Boccia survey fills Slein Gallery rooms

The Philip Slein Gallery has placed paintings by Edward E. Boccia in all three of its rooms. The exhibition, titled Edward E. Boccia: An American Modernist, opened on October 23 with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. The show runs through December 19 at 4735 McPherson Avenue.

Gallery owner Philip Slein noted that the venue has rarely devoted its full footprint to one artist in its 23-year history. Previously, individual exhibitions typically occupied only the front room. Slein described the current installation as a major presentation, stating, "The only thing that could be bigger than this would be at an institution."

Boccia was born in New Jersey in 1921 to Italian parents. He served in the World War II Ghost Army before studying at the Pratt Institute, the Art Students League, and Columbia University. He taught at the Columbus Art School in Ohio, where he introduced Bauhaus principles to his students.

In 1951, Boccia joined the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis. He remained there for more than 30 years, retiring in 1986 as a professor emeritus. Rosa Berland, an art historian based in New York, described his teaching style as rigorous but encouraging, noting he helped students find their own creative direction.

The artist produced thousands of works over his lifetime. His style combined classical traditions with experimental techniques, often featuring surreal scenes filled with symbolism. He continued working until his death in 2012 at age 91. Slein recalled that Boccia was constantly creating, saying, "If he wasn't sleeping or eating, he was drawing."

The current exhibition features more than 30 paintings. The front room displays large-scale pieces, including the nine-panel polyptych "Eugene's Journey" and the 2004 triptych "David's Death." The latter is one of several works Boccia created in memory of his son. A hallway section shows mythic ocean scenes with figures that appear to glow from within.

The final room contains a salon wall that tracks the artist's evolution. It ranges from a 1950s portrait to a painting from 2012, made shortly before his death. Influences from Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, and Max Beckmann are visible throughout the collection.

A companion book titled Edward E. Boccia: Painter of Nightmares and Dreams will be published by Hirmer during the exhibition period. Berland wrote the text after 14 years of research. It is the first major monograph on the artist and includes fold-out plates to show the scale of his multi-panel works.

Berland identified Morton D. May as Boccia's greatest patron. May's collection was partly gifted to the Saint Louis Art Museum. She characterized the artist's career as a story of a New York native who found success in St. Louis. Berland said the work demands active engagement, comparing the viewing experience to reading a poem or philosophical text.

A pamphlet prepared by Berland and Slein for the show includes a note from Boccia. It reads, "Don't worry about what my art means. Just experience it."