Charles Biederman: Red Wing, Minnesota Years

Charles Biederman was a pioneer of American Modernism who contributed to its national historic rise and international acclaim in the 1930s. Alongside Alexander Calder, Theodore Roszak, Stuart Davis and others, his paintings, vision and feistiness brought a fresh perspective to the art of the future. 

After productive years and subsequent exposure in the New York and Paris art scenes, he abruptly put down his paint brushes in 1937 –– never to return to the canvas again. He immediately began to pursue his passion for sculpture and work in three dimensions. His earliest sculptural works created in New York featured painted wood, plastic, glass and found objects. Disgruntled with the art community in New York, he headed west and settled in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1942. This marked the beginning of the second half of his life and career. 

He embraced the surrounding nature of the upper Mississippi River valley and incorporated it into his new structural reliefs constructed of aluminum panels and precise geometric forms. Biederman believed that art is the most important guide in understanding nature; his use of vibrant and distinctive colors on the aluminum panels were much in line with his philosophy. This long and dedicated series of works ultimately became the hallmark of his career.

Biederman’s years in Red Wing allowed him to reset his goals with renewed opportunity and freedom. The works in this exhibition are exceptional examples of the unique vision and commitment to precision, detail and artistic authority. They are a testimony to the achievements of an international artist who chose the rich quality of life in Minnesota to inspire and exercise uninhibited creative freedom for more than 60 years. Works by Charles Biederman have been exhibited and collected extensively by national and international museums.