About

 

Norman Green, 1980

 

 

CHRONOLOGY
  • 1921 – February 25th, Born, Boston, Massachusetts to father Abe, a Doctor and Latvian immigrant and mother Bertha, an immigrant from then-Russia
  • 1924—1929 – Attends Edward Devotion School, Brookline, Massachusetts
  • 1929—1933 – Attends Amos Lawrence School, Brookline, Massachusetts
  • 1933—1936 – Attends Boston Latin School, Boston, Massachusetts, for five years, joins Sigma Phi Delta fraternity and regularly attends Citizen’s Military Training Camp at various military bases
  • 1936 – Attends University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
  • 1937 – Transfers to Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts to join the class of 1943, majors in Economics and Government, worked summers as a screw mechanic for the Keystone Camera Company
  • 1943 – After deferment due to already being in the Army Reserves, joins artillery forces at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, then goes through language, cryptography and counter intelligence training and is sent to Italy
  • 1943—1946 – Stationed throughout Europe on active duty (Taranto, Castellana, Bari, Flori, Pescara, Rimini, Riccione, Bertinoro, Bologna, Innsbruck, Salzburg)
  • 1946 – Returns to Boston, co-founds and runs “Green Brothers Export Company,” Boston, Massachusetts, with younger brother Paul
  • 1948 – Moves to New York, New York, works in the whiskey research department of Seagram’s, includes extensive travel throughout the United States
  • 1950 – Marries Norma Green, works for American Home Products for a month before called in for active duty at Fort Halibird, Maryland as a part of Korean War efforts. Teaches counter intelligence work for about a year and a half
  • 1951 – After discharge, works in New York for the McCall Corporation’s Better Living magazine.
  • 1952 – Moves to Long Island
  • Founds publishing company with Paul, responsibilities include “past[ing] up the gallies,” – rough collages of the layout of the pages.
  • 1955 – Moves to Westport, Connecticut with Norma and two sons
  • Builds house on Compo Beach, including shed near carport, where he began to create assembled collages from various found objects, reminiscent of the collage work he did for the magazine
  • Moves office to Stanford
  • Travels frequently
  • 1971 – May – Festival of Connecticut Arts and Crafts, Award Art Festival
  • June-July – Barnum Festival Art Show, Connecticut
  • Rowayton Arts Center – All Member Award Show, Connecticut
  • 1972 – April, Rowayton Arts Center – Non-Objective Award Exhibit, Connecticut
  • Sells share in company to Paul, and moves to England to develop European sales. Moves to London, England
  • 1980 – March 2 – March 23, solo exhibition, “Assemblages by Norman S. Green,” Camden Art Centre, London
  • 1983 – Marries Pat in Boynton Beach, Florida
  • 1990 – Retires from publishing
  • 1992 – July-August, “Art in Boxes,” England and Co. Summer Exhibition, London
  • 1994 – June 7-July 1: solo exhibition, “Norman Green,” the Duncan Campbell Gallery, London, England – “Norman Green”
  • 1995 – 6-Week Open Studio Workshop by appointment
  • 1996 – March 26 – April 19: Second solo exhibition at the Duncan Campbell Gallery, London, England – “Norman Green: Recent Sculptures”
  • 2005 – Begins Intensive care at Cromwell Hospital, London
  • 2006 – April 16th, Dies, London, England

“This bringing together defines Norman in a larger context. Fifty years ago Norman was in Italy helping to bring together a world broken by a terrible war. Today he is still working towards harmony of disparate elements, bringing together broken or rejected pieces to new forms, vibrant with life and new significance. For a second time we are indebted to him.”

- Sister Wendy Beckett, commenting on Norman Green’s assemblage method (July 6th, 1994)

RESOURCES:

Sister Wendy’s Speech from the opening of the Norman Green Exhibition at the Duncan Campbell Gallery, June 7, 1994.
Letter from Theo Richmond regarding second Duncan Campbell exhibition, April 19, 1996.