American author and art critic
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Key moments and achievements from Calvin Tomkins's life.
Calvin was born
· New York City, New York, USA
Career
Tomkins joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1960, beginning a relationship with the magazine that would last more than 60 years and produce some of the finest art criticism and profiles in American journalism.
Career
Tomkins joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1960, beginning a relationship with the magazine that would last more than 60 years and produce some of the finest art criticism and profiles in American journalism.
Achievement
In 1971, Tomkins published 'Living Well Is the Best Revenge,' telling the story of Gerald and Sara Murphy, the American expatriates who were essential members of the modernist movement in 1920s France.
Achievement
In 1971, Tomkins published 'Living Well Is the Best Revenge,' telling the story of Gerald and Sara Murphy, the American expatriates who were essential members of the modernist movement in 1920s France.
Career
From 1980 to 1986, Tomkins served as The New Yorker's official art critic, with reviews appearing almost weekly, during a period that saw the explosion of the contemporary art market.
Career
From 1980 to 1986, Tomkins served as The New Yorker's official art critic, with reviews appearing almost weekly, during a period that saw the explosion of the contemporary art market.
Achievement
Tomkins profiled major figures including Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, Frank Gehry, Richard Serra, and Damien Hirst, chronicling the art world's transformation over six decades.
Achievement
Tomkins profiled major figures including Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, Frank Gehry, Richard Serra, and Damien Hirst, chronicling the art world's transformation over six decades.
Achievement
Over more than six decades at The New Yorker, Tomkins documented the development of pop art, earth art, minimalism, video art, happenings, and installation art, becoming the definitive chronicler of the New York art scene.
Achievement
Over more than six decades at The New Yorker, Tomkins documented the development of pop art, earth art, minimalism, video art, happenings, and installation art, becoming the definitive chronicler of the New York art scene.
Published Book
Before establishing himself as a preeminent art critic, Calvin Tomkins explored his creative writing ambitions by publishing his debut fiction novel, "Intermission." Released by Viking Press, the book centered on a war veteran returning home to attend Princeton University, drawing loosely on the post-war American experience. Although it received positive reviews, the novel's modest sales eventually prompted Tomkins to pivot toward journalism, setting the stage for his legendary career in nonfiction and cultural reporting.
Published Book
Before establishing himself as a preeminent art critic, Calvin Tomkins explored his creative writing ambitions by publishing his debut fiction novel, "Intermission." Released by Viking Press, the book centered on a war veteran returning home to attend Princeton University, drawing loosely on the post-war American experience. Although it received positive reviews, the novel's modest sales eventually prompted Tomkins to pivot toward journalism, setting the stage for his legendary career in nonfiction and cultural reporting.
Published Book
Expanding upon a highly successful profile he wrote for The New Yorker, Calvin Tomkins published "Living Well Is the Best Revenge," a captivating biographical account of American expatriates Gerald and Sara Murphy. The book detailed the couple's glamorous life in 1920s France, where they served as muses and hosts to a "Lost Generation" of artists and writers, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso. This critically acclaimed work further solidified Tomkins's reputation as a masterful storyteller capable of capturing the intimate, human dynamics behind major cultural movements.
Published Book
Expanding upon a highly successful profile he wrote for The New Yorker, Calvin Tomkins published "Living Well Is the Best Revenge," a captivating biographical account of American expatriates Gerald and Sara Murphy. The book detailed the couple's glamorous life in 1920s France, where they served as muses and hosts to a "Lost Generation" of artists and writers, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso. This critically acclaimed work further solidified Tomkins's reputation as a masterful storyteller capable of capturing the intimate, human dynamics behind major cultural movements.
Donated Archives
Recognizing the immense historical value of his decades of research, Calvin Tomkins donated his extensive personal papers, correspondence, and interview transcripts to the Museum of Modern Art Archives. The collection included hundreds of audio cassettes and intimate letters from towering cultural figures such as Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This monumental donation ensured that future generations of art historians and scholars would have unprecedented access to the primary sources that shaped the 20th-century avant-garde movement.
Donated Archives
Recognizing the immense historical value of his decades of research, Calvin Tomkins donated his extensive personal papers, correspondence, and interview transcripts to the Museum of Modern Art Archives. The collection included hundreds of audio cassettes and intimate letters from towering cultural figures such as Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This monumental donation ensured that future generations of art historians and scholars would have unprecedented access to the primary sources that shaped the 20th-century avant-garde movement.
Calvin Tomkins passed away
