Double Date Two Collections of Work by Milton Avery Combined at Phillips by Heather Nalbone When the Syracuse University Art Collection began circulating a collection of works by artist Milton Avery, the group of 28 paintings, portraits and still lifes were described as "important" and "rarely seen." The collection has received accolades in several museums since it was donated by a golden-age Hollywood violinist and his pianist wife. Then the collection came to Washington, D.C., where those initial lauding descriptions took on a new meaning. Works from the Louis and Annette Kaufman collection were combined with an existing set of art purchased by Duncan and Marjorie Phillips for perhaps the largest display of Averyís work to date. Although the two collectors never met, their shared enthusiasm is what makes the display such a rarity. Like most exhibits at the Phillips Collection, "Discovering Milton Avery: Two Devoted Collectors, Louis Kaufman and Duncan Phillips" is a carefully arranged compilation best suited for the hallways and galleries of the old collectorís former home. Phillips was Averyís second customer when he purchased "Winter Riders" in 1929, second only to the acclaimed musician who remained a patron and good friend of the artist for nearly four decades. The house-turned-museum became the first to exhibit the painterís work in 1943, back when the museum was still nurturing a new public appreciation for 20th-century modern art. As with any exhibit relying solely on the works of one artist, "extras" are a must to help keep the display from becoming repetitive. In the case of Avery, the task of arranging a diverse display is made easy by the artistís skill as a draftsman and printmaker. A loan from the National Gallery of Art allows visitors to compare Averyís hazy paintings to wood cuts on zinc and copper plates. The display also includes a group of prints and sketchbooks intended to help portray Averyís role as a progressive contributor to the American art scene. Averyís style is best described in a quote curators decided to place on the wall: "I do not use linear perspective, but achieve depth by coloróthe function of one color with another," the artist said in 1952. "I strip the design to essentials; the facts do not interest me as much as the essence of nature." Averyís portraits consist of obscure facial features and body tone, and the fruits and glass bottles of his still lifes are created using the largest of brush strokes. In the back room of the exhibition space are large landscapes in their simplest form. "Pink Meadow" contains fewer than 10 colors and shades, while the abstract black and brown shapes of "Rock and Wave" are almost aboriginal in their simplicity. The exhibitís chronological arrangement demonstrates the progression of the artistís techniques from an early impressionist style to one that become much more abstract over the years. His "Portrait of Annette in a Green Dress," painted for the Kaufmans in 1933 to display the attractive figure of his musician friend, is a striking contrast to the dreamlike physique of his daughter in the 1941 "Girl Writing." The most endearing aspect of Averyís work is perhaps his subject matter, which stems largely from the domesticity of his daily life. Many of the paintings and sketches were motivated by his surroundings, as well as his family in the midst of daily activities. And, of course, there were those paintings inspired by friends who would later help to create yet another unique display for visitors to the Phillips Collection. "Discovering Milton Avery: Two Devoted Collectors, Louis Kaufman and Duncan Phillips" runs through May 16 at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., NW. For more information, please call (202) 387-2151 or visit www.phillipscollection.org. Heather Nalbone is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.