William N. Copley

(American, 1919–1996)

free samples by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Free Samples, 1981

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abelard and elouise by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Abelard and Elouise, 1969

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untitled by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Untitled, 1991

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untitled by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Untitled, 1990

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untitled by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Untitled, 1982

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untitled by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Untitled, 1991

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untitled by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Untitled, 1991

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untitled by william n. copley

William N. Copley

Untitled, 1983

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Biography

Timeline

1919
Born: New York, NY
1932 - 1936
Studied at the Phillips Academy in Andover, MA
1936 - 1938
Studied at Yale University, CT
1942 - 1946
Military service in Africa and Italy
1947 - 1948
Directed Copley Galleries in Beverly Hills, CA (with John Ployardt). Exhibit: Magritte, Matta, Joseph Cornell, Man Ray, Tanguy, Max Ernst
1947
Opened his own gallery in Los Angeles
1948
Founded Copley Galleries with John Ployardt Beverly Hills, CA
1951
Went to Paris with Man Ray and stayed to live
1961
Returned to New York City
1992
Moved to Key West, FL

Exhibitions

2017
William N.Copley Selected Exhibitions in 2017:
William N. Copley: Women, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY (solo exhibition)
2016
William N.Copley Selected Exhibitions in 2016:
William N. Copley: The World According to CPLY, The Menil Collection, Houston, TX; Fondazione Prada, Milan, Italy (solo exhibition)
William Copley, Elma Talbot, Ina van Zyl, Galerie Onrust, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2015
William N.Copley Selected Exhibitions in 2015:
Drawings (1962 – 1973), Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY (solo exhibition)
William N. Copley: Paintings from 1960 – 1994, Showroom by Paul van Esch & Partners Art Advisory, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (solo exhibition)
The Shadow is Taken, Algus Greenspon, New York, NY
Viewer Discretion: Children of Bataille, Stux & Haller, New York, NY
L’Impasse Ronsin, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY
The Violent Crab, David Roberts Art Foundation, London, England
2014
William N.Copley Selected Exhibitions in 2014:
William Copley: Paintings and Mirrors, Michael Fuchs Galerie, Berlin, Germany (solo exhibition)
Alexander the Great: The Iolas Gallery 1955 – 1987, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY
Live and Let Die, Modern Art, London, United Kingdom
Purple States, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, NY
Pop Abstraction, Fredericks and Fraser Gallery and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, NY
2013
William N.Copley Selected Exhibitions in 2013:
Finally We Laugh, Galerie Linn Luhn, Düsseldorf, Germany (solo exhibition)
Confiserie CPLY, Paul Kasmin Gallery and Venus Over Manhattan, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland (solo exhibition)
William Copley & Big Fat Black Cock, Inc. Gang Bust, Venus Over Manhattan, New York, NY (solo exhibition)
Re-view, Hauser & Wirth, London, United Kingdom
Gang Bust: William Copley & Big Fat Black Cock Inc., Venus Over Manhattan, New York, NY
Masculin/Feminine, Michael Fuchs Galerie, Berlin, Germany
2012
Copley, Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden, Germany (solo)
Works 1948 - 1983, Galerie von Braunbehrens, Munich, Germany (solo)
See Yourself As Lovers See You, Galerie Klaus Gerrit Friese, Stuttgart, Germany (solo)
X-RATED, Sadie Coles HQ, London (solo)
2011
WILLIAM N. COPLEY und ANDREAS SLOMINSKI – X-RATED, Me, Collectors Room, Berlin

Public Collections

Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aaru, Switzwerland
Tate Museum, London, United Kingdom
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Staedel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
Sammlung Goetz, Munich, Germany
Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg, Germany
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Oberlin College Art Museum, Oberlin, OH
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Logan, UT