April Gornik (American, )

April Gornik (American, b.1953) is a painter who specializes in landscapes. She was born in Cleveland, OH, and she received a BFA in 1976 from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Canada. Gornik considers herself a Conceptual artist, and she most often works with oil-based paint on canvas. Her earlier works were painted on plywood. In her paintings, Gornik likes to adopt the style of American Luminists and mix them with strange weather conditions, such as waterspouts. One of Gornik's best-known works is Storm and Fires (1990); this work is a drawing in charcoal and pastel on paper. Among her other popular works are Light and Trees, Dune Sky, and Storm Field. Her pieces combine an evocative use of color and contrast to deliver landscapes with an emotional impact. The Smithsonian Art Collectors Program commissioned the artist to work on a painting used as an educational and cultural tool by the Smithsonian Associates in 2007. The resulting lithograph, which Gornik called Blue Moonlight was a huge success. Recently, the lithograph was included in the Graphic Eloquence, an ongoing exhibition of the S. Dillon Ripley Center, National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Examples of Gornik paintings include River Crossing (1985), The Lion's Eye (2010), and Sea and Sky (2011). In 2004, Gornik had a mid-career retrospective organized by the Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY/Purchase, New York, NY. As part of this retrospective, Gornik traveled to the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, NE, and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS.
Gornik has said the artists that have influenced her include Barbara Takenaga, Francesco Clemente, David Salle, Anselm Kiefer, Amy Myers, and Matthew Ritchie. She said she is also influenced by her husband, painter Eric Fischl. The two artists met while studying at the Nova Scotia Studio of Art and Design. Like other successful artists, Gornik has been involved in a number of exhibitions in different places. Examples of her solo exhibitions include Edward Thorp Gallery, New York, NY (1981), The Sable-Castelli Gallery, Toronto, Canada (1985), Kohn-Turner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1997), and The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA (1998). Apart from these solo exhibitions, she has also participated in group exhibitions in different places including the Venice Biennale (1984), Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ (1986), Museum of Art of the Rhode Island School of Design, RI (1988), and Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York City (2000). Gornik is the recipient of several awards, such as the Neuberger Museum of Art Annual Honoree (2004) and the Guild Hall Museum's Lifetime Achievement Award (2003). Her works are found in numerous public collections in different galleries, such as Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada; Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN, and University Art Museum, C.S.U., Long Beach, CA. Gornik is represented by the Danese Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. Gornik says of her art, "I am an artist that values, above all, the ability of art to move me emotionally and physically. I make art that makes me question, that derives its power from being vulnerable to interpretation, that is intuitive, that is beautiful." She currently lives and works in New York.

Timeline

1953
Born: April 20, 1953, Cleveland, Ohio
1976
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Canada, B.F.A.
Present
Lives: New York, NY
view more

Exhibitions

view more

Literature

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2003 Matthew, Richard. Tampa Review, illus.
Oneacre, Alison. “Tree Tops,” WWD, November 7, p. 8, illus.
Katz, Carissa. “April Gornik: Landscapes of the Mind,” The East Hampton Star, August 29, pp. III-1 & III-4.
Leffingwell, Edward. “April Gornik at Danese,” Art in America, April 2002, pp. 147 – 148.
Johnson. “Curious Terrain,” The New York Times, January 18.
Russell, John. “Making Pen and Ink Seem Passé: The Proliferation of New Ways to Draw”, The New York Times, 11 August 2000, p. E32.
Johnson, Ken. “Art in Review: April Gornik”, New York Times, October 6, p. E38.
Grimes, Nancy. “April Gornik”, ARTnews, November, p. 208, ill.
Wheeler, Susan. Edward Thorp Gallery Show 14 September, “April Gornik, Paintings Drawings”, ill.
Kertess, Klaus. “OO: Drawings 2000 at Barbara Gladstone Gallery”, Barbara Gladstone Gallery, July-August, ill.
Scott, Sue. “Collector's Choice II: Contemporary Art from Central Florida Collections”, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL, p. 10, ill.
Enright, Robert. “The Pleasure of Their Company: Steve Martin, April Gornik and Eric Fischl in Conversation with Robert Enright”, Border Crossings, August, pp. 26-46, ill.
Stunda, Hilary. “April Gornik and Pat Steir”, ARTnews, February, p. 169, ill.
1999 Vonnegut, Kurt. Waterscapes, Landscapes. Glenn Horowitz Booksellers, New York, limited hardcover book edition of 100, catalogue edition, ill.
Brown, Kathan. Why Draw a Landscape? Crown Point Press, San Francisco, pp. 72-79, ill.
