1980 to 1999
Porte de L'Umilta (Pont de L'humilité), 1985, Oil on canvas, 76 1/2 x 102 1/2 in. (diptych), Estate No. 042, Collection of the Estate of Janice Biala, New York
During the final decades of her life, Biala continues to exhibit internationally. Major themes dominating the early part of these final decades include large sweeping landscapes featuring the shores of Provincetown or the sea circling Venice. A return to the architecture of Paris appears in a series of major paintings focused on Notre Dame. Themes of interiors as well as a return to compositions inspired by Velázquez dominate these later years. Her work continues to meld abstraction with imagist concerns. Works are described as “intimate,” “alluring,” and “secretive.”
Major articles include: Three Who Were Warmed by the City of Light by Michael Brenson featuring Biala, Joan Mitchell and Shirley Jaffe for The New York Times (June 25, 1989). Her obituary appears in The New York Times written by Roberta Smith: “[her art] spanned two art capitals and several generations […] belonging to a trans-Atlantic tradition that included French painters like Matisse, Bonnard and Marquet, as well as Milton Avery and Edward Hopper.”
Solo Exhibition Include: Gruenebaum Gallery, New York (’80, ’81, ’83, ‘85); Galerie Jacob, Paris (’87); Musee Tavet de Pontoise, Pontoise (’89); Kouros Gallery, New York (’90, ’92, ’93, ’94,’96, ’97, ’98, ’99)
Group Exhibitions Include: “La Famille des Portraits,” Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris (’80); “Permanence du Visage,” Musée Ingres, Montauban (’88); “Artistes Américains en France (1947-1997),” Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris (’97); “Natures Mortes du XX Siecle,” Musée de Pontoise, Pontoise (’97)
