November 2017

Haynes Galleries presents “Anton Weiss: Abstraction”
November 3 to December 2, 2017

FRANKLIN— A Nashville treasure and art icon comes to Haynes Galleries. Anton Weiss, a passionate Abstract Expressionist, has created over the course of his illustrious career paintings, sculptures, mono prints, and mixed media pieces that are compelling, exciting and filled with emotional energy. "Anton Weiss: Abstraction" showcases Weiss's enthusiasm for the artistic freedom that abstraction provides him both in his techniques and unconventional executions. Each work is a personal statement imbued with Weiss’s mindset as he made it. The show opens November 3 at Haynes Galleries in Franklin and continues until December 2.

Many of the works in “Anton Weiss: Abstraction” are from the artist’s personal collection, The Anton Weiss Trust. Some have rarely exhibited to the public, if at all. These works are expressive—filled with emotion and bursting with color. But Weiss also strove to make each piece a form of communication that connects him and the viewer which makes the work even more powerful.

With the sale of every Anton Weiss artwork during the exhibition, the majority of the funds will go directly to Weiss’s care as he suffers the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Diagnosed a few years ago, Weiss now requires specialized care that will continue indefinitely.

Weiss’s Alzheimer’s diagnoses is only the latest chapter in a dramatic but inspiring life. Born in Austria to artist parents, Weiss had a mixed upbringing. His youth was idyllic, learning about painting from his parents. But his childhood was interrupted by the onset of World War II and his family was separated from one another. Weiss and his mother were forced into a Russian-led concentration camp for three years following the war. They both ultimately escaped and Weiss was relocated to Nashville by a charity where he spent the rest of his youth.

Weiss spent his twenties in New York to study painting during what is now known as the critical post-War era. He studied with the now-legendary Hans Hofmann and one of the first notable Abstract Expressionists. Learning from Hofmann exposed him to newer thought processes and a different way to execute a painting. Weiss quickly took to this new approach.

In 1960 Weiss returned to Nashville with a liberated attitude and was excited by the enthusiastic reception to both him and his new painting style. In the years that followed he became a local arts force. In addition to constantly experimenting and creating his own significant body of artwork, Weiss helped establish the Tennessee Art League as well as the Tennessee Watercolor Society. He also became an instructor at Watkins Institute and later became head of the art department. Over the years he created an artistic legacy in Nashville and beyond. His work has enriched the lives of generations of artists and art lovers.

“Anton Weiss: Abstraction” highlights not only Weiss’s artwork but also his life. Anton Weiss brought a new stylistic approach and the energetic spirit of the New York art scene to Nashville and spent the better part of his life and career creating an artistic legacy. This exhibition will appeal to those only just discovering this great artist and those incredibly familiar with his work. There will be a special tribute and celebration for Weiss on December 7th in the Houston Station Hall Gallery— “Art for Anton & Anton’s Art,” a benefit to raise awareness for Weiss’s contribution to the arts community and funds for his care.