.

Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 52nd Annual, 1946.

Pasadena Art Institute, California, First Annual Pasadena National, 1946.

San Francisco Museum of Art, California, Oil, Tempura, Sculpture Annual, 1946.

Art Institute of Chicago, Abstract and Surrealist American Art, 1947.

California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, Painting Annual, 1947.

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado, 1947.

National Academy, Washington, D.C., Paintings of the Year, 1947.

San Francisco Museum of Art, California, Annual Watercolor Exhibition, 1947.San Francisco Museum of Art, California, Oil, Tempura, Sculpture Annual, 1947.

San Francisco Museum of Art, California, Oil, Tempura, Sculpture Annual, 1947-48.

Art Institute of Chicago, Abstract and Surrealist American Art, 1948.

Art Institute of Chicago, American Watercolor Exhibition, 1948.

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Alabama, Watercolor Society of Alabama, 1948.

Toledo Museum, Ohio, Paintings of the Year, 1948.

Whitney Museum of Art, New York, New York Watercolor Annual, 1952. Corcoran Gallery of Art, D.C., 23rd Biennial, 1953.

Carnegie Art Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, International, 1961.

Yale University Art Gallery, New

Haven, Connecticut, Selections from New York Gallery Exhibitions, 1961.

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Annual, 1962.

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut, Selections from New York Gallery Exhibitions, 1961.

Santa Barbara Museum, California, Some Paintings to Consider, 1964. Kent State University, Ohio, Art Festival: George McNeil/John Opper, 1969.

Guild Hall, East Hampton, New York, Jimmy Ernst/John Opper, 1970. Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 1971.

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, 1973.

Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, New Jersey, John Opper/James Brooks, 1977-78.

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, 1982. The Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, 100 Years, 1982-83.

Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York (traveled to Hillwood Art Gallery, Long Island University, Brookville, New York),

American Abstract Artists—50th Anniversary Exhibition, 1986.

Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, New York (traveling exhibition), Elders of the Tribe, 1986-87.

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, 1989.

National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. (traveling exhibition), American Abstraction, 1930-1945, Patricia and Phillip Frost Collection), 1990-93.

Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York, “As American As…”: 100 Works from the Collection of the Parrish Art Museum, 1999.

Gary Snyder Fine Art, New York, Abstract Expressionism: Expanding the Canon, 2001. Worcester Art Museum,

Massachusetts (traveled to Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas; Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York; Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern Univerisity, Evanston, Illinois), The Stamp of Impulse: Abstract Expressionist Prints, 2001-2003. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville, Florida, Expressive Impressions: Three Decades of American Abstract Prints from the Collection of Charles R. Dean, 2003.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, The Second Wave: American Abstraction from the 1930s and 1940s, American Abstractionists, 2005.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, Summerset, 2008.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, Summerset, 2010.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, Summerset, 2011.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, Summerset, 2012.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, Summerset, 2013.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, Summerset, 2014.

David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, American Abstraction, 2014-15. Sragow Gallery, New York, American Abstraction, 2016.

Berry Campbell, New York, Summer Selections, 2017.

Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York, Materiality and Process, 2017. Cavalier Glleries, New York, 57th Street: America’s Artistic Legacy, Part I, 2018.

Berry Campbell, New York, Summer Selections, 2018.

Berry Campbell, New York, Summer Selections, 2019.

Upsilon Gallery, New York, HardEdged Geometric Abstraction, 2022. Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton, New

York, Community, 2022. (Organized by Berry Campbell)

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Amstar Corportation, New York

American University, Cairo, Egypt

American University, Washington, D.C.

Atlantic Richfield, New York

The Baker Museum, Artis-Naples, Naples, Florida

Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas, Austin

Bridgehampton Museum, New York

Brooklyn Museum, New York

Chase Bank, New York

Cieba-Geigy, New York

Civici Musei e Gallerie di Storia e Arte, Udine, Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio

Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine

Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio

Fidelity International Bank, New York

First National Citibank, New York

Gallery Di Vilane, Civici Muses Gallery, Italy

General Electric, Dovers Falls, New York

Grey Art Gallery, New York University

Guild Hall, East Hampton, New York

Harcourt Brace Javonich, New York

High Museum of Art, Atlanta

Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Inmont Corporation, New York

Library of Congress, Charles Randall

Dean Collection, Washington, D.C.

Marine Midland Bank, Buffalo, New York

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin

Montclair Art Museum, New Jersey

Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, Florida

Museum of Modern Art, New York

Naples Museum of Art, Naples, FL

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

New York University Art Collection, New York

Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio

Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York

Prudential Life Insurance Company, Newark, New Jersey

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

Union Carbibe, New York

United Mutual Savings Bank, New York

Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts

The Williams Companies, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut

AWARDS

High Museum of Art, Atlanta Georgia, First Prize and Purchase Award, 1947

John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, 1969

National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, 1974 Guild Hall, East Hampton, New York, Eloise Spaeth Award, 1989

Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, Distinguished Alumnus, 1990

American Academy of Arts and Letters, Jimmy Ernst Award in Art, 1993

Art in Embassies Program: Ambassador Mark Grossman, Ankara, Turkey, 1994-96; Ambassador Avis T. Bohlen, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1996-2000

MAYA FRODEMAN GALLERY

66 SOUTH GLENWOOD STREET

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

TEL 307 733 0555

This catalog complements John Opper’s exhibition

Paintings and Works on Paper

Maya Frodeman Gallery

13 February - 29 March 2026

Images courtesy of Barry Campbell Gallery

© 2026 All Rights Reserved

(AMA-12), (detail), Acrylic on canvas

MAYA FRODEMAN GALLERY