Conrad Marca-Relli (1913–2000,
American) was a major figure in the
New York School abstract art movement,
to which his friends Elaine and Willem
de Kooning and Franz Kline belonged.
Although he created highly expressive
and dynamic works characteristic of
Abstract Expressionism, Marca-Relli
remains an anomaly to the movement,
set apart by his dual European and
American residence and an adherence
to the figure. He is best known for his
monumental collage paintings that have
been attributed to his life in Mexico
and the affinity with his Italian life and
heritage, including the noted Italian artists
Giorgio Morandi, Giorgio de Chirico, and
Lucio Fontana.
–Affinities and Outliers: Highlights from the University at Albany Fine Art Collections