Andrew Dasburg
A quiet revolutionary of American modernism, he translated the stark geometry of the New Mexico desert into a vibrant, cubist-inspired vision.
1887–1979 (age 92)·American painter·Birthday: May 4·The Lost Generation
Biography
Andrew Dasburg's artistic journey was one of constant evolution, from the gritty realism of New York's Ashcan School to the avant-garde salons of Paris. He returned to America as a passionate advocate for European modernism, particularly Cubism, becoming a vital bridge between continents. A trip to New Mexico in 1918 proved transformative; the high desert light and angular landscapes became his lifelong muse. Settling in Taos, he moved away from pure abstraction, developing a singular style that fractured the adobe villages and mesas into planes of luminous color. While others in the Taos Society painted romanticized scenes, Dasburg deconstructed and rebuilt them with a modernist's eye. His work, often overshadowed by flashier contemporaries, provided a crucial intellectual backbone to Southwestern art, proving that the local could speak in a thoroughly modern, international language.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Andrew was born in 1887, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1887
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1887Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1892Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Became a teenager
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1903Could drive
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could vote
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Turned 21
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 30
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 40
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 50
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 60
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 70
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 80
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1979Died at 92
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
Key Achievements
- Was a central figure in introducing and adapting European Cubist principles to American painting in the early 20th century.
- His 1929 painting 'Pueblo with Rainbow' is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
- Served as a director of the Modern Museum of Art's advisory committee in its formative years.
Did You Know?
He was partially paralyzed by polio as a child and taught himself to draw during his recovery.
He was a close friend and correspondent of art patron Mabel Dodge Luhan, a key figure in the Taos art colony.
Dasburg was married to sculptor Grace Mott Johnson.
“The structure of the land is its living geometry.”
