POP ART: WAY BACK THEN

«New York Painting and Sculptures 1940-1970» the first of the big shows caused an enormous stir. Organized by Henry Geldzahler the ebullient young curator of the recently designed Department of 20th century art it filled 35 galleries on the 2th floor with a generous sampling of works by 43 artists who in Geldzahler's judgment had commanded critical attention of significantly deflated the course of recent art. While most of the major names were there from Pollock and de Kooning to Warhol and Lichenstein quite a few well-known artists were left out and these non deflectors were understandably miffed....Hilton Kramer the Times critic accused Geldzahler of «moral and intellectual abdication of his curatorial role».


-Calvin Tomkins
Merchants and Masterpieces