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Arthur Hammer

Arthur Hammer (1932–2012) was a Jewish American figurative painter. Though never classically trained, Hammer began painting in his late twenties and developed a unique, expressive style influenced by German Expressionist painter Max Beckmann, portrait artist Alice Neel, and American modernist Marsden Hartley.

Early Life and Education

Hammer was born in 1932 to Sophia (née Alperin) and Harry Hammer, first-generation Russian Americans. Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he was described as an undisciplined student with a penchant for performance. Encouraged by a high school English teacher, he began acting and was elected president of his graduating class.

At age 18, Hammer moved to New York City to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1951. A 1951 evaluation described him as "mental, nervous, vital"—traits later reflected in his artistic career. From 1952 to 1954, he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, stationed in Korea as a Motor Sergeant. Upon his discharge, Hammer briefly enrolled at Antioch College, intending to study writing, but gravitated toward drama, performing with the Antioch Shakespeare Company.

Acting Career

Hammer appeared in small roles in soap operas, sitcoms including C.P.O. Sharkey, made-for-TV movies such as Rage of Angels, and commercials. His most notable stage role came in 1979 at the Winter Garden Theatre, where he played a supporting role in the Broadway production of Zoot Suit.^[1]

Visual Art Career

In 1960, Hammer’s wife gifted him his first set of paints and canvas. Though initially untrained, he began painting fervently. In 1963, after only a few years, he was offered a solo exhibition at the Gallery of Four Walls in NYC. A show flyer read:

"[The fact] that Art Hammer drives a cab in New York City almost fifty hours a week... makes it almost humanly impossible to follow his painting pursuits—but he does. And he does it beautifully..."

Throughout the 1960s, Hammer also created handmade industrial chess sets. One such set was featured in a show at the Museum of Modern Art and later included in F. Lanier Graham’s book Chess Sets (1968).^[2]

By the early 1980s, Hammer transitioned fully to visual art, leaving acting behind. He painted by day and supported himself by driving a cab and working as an art handler. In 1999, he opened a gallery on West 26th Street in Manhattan, representing both his own work and that of other artists, including WPA artist Leon Bibel.^[3]

Style and Legacy

Hammer’s portraits—his preferred subject—are characterized by vivid color, psychological depth, and a raw, expressive quality often likened to Neel’s. He was sometimes referred to as "the poor man's Alice Neel."^[4] Despite never receiving formal training, Hammer sold hundreds of paintings, particularly to a loyal base of patrons in the NYC art scene.

He lived for 40 years in Long Island City, Queens, in a historic brownstone formerly associated with the first Queensborough President.^[5] The building functioned as a salon space for art viewings and social gatherings.

Museum Acquisitions

Hammer’s work has been acquired by several institutions:

2019 – Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY: Self Portrait in Black Robe and Backyard at Night

2017 – Georgia Museum of Art: Domino Dark

2016 – Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, NYC: Jack and Harvey, Johnny in Gray, Andrew, Costa

2014 – American Visionary Art Museum: El Martillo, Louisa Conchetta, Johnny in an Antique Chair, Self-Portrait in Blue

2013 – Queens Museum: A View from the #7 Line and Domino Sugar Factory

2009 – Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA: Bash Bish Falls

Exhibitions

Selected solo and group exhibitions include:

1963 – Gallery of Four Walls, NYC

1967 – Chess Sets, Museum of Modern Art

1986–1989 – Marie Pellicone Gallery, NYC and Southampton

2002–2004 – Sheppard Art Gallery, MD; Carrie Haddad Gallery, NY

2006 – Arthur Hammer: A Restless Nature, Art-o-Mat, Long Island City, NY

2011 – Figures and Abstractions, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY

2012 – Legacy: Memorial Exhibit, LIC, Queens

2015 – The Big Hope Show, AVAM

Recognition

In 2008, Hammer received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation award.^[6]

Collections

Among Hammer’s notable collectors were musician Sting (Perplexity of a Monkey), X-Files producer R.W. Goodwin, and actress Sheila Larken. Numerous private patrons acquired multiple works, establishing personal collections.

Death

Hammer died in 2012 after a nearly 20-year battle with prostate cancer. He continued painting until his final days, sustaining himself solely through his art.

Personal Life

Known for his vibrant personality, Hammer was often described by friends as a “bon vivant” and “force of nature.” Though he never remarried after his separation in the 1960s, he had many lasting relationships. In his later years, he also pursued cabaret singing.