Frederick Hammersley

BIOGRAPHY

One of the original hard-edged painters of the 1950's, Frederick Hammersley painted geometric abstractions with accompanying humorous, quirky titles. He kept a notebook in oil renderings of his observations, which he also considered original works of art.

Hammersley was born in Salt Lake City in 1919. He moved to Los Angeles to attend the Chouinard Art School when he was 21. He served in the Army from 1942 to 1946 where he designed posters, pass cards, and signs. Before returning to California, he studied at l'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris where he met Picasso, Braque and Brancusi. Upon his return to the United States he finished his studies at Chouinard and Jepson Art School in Los Angeles. Hammersley's work in the late 1940's became progressively more abstract.

In the 1950's, Frederick Hammersley taught at Jepson Art School, Pomona College, Chouinard and the University of New Mexico.

His work can be divided into three periods, "hunch" paintings (1953-1959), the "geometric" (1959-1964 and 1965-1995), and the "organics" (1964, 1982-until his death). Hammersley also worked on self-portraits, still lifes and life drawings throughout his career.

In 1968, he moved from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he passed on Sunday, May 31, 2009.