Ollman, Leah. “Art Reviews: The Great Drawing Show”, Los Angeles Times, p. F26, ill.
Weiss, Marion Wolberg. “Art Commentary”, Dan's Papers, 27 August, p.100.
Rosemblum, Robert. On Modern American Art, pub. by Harry N Abrams Inc, New York, pp. 297-298, ill.
Sansegundo, Sheridan. “American Art at the Parrish”, East Hampton Star, 29 July, p. III-6, ill.
Robinson, Joyce Henri, PhD. “As Far as the Eye Can See”, Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta, GA, cat., ill.
Byrd, Cathy. “Land, lots of land”, Atlanta Creative Loafing, Vol. 27, No. 39, arts page.
Braff, Phyllis. “The Works of Art That Inspire the Artist”, The New York Times, 15 November, 1998, p. 37, ill.
Hinson, Tom. Cleveland Collects Contemporary Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, pp. 142-143, ill.
Ferris, Mark. “Lesser Lights Shine”, Newsday, 27 November, 1998.
Cummings, Mary. “Thoughtful Questions On the Nature of Gifts”, The Southampton Press, 19 November, 1998.
Gambino, Erica-Lynn. “A Thank-You Show at Parrish”, The Southampton Press, 17 December, 1998, p. B1-2.
Weiss, Marion Wolberg. “Art Commentary”, Dan's Papers, 25 December, p. 49.
Braff, Phyllis. “A Photographic Return to Places and People”, The New York Times, 5 April, 1998.
Weiss, Marion Wolberg. “Art Commentary”, Dan's Papers, 17 April 1998.
Weil, Rex. “Heaven in Earth, ARTnews, March 1998, pp. 150-152, ill.
Rice, Robin. “The Life Thing”, Philadelphia City Paper, 6 February, 1998, p. 29, ill.
Brown, Gerard. “Beauty and Brains”, Philadelphia Weekly, February 4, 1998, p. 50, ill.
Rice, Robin. “Best Bets: Art”, Philadelphia City Paper, 16 January, 1998, p.22.
Sozanski, Edward. “Elemental landscapes not quite of this world”, The Philadelphia Enquirer, 16 January, 1998, p. 32, ill.
Delio, Michelle. “Moving Pictures: Ancient tradition meets portable technology in the world of art.”, Portable Computing Direct Shopper, January 1998, pp. 82-93, ill.
Kutner, Janet. “Dallas: April Gornik at Turner & Runyon”, ARTnews, January 1998, p. 140, ill.
Yount, Sylvia. “Embodied Landscapes”, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery and the Museum of American Art of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 9 January, 1998, ill.
1997 Enright, Robert. Peregrinations: Conversations with Contemporary Artists, Bain and Cox, Winnipeg & Buffalo, 1997, pp. 330-335.
Sussler, Betsy. speak art! the best of BOMB magazine's interviews with artists, G+B Arts International, 1997, pp.176-186, ill.
Kutner, Janet. “April Gornik at Turner and Runyon Gallery”, Dallas Morning News, 25 October, 1997, p.12C, ill.
Kutner, Janet. “Spiritual mystique permeates artist's landscapes”, Dallas Morning News, 10 October, 1997, p. 46, ill.
Enright, Robert. “The Seductions of Landscape: A Conversation with April Gornik”, Border Crossings, Summer 1997, pp. 18-29, ill.
Raynor, Vivian. “Landscapes That Celebrate Their Makers”, New York Times, 10 August, 1997, p.12, ill.
Litt, Steven. “Finding Limelight Out of Town”, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1 August, 1997, p. E1.
Smith, Roberta. “Hudson Valley Conversations”, New York Times, 18 July, 1997, p. C26.
Goodman, Jonathan. “April Gornik at Edward Thorp”, Art in America, February 1997, p. 105, ill.
Landi, Ann. “Site Specifics”, ARTnews, April 1997, p. 117.
1996 Sandler, Irving. Art of the Postmodern Era, Icon Editions, NY, 1996, pp. 268-271, ill.
Maxwell, Douglas. “April Gornik: Paintings and Waterways”, Edward Thorp Gallery, NY, 1996, ill.
Brown, Kathan. ink, paper, metal, wood: Painters and Sculptors at Crown Point Press, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1996, pp. 183-4, ill.
1995 Acker, Kathy and Ronell, Avital. Time Capsule: A Concise Encyclopedia by Women Artists, Creative Time & SOS Int'l., ill.
