Edward E. Boccia Retrospective Opens at Philip Slein Gallery

Philip Slein Gallery in the Central West End has opened a career retrospective of painter Edward E. Boccia. The exhibition, titled Edward E. Boccia: An American Modernist, runs through December 19. A reception was held from 5 to 8 p.m. on October 23.

The gallery at 4735 McPherson is devoting its entire floor to a single artist. This is a rare occurrence for the space, which has operated for 23 years. Owner Philip Slein said the show is large because Boccia lived in St. Louis for six decades. Slein described the exhibition as very significant, noting that only a museum could present a larger scale.

Boccia was born in New Jersey in 1921. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in New York. After serving in the World War II Ghost Army, he earned degrees from Columbia University. He taught at the Columbus Art School in Ohio, where he introduced Bauhaus principles to his students.

He joined Washington University in St. Louis in 1951. He remained there for more than 30 years, retiring in 1986 as professor emeritus. Rosa Berland, an art historian based in New York, described his teaching style as rigorous but open. She said he encouraged students to find their own creative drive.

The artist produced thousands of paintings before his death in 2012 at age 91. His work includes small seaside scenes and large multi-panel pieces. Slein noted that Boccia was constantly drawing whenever he was not sleeping or eating. His style blends classical traditions with experimental approaches.

The current exhibition includes more than 30 paintings. The front room displays large-scale works, including the nine-panel Eugene's Journey and the 2004 triptych David's Death. A hallway features mythic ocean scenes with figures that appear to glow. The final room uses a salon wall to show his evolution from a 1950s portrait to a 2012 piece.

A companion book titled Edward E. Boccia: Painter of Nightmares and Dreams will be published by Hirmer during the show. Berland wrote the text after 14 years of research. It is the first major monograph on the artist. The book includes fold-out plates and scholarly essays.

Berland described Boccia as a polymath who studied philosophy, theology, and psychoanalysis. A pamphlet for the show advises viewers to experience the art without worrying about its meaning. Berland credited Morton D. May as Boccia's greatest patron. She called the exhibition a story of a New York native who found success in St. Louis.