The Addison was honored to host artists Peter Saul and Sally Saul for two busy days in October of 2024. Working at the intersection of Pop, Surrealism, and Expressionism, Peter Saul is known for his illustrious six-decade career as one of the foremost chroniclers of the American experience. Armed with virtuosic skill, an acerbic wit, and a penchant for the satirical and grotesque, Saul has documented the banality and absurdity of American culture since the 1960s, creating some of the most incisive history paintings of our time. His visit coincided with the inclusion of two of his important early paintings, Man in Electric Chair and The Mad Pilot, in the exhibition Americans in Paris: Artists Working in Postwar France, 1946–1962.
Peter Saul, Man in Electric Chair, 1964. Oil on canvas, 59 x 51 inches. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London
Peter Saul, Man in Electric Chair, 1964. Oil on canvas, 59 x 51 inches. Collection of the artist. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London
Sally, a contemporary ceramicist, has shown her work extensively for over three decades in solo exhibitions and group shows throughout the United States and internationally. Often working from personal memory, her practice is focused on small scale ceramic sculptures imbued with humor and poignant humanity.
In addition to participating in an evening conversation with Americans in Paris curator Debra Bricker Balken, Peter and Sally met with classes individually and as a duo. Students in Phillips Academy art courses from Clay and the Ancestral Pot, to 3D Design Fundamentals, to Drawing and Painting left inspired with new ideas and directions for their work.
The Addison’s Edward E. Elson Artist-in-Residence program plays an important role in the museum’s exhibition and education programming, energetically supporting contemporary art by bringing established and emerging artists to campus. Every year, artists are invited to produce new work in the Visiting Artist Studio, exhibit in the galleries, give public talks, collaborate with students, and/or lead discussions with students from Phillips Academy and surrounding communities. Residencies range in duration from a few days to a series of short visits, to several months. The Addison residency program began in 1946 with Charles Sheeler and continued informally until 1982 when it was endowed through the generosity of Phillips Academy alumnus Edward E. Elson, class of 1952.
Images: Students meet with Peter and Sally Saul; photos by Addison staff