Braff, Phyllis, “Casting a Spell, From Lasers and Video to Light and Shadows”, New York Times, Sunday, Oct. 22, 1995, p. C 24.
Keiser, Ellen, “April Gornik”, Country Magazine, August 1995, p. 65, ill.
Planca, Elisabetta. “un Paradiso Neoromantico”, Arte, Aprile 1995, ill.
1994 Slifka, Rose. “From the Studio”, East Hampton Star, Dec. 17, 1994.
Wolberg Weiss, Marion. “Art Commentary”, Dan's Papers, Nov. 18, 1994.
Raynor, Vivien. “The Sublime, the Modern and the Literal in Views of the Land”, The New York Times, Nov. 11, 1994, p. 20 WC.
“Eye on Nature”, The Scarsdale Inquirer, Arts and Entertainment, Nov. 4, 1994, p. 17, ill. V
Katz, Vincent. “April Gornik”, ARTnews, November 1994, p. 155, ill.
Gouveia, Georgette. “The relationship between nature, art is explored”, Gannett Suburban Newspapers, Oct. 24, 1994, ill.
Slifka, Rose. “From the Studio”, East Hampton Star, Sept. 8, 1994, ill.
Braff, Phyllis. “Meaning and Context Are Unimportant Except in Landscapes”, New York Times, Aug. 28, 1994, p. LI 18, ill.
Wolberg Weiss, Marion. “Art Commentary”, Dan's Papers, Aug. 19, 1994, ill.
Slifka, Rose. “From the Studio”, East Hampton Star, June 30, 1994.
“'Friends Unite for Art Show, Daily Oklahoman, April 1, 1994, ill.
“'Four Friends' Exhibit to Open”, Capital Hill Beacon, Mar. 31, 1994, ill.
“A Nice Pair”, The Kansas City Star, March 27, 1994.
Halley, Mary. “A Window Into Life's Realities”, Oklahoma Gazette, Mar 24, 1994, pp. 1-5, ill.
Trittoleno, Martine, “La Vie Artiste”, French Vogue, March, 1994, p. 223-6, ill.
1993 Raynor, Vivien. “An Optimist's Eye in Ridgefield”, New York Times, Dec. 5, 1993, p. CN 30, ill.
Gilbert, Andrea. “Pilgrim's Progress: A Journey to Long Island's South Fork”, ARTI, Art Today, November-December 1993, pp. 144-165, ill.
Gall, Sally and Gornik, April. Interview in Bomb Magazine, summer, ill.
Enright, Robert. Interview, Border Crossings, Winter 1993, p. 29-32
Costello, Kevin. “Four Friends”, Sarasota Arts Review, November 1993.
Watkins, Eileen. “Dennison Collection going on view at Morris museum”, The Sunday Star Ledger, Nov. 7, 1993, p. 22, ill.
Shulman, Woody. “A Friendly Exhibition”, Bradenton Herald, Sept. 24, 1993, ill.
Altabe, Joan. “Beautiful Dreamers”, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Sept. 17, 1993, ill.
Altabe, Joan. “Ringling show quadruples your pleasure”, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Sept. 12, 1993, ill.
Kandel, Susan, “Gornik's Work”, Los Angeles Times, Sept. 3, 1993.
Art Picks of the Week, LA Weekly, “April Gornik, Man Ray, The Chicano Codices”, September 24-30, 1993.
Rosenblum, Robert, “Art: Contemporary Romantic Landscapes”, Architectural Digest, May, 1993, p. 193-230, ill.
Newhall, Edith . Review, ARTnews, January 1993, p. 129, ill.
1992 Sanders, Scott Russell, “Staying Put”, Orion, Winter 1992, p. 40, ill.
Liebmann, Lisa (uncredited), The New Yorker, review, Nov. 16, 1992, p. 17.
Litt, Steven, “Once in a lifetime smorgasbord of art in New York City”, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Nov. 8, 1992, ill.
Freeth, Samuel J. “Incident at Lake Nyos”, The Sciences, May/June, 1992, pp. 30-36, ill.
Raynor, Vivien, Review, print show, Hastings on Hudson, New York Times, Sunday, May 31, 1992., p. 20
Levin, Kim. “back to the landscape”, Mirabella, Feb. 1992, pp. 32-4, ill.
1991 “Romance and Irony”, Arts Review, June 11-July 8, 1991.
“April Gornik Acquisition, National Museum of American Art”, Journal of the Print World, Spring, 1991.
Long, Robert. “Visions From Down Under”, Southampton Press, July 4, 1991.
“Romance and Irony in Recent American Art”, review, Journal of the Print World, Summer, 1991, p. 47.
