The term “Abstract Expressionist” has often been used to describe that rough (in every way) group of post-war American artists who wholly abandoned figuration in their paintings. Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko have become the archetypal abstract expressionists because of their instantly recognisable departure from painterly norms. Their canvases are huge fields of paint applied with either frenzied brushstrokes or simply just poured straight on.

Art history is often served as a neat timeline. You go movement by movement, you learn the major figures, then you move on. As a result, many artists find themselves left behind. Even ones who were, in their day, major talents. Lawrence Calcagno is one such forgotten artist. Born in San Francisco in 1913, Calcagno was undeniably an abstract expressionist (he was taught by Rothko and Clyfford Still) and he found much success during his lifetime, exhibiting at the Martha Jackson Gallery (one of the most important galleries for American art in the 1950s) and taking part in group shows at the Guggenheim and the Whitney. However, since his death in 1993, Calcagno and his works have fallen into obscurity. But that might be about to change. In a small, private gallery in Fitzrovia, Lawrence Calcagno is back on white walls again.

The Amar Gallery, which was opened in 2017 by Amar Singh, is a space dedicated to showcasing female, LGBTQ+ and minority artists. In rediscovering Lawrence Calcagno, the Amar Gallery is wholly fulfilling its mission statement. When you see Calcagno’s work in person, you get a chance to see how he built up layers of paint, creating an almost sculptural texture on some works. You also notice the recurring forms in his works, many of them appearing like strata of the earth. There is often a sun-like form at the top of his canvases, which suggests that his works are abstract landscapes. But they could just as easily be seen as experiments in colour field painting. As you walk around, it feels unbelievable that these artworks have been sitting in obscurity for decades. But now, finally, they’re getting their time to shine. 

All artworks: Lawrence Calcagno Estate, courtesy Amar Gallery