di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art maintains a permanent collection of works by Northern California artists that was originally collected by Rene di Rosa (1919-2010) and Veronica di Rosa (1934–1991). The collection contains notable works by artists living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area from mid-twentieth century to the early twenty-first century, highlighting a story of experimentation of the artists of the region. It is displayed in part, on a rotating basis, in the galleries at di Rosa.
This page represents a just a portion of di Rosa’s rich permanent collection. Stay tuned as we continue to populate this page with artworks from our collection.
di Rosa strives to be a resource for educators, students and lifelong learners. For research inquiries, please contact curatorial@dirosaart.org.
Untitled
Painting
Soft edge abstraction in russets and reds on yellowish ground
838
Oil on Canvas
Painting
AR0838
Butterfield & Butterfield
Purchase
Deborah Remington
1951
Signature
Date
Recto, lower right
Remington '51
Framed
28-3/4 in
31 in
Object
28 in
30 in
The Incorrect Museum: Redux
May 13, 2022 - February 26, 2023, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times (Part 1)
January 27 - May 27, 2018, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
Based on a True Story: Highlights from the di Rosa Collection
October 26, 2016 - October 15, 2017, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
Curator
2022
This early work by Remington—painted during her years as an undergraduate at the California School of Fine Arts—reflects the influence of teachers like Clifford Still and Hassel Smith. Abstract expressionist in style, it differs from Remington’s better-known, hard-edged and light-infused, paintings from the 1960s. Certain similarities with the later works (including a psychedelic use of color)are nevertheless evident. Remington—who in 1954 cofounded the artist cooperative6 Gallery with Wally Hedrick, Manuel Neri, Jack Spicer, Hayward King and David Simpson—was a central figure in San Francisco’s beat scene. She was present in 1955, when Allen Ginsburg delivered the first public reading of “Howl” at 6 Gallery, cementing the popular image of San Francisco beatniks as “angelheaded hipsters” seeking spiritual transcendence in art, poetry and jazz.