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Rae Ferren (1929-2016) Impressionistic American Artist

AKA Rae Tonkel Ferren / Mrs. John Ferren

Rae Ferren was inspired by the impressionistic style that started in France. It is most easy to compare her work with the likes of Claude Monet. In the landscape below, entitled “Pondview” Springs, NY, she matches up with Monet’s “Morning on the Seine Near Giverny” which was painted in 1897 and currently hangs in the Metropolitan Museum. I encourage you to Google Monet’s painting to fully understand the comparisons as well as the contrasts.

In Monet’s paintings of the river Seine in Paris, Argenteuil, and Vétheuil where the river emptied into the English Channel, he uses a softness, with a pinkish mauve, cool lavenders, and greens, that Ferren knows how to match. Again, Monet uses almost symmetrical reflections that requires us to examine the painting more closely. Same with the Ferren painting.

Ferren found inspiration in Monet’s stippling and dabbing technique with the paint brush. Additionally, the brilliant colors used raw from the paint tube directly onto the canvas, the colors included bright green to dark avocado, lavender with touches of passion pink, and areas of brown that reveal shadows. All these colors produce a lush spring landscape, that reflects in the white pond from a white sky. The painting is light yet complex.
Pondview Springs, NY #3
Acrylic on Canvas, 20 X 24 Inches
Signed Lower Right

Monet and Ferren both used a right of center focal point. Ferren’s brush strokes swirl on the canvas leaving a textured surface that demonstrates gesture. The painting is a cross between realism and abstract expressionism, built by a brush and a palette knife.

Ferren was the second child of David Tonkel and Rebecca Weiss Tonkel. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she showed artistic potential early, and studied at the Brooklyn Museum of Art School (1947-49) where she met and then married her instructor, John Ferren. Ferren who was 20 years her senior and a noted European and American abstract artist that had exhibited with Kandinsky, Miro and Giacometti in the 1930s as well as helped establish the American Abstract movement. John Ferren’s paintings are in many notable museums around the country.

This marriage thrust Rae Ferren into the New York art scene. They first lived in a loft on Ninth Street in the Village where, Conrad Marca-Relli lived downstairs, and Franz Kline lived upstairs. Close friends included Milton Resnick and Philip Pavia. Later on they purchased a home in East Hampton where they interacted with Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner and the de Koonings.

John Ferren died prematurely before his 65th birthday in 1970. Ferren’s death thrust Rae Ferren into becoming an art estate expert. Rae worked closely with Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery in managing John’s estate. Her estate managing expertise was outlined in the book “Artists’ Estates: Reputations in Trust”.

Rae served at the Guild Hall as the registrar and associate curator for 15 year before retiring to paint full time in 1985. She had begin to exhibit in the 1960s, with her first solo exhibition at Gallery East in Amagansett in 1977. She was first represented by the Peter Loonam Gallery in Bridgehampton. When Arlene Bujese opened the Benton Gallery in Southampton in the mid-1980s, Ms. Ferren was a gallery artist, and she showed at Ms. Bujese's self-named space (Arlene Bujese Gallery) in East Hampton. Her work was also a staple at the Nabi Gallery in Sag Harbor, which closed in 2010.

Over the course of her career, in addition to dozens of individual exhibitions, Ms. Ferren’s work entered more than 150 private collections and was included in more than 100 invitational group shows (some details are provided below).

One Person Exhibitions:
  • Gallery East, Amagansett, 1977, 1979
  • Peter Loonam Gallery, Ltd, Bridgehampton, 1980, 1982, 1984
  • Burnside Gallery, Greenport, New York, 1981
  • Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, 1998
  • Nabi Gallery, NY, 2001, 2006, 2010
Selected Invitational Exhibits:
  • Drawing Exhibition for FCPA, Castelli Gallery, NY, 1965
  • Artists of Springs, Ashawagh Hall, 1966-1984
  • Parrish Art Museum Invitational, 1975
  • Gurney’s Inn Gallery 1975
  • Against the Wall Gallery, Katonah, 1975
  • Flowers from the de Menil Collection and regional artists, 1976
  • Bittersweet gallery Montauk, 1975-1976
  • The Peaceable Kingdom, East End Council Arts & Humanities Gallery, Riverhead, 1978
  • Women at the Laundry, East Hampton, 1978
  • Benson Gallery, Flower exhibition, 1979
  • Affordable Treasurers, Louise Himelfarb Gallery, Southampton, 1980-1983
  • Elaine de Kooning's Private Collection at the Benson Gallery, 1983
  • The East Hampton Art Colony, Pensacola Museum of Art, Florida, 1979
  • Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, 1980
  • Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Fl, 1980
  • Gallery Group, Phoenix Fine Arts, Frederick, MD and Washington, DC
  • Loft Gallery, Southampton, 1981
  • Honoree for the 45th Artists of the Springs Invitational, Ashawagh Hall, 2012
Collections:
  • The Smithsonian Museum of American Art
  • Islip Art Museum
  • Citibank, Chicago
  • Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton
  • During her prime, her painting were in numerous private collections including: John Cage; Lady Ann Norwich, London; Konrad Kellen, Pacific Palisades; Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Robbins; Mrs. Daniel Rose; Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Halpern; Elaine de Kooning; Mr. and Mrs. James Brooks; and Mr. and Mrs. Ray Parker
Professional:
Associate Curator and Registrar, Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, 1972-
Arranged exhibitions that include:
  • Young Collector’s Gallery, 1972-1975
  • Recycled Art, 1975
  • Polish Contemporary and Folk Art, 1977
  • A Glimpse of Life in the Middle East, 1978
  • Eastville Artists, 1979
  • Gods of India, 1980
  • The Mexican Experience, 1983
Professional Affiliations:
New York Artist Equity

Signature example
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©2023. Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. The photos and blog was created by Mr. Waller and all written materials were obtained by the Fair Use Section 107, of The Copyright Act. #waller-yoblonskyblogspot #walleryoblonskyblogspot #raeferren #raeferrenart #wifeofjohnferren #easthamptonartist #womanimpressionism #johnandraeferren #americanwomenartists
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