Slifka, Rose. “From the Studio”, East Hampton Star, July 11, 1991, p. II-11.
Smith, Roberta. “On Long Island, Photos, Portraits, Pollock, and Stereotyping”, The New York Times, Aug. 9, 1991, p. C22.
Braff, Phyllis. “Exhibition Is Window On Society”, New York Times, July 28, 1991, p. LI 17.
Lipson, Karin. “Modern Romantic Vision”, Newsday, June 28, 1991.
Edelman, Robert G. “Le Paysage dans la Peinture”, ArtPress, March, 1991 p. 22-29.
1990 Barrie, Lita. “US artists twist nostalgic convention”, NBR Weekend Review, New Zealand, Dec. 1, 1990, p. W 9.
Ratcliff, Carter. “April Gornik”, Edward Thorp Gallery, 1990, ill.
Wilkin, Karen, “At the Galleries”, Partisan Review, 1990, Vol. LVII, No. 3, p. 452-3.
Loper, David E. “Scorched Earth”, The Sciences, Sept-Oct. 1990, p. 24, ill.
Yau, John. Review, Artforum, September, 1990, p. 153.
Mahoney, Robert. “April Gornik”, Arts, Sept. 1990, p. 101, ill.
Flam, Jack. “..And Looking Like Provincials,” The Wall Street Journal, June 12, 1990, p. A16.
McKenna, Kristine. “The Allure of the Dark Side” Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1990, ill.
Kimmelman, Michael. Review, The New York Times, May 4, 1990
Mann, Kenny. “Seeing But Not Looking,” House in the Hamptons International, March/April 1990, pp. 24ff., ill.
Levy, Mark. “American Sublime, Soviet Subversiveness,” Art International, Spring 1990, pp. 96-7.
Shinoda, Tatsumi, “10 + 10,” Mizue, Spring 1990, pp. 96-105.
Kernan, Michael. “A New Generation of Artists Ponder Nature's Prospects, Smithsonian , April 1990. pp. 104-111, ill.
Middendorf, Frances. “Land Lords”, The Newspaper, Feb. 8, 1990, p. 10.
Van Siclen, Bill. Outlandish Landscapes,” Providence Journal-Bulletin, January 19, 1990, section D.
Tanaka, Hiroko. Art Is Beautiful; Interviews with 25 New York Artists, Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Tokyo, Jan. 1990, pp. 177-180, ill.
1989 Shinoda, Tazmi. “The Landscape of April Gornik: Sensuality of the Anonymous,” Mizue, Tokyo, W inter 1989, 124-135, ill.
Giachetti, Romano. “Accademia d'Avanguardia”, Arte, 1989, ill.
Kalina, Richard. “Painting Horizons,” Arts, November 1989, p. 92.
“Transforming the Landscape”, Bijutsu Techo, # 12, 1989, pp. 30-45, ill.
Levkova-Lamm, Innesa. “10 + 10,” Contemporanea, November 1989, p. 86.
Boettger, Suzaan. “Nocturnal Visions,” Contemporanea, October 1989, p.95.
Glueck, Grace. The New York Times Magazine, “The New Romantics Paint the Past,” The New Season, September 10, 1989, pp. 44ff.
Tanaka, Hiroko. “April Gornik,” High Fashion, Tokyo, October 1989. pp. 288-9.
Landy, Jenny. “April Showers”, Hamptons, September 1, 1989, p. 39.
Cotter, Holland. “A Bland Biennial”, Art in America, Sept. 1989, p. 81.
Leigh, Candace. “Honoring the Artists of the Hamptons: April Gornik”, Dan's Papers, September 1, 1989, p. 36, ill.
Grimes, Nancy. “Whitney Biennial,” Tema Celeste, July-September 1989, pp. 65-68.
“Scenic Strokes”, Spotlight, September 1989, p. 18, ill.
Braff, Phyllis. “Landscape Themes Clarified,” The New York Times, Long Island Section, August 13, 1989, p.18.
Wallach, Amei. “Landscape on the Horizon,” Newsday, August 4, 1989, Weekend, p. 23.
Long, Robert. “Parrish Exhibit Explores Variety of Perspectives,” The Southampton Press, August 17, 1989, p. B1.
Smith, Roberta. “On Long Island: Vienna, Video and Visions of Nature”, The New York Times, August 4, 1989, p. C22, ill.
Sica, Connie. “The Illusory Space of a Landscape”, The Sag Harbor Express, July 27, 1989, Section II, p. 1, ill.
Slivka, Rose. “From the Studio,” The East Hampton Star, August 10, 1989.
