The real estate developer, philanthropist and art collector shares his excitement and love for the collection he donated to the New York Historical Society, which depicts the city and its landmarks he cherishes deeply.
Read moreElie Hirschfeld Curates The Energy and Beauty of Manhattan in his Art Collection
Some may know Elie Hirschfeld primarily as a renowned New York real estate developer and philanthropist – but Hirschfeld also has a passion for the arts – which he has enjoyed cultivating through collecting and loaning works of art that are often focused on the beauty of his home city of New York.
"I am always pleased to share my work with other museums and galleries and although each exhibition addresses its own theme, collectively the works that feature New York City as a theme speak to the greater story of the culture, vibrancy and expression alive in of New York. This theme is a dynamic one - changing and consistently relevant in new ways,” said Elie Hirschfeld.
Earlier this year, Mr Hirschfield expanded his art collection with the acquisition of an original work by Mr. Keith Haring, called Radiant Baby. Elie Hirschfeld and his wife Sarah Hirschfeld have always admired the, energy and diversity that continually surge through every street, avenue, park and subway of New York City. He has an enduring appreciation for the work of Keith Haring, a groundbreaking artist that is associated with transformative times in the city.
Radiant Baby was created in the mid-1980s on a steel New York City subway sign in Bowery station. The Bowery Street Station was near the center of the 70s downtown art scene and the metro was no stranger to graffiti; artists' tags were placed on every surface, nook and cranny. Keith Haring's career began in the underground metro system below the city of New York where he used chalk to tag the Subway cards and signs. The station sign was tagged by Haring who used two of his most celebrated tags "Radiant Baby" and "Aids Alligator."
Last year, Hirschfeld lent Georgia O'Keeffe's 1949 drawing of Brooklyn Bridge to the Georgia Museum of Art's exhibition "Icon of Modernism: Representing the Brooklyn Bridge, 1883-1950" and Jacob Lawrence's 1938 Harlem Diner to the Musee du Quai Branly's fall exhibition last year, entitled "The Color Line: African American Artists and Civil Rights in the United States" in Paris.
The president of Hirschfeld Properties LLC , Elie Hirschfeld has become one of Manhattan's most ardent collectors of American art. Hirschfeld's private collection, includes approximately 200 19th and 20th century and contemporary original works by major figures such as Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder, and Stuart Davis, with a strong focus on art depicting and inspired by New York City.
Sarah and Elie Hirschfeld Expand their Art Collection with Original Work by Keith Haring
Elie Hirschfeld and his wife Sarah have always admired the vibrancy, energy and diversity that continually surge through every street, avenue, park and subway of New York City. And Mr. and Mrs. Hirschfeld continue an enduring appreciation for the work of a groundbreaking artist that forever will be associated with transformative times in this great city – Keith Haring. Elie Hirchfeld and Sarah expanded their art collection this year with an original work by Mr. Haring.
Even now, more than twenty years after his death, Keith Haring remains a symbol of New York City’s street art scene. Haring came to New York to study at the School of Visual Arts in 1978 and quickly became immersed in the city’s alternative art scene, befriending Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf and Andy Warhol. While he experimented with video, installation, collage and performance art, his true talent lay in his line paintings.
Over time, he came to be known for his distinctive style using bold, heavy lines, simple shapes and figures, and bright colors. In the ’80s, Haring gained international recognition, but he never stopped giving back to the community, creating many public murals around the world.
Keith Haring joined a long but sporadic lineage of twentieth century artists who brought elements of popular culture, "low art" and non-art elements into the formerly exclusive "high art" spaces of museums and galleries.
He drew on the techniques and locales of street-based art such as graffiti and murals, employed bright and artificial colors, and kept imagery accessible in order to grab the eyes and minds of viewers and get them both to enjoy themselves and to engage with important concerns.
Elie Hirschfeld says, “Keith Haring unifies many layers of New York City’s culture - both the refined and gritty, the cultivated, edified and self-taught. The energy carried through his artwork is unmatched. Sarah and I will always treasure the work of Keith Haring that we recently added to our collection.”
Elie Hirschfeld's East Hampton Home To Host Preview Party for The East Hampton Historical Society's 2015 House & Garden Tour
NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The celebrated and storied East Hampton home of the renowned New York developer and philanthropist Elie Hirschfeld will play host to the Preview Party of the East Hampton Historical Society's 2015 House & Garden Tour. http://easthamptonhistory.org/events.php
The magnificent 12,000 square-foot mansion on 200 feet of dazzling ocean front was chosen by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as their summer vacation home in 2011 and 2012.
"It is truly an honor for me that the Historical Society selected my home as the venue for such a meaningful event on the East End of Long Island," said Hirschfeld.
The landmark home was originally designed and built in 1920 by celebrated architect John Custis Lawrence and boasts five fireplaces, eight bedrooms, 7.5 baths, two powder rooms, a large living salon, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen and a massive library. Hirschfeld noted that the former President did a fine job of reorganizing the library during his stay at the home.
The President showed me how he reorganized the library not only by subjects but also by putting them in chronological order," Hirschfeld said. Hirschfeld, whose Manhattan projects include the Grand Sutton co-op and the Crowne Plaza hotel, bought the 12,000-square-foot oceanfront property in 1996.
"Manhattan is my home, but East Hampton will always hold a special place in my heart," says the iconic New York figure who has become a prominent figure on the East End.
In June, the accomplished triathlete excelled in the Mighty Montauk Triathlon, the proceeds of which benefitted the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research https://www.lustgarten.org/, the St. Therese Youth Group http://www.rchurch.com/St.-Therese-Of-Lisieux- 85844.html, The East Hampton PBA ehtpba.org/ and The Montauk Ambulance Squad https://www.montauk-online.com/? s=Services/Emergency/Medical/Ambulance.
The benefit Preview Party http://easthamptonhistory.org/events.php will run from 6 to 8 p.m. "Where Lily Pond Lane Meets Georgica Beach," in the Hirschfeld home.
Tickets start at $200, which includes admission to the self-guided house and garden tour the following day. Tickets to the tour alone are priced at $65 in advance and $75 on the day of the event. They can be purchased online or at the Historical Society . ttp://easthamptonhistory.org/events.php building at 101 Main Street.
For more information, please call: 631-324-6850. Or go online to: http://easthamptonhistory.org/events.php
Media Contact: Elie Hirschfeld, Hirschfeld Properties, (212) 355-3838, info@hirschfeldnyc.com News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com SOURCE Hirschfeld Properties