Biography

Beatrice Mandelman, known as Bea, was an influential American abstract artist born on December 31, 1912, in Newark, New Jersey. She was part of the renowned Taos Moderns, a group of artists who contributed significantly to the modern art movement in Taos, New Mexico. Mandelman studied art in New York City and worked with the Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project (WPA-FAP) before moving to Taos in 1944 with her husband, fellow artist Louis Leon Ribak. Mandelman's work is characterized by its abstract nature, with a focus on paintings, prints, and collages. Her early works often featured richly textured surfaces and a subdued color palette, while her later pieces, influenced by the New Mexico landscape, embraced brighter colors, geometric forms, and crisp definitions. Her style was described as a blend of Cubism and Expressionism, reflecting her innovative approach to art. Mandelman's art is highly regarded and included in major public collections, such as the University of New Mexico Art Museum and the Harwood Museum of Art. Her contributions to abstract art and her role in the Taos art community make her work highly collectible and significant in the history of American art. She passed away on June 24, 1998.