Berman, Ann. “Power of the City/Women in the Hamptons: Art and Leisure,” New York Woman, August 1989, pp. 32-4, ill.
Straus, Marc. “Facts and Fancy,” Contemporanea, July/August 1989, pp. 86-9, ill.
Shinoda, Tasmi. “Best and Worst Artists in the Whitney Biennial”, Bijutsu Techo, July 1989, pp. 166-169, ill.
Harrison, Helen A. “Multiple Originals on Paper”, The New York Times, Long Island Section, June 25, 1989, p. 20.
Smith, Roberta. “Taking a Look or Two Back in the Hamptons,” The New York Times, June 16, 1989, C 22.
American Way, American Airlines Magazine, “10 + 10”, May 1, 1989, pp. 96-104, ill.
Larson, Kay. “The Children's Hour”, New York Magazine, May 8, 1989, p. 94-5.
Kimmelman, Michael. “Touring Show of Soviet and American Artists,” The New York Times, May 16, 1989, p. C15, C20.
Schjeldahl, Peter. “The Muses on Strike”, Seven Days, May 17, 1989, p. 67.
Heartney, Eleanor. “April Gornik's Stormy Weather,” ARTnews , May 1989, pp. 120 -5, [cover feature], ill.
Kimmelman, Michael. “Nocturnal Visions in Contemporary Painting,” The New York Times, April 28,1989, p. C30.
Pryor, Kelli. “Back to Nature,” Avenue, February 1989, pp. 128-137, ill.
Kazajian, Dodie. “Fast Forward,” House & Garden, February 1988, pp. 76ff.
Kohen, Helen L. “Landscape Show Rich in Tradition,” Miami Herald, January 15, 1989, p. 5K.
1988 McGuigan, Cathleen. “Transforming the Landscape,” Newsweek, December 26, 1988, pp. 60-2, ill.
Solomon Deborah. “Back to Nature,” House & Garden, November 1988, pp. 64-8, ill.
Braff, Phyllis. “Drawing Lines: East End Anthology,” The New York Times, November 6, 1988.
Lewallen, Constance. “View: April Gornik”, Interview, Crown Point Press, Fall 1988, 24 pp. ill.
Slivka, Rose C. S. “From the Studio,” The East Hampton Star, October 29, 1988.
Dodero, Tony. “Landscape artist opens program at art museum”, Daily Forty-Niner, Oct. 13, 1988, p.7, ill.
Gottlieb, Shirle. “'April in Long Beach”, Seabreeze, Oct. 12, 1988, p.10, ill.
Long, Robert. “East End Drawing Exhibition at Parrish,” Southampton Press/Hampton Chronicle News, October 13, 1988.
Lipson, Karen. “East End Drawings: With Bounds, Diversity,” Newsday, October 7, 1988, p. 12.
Delatiner, Barbara. “The Spotlight Shines on Drawings,” The New York Times, September 11, 1988.
Tuchman, Phyllis. “Interpreting Nature in a SoHo Setting”, Newsday, July 27, 1988, part II, p.7, ill.
Gornik, April. “Rooms in the View,” Arts & Antiques, Summer 1988, pp. 72-77, ill.
Loughery, John. “Landscape Painting in the Eighties: April Gornik, Ellen Phelan, and Joan Nelson,” Arts, May 1988, pp. 44-8, ill.
Nochlin, Linda. “En Plein Air: Recent Views of the Great Outdoors,” Interview, April 1988, pp. 18-23.
Grimes, Nancy. “April Gornik,” ARTnews, January 1988, pp.153-4.
Hansell, Freya. “Three Painters: Susan Rothenberg, April Gornik, Freya Hansell,” Bomb, Spring 1988, pp. 18-23, ill.
Kimmelman, Michael. “Art: 'Realism Today' at National Academy,” The New York Times , January 8, 1988, C27.
1987 Kramer, Hilton. “An Antidote to the Postmodern Blues: 'Realism Today' at the National Academy,” The New York Observer, December 28, 1987.
Cullinan, Helen. “Landscape given new meaning”, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, p. 2A, 17 January, 1987, ill.
Cameron, Dan. “Opening Salvos, Part One,” Arts, December 1987, pp. 89-93.
Braff, Phyllis. “Private Pieces on Public View,” The New York Times, November 29, 1987, Long Island Section, p. 38, ill.
McGill, Douglas. “Landscapes in Repose,” The New York Times, November 13, 1987, C36, ill.
Levin, Kim. “April Gornik,” The Village Voice, November 10, 1987 p. 48.
view more