Hans Gustav Burkhardt

Hans Burkhardt immigrated to the United States in 1924, settling in New York. He enrolled in night classes at the Cooper Union, then enrolled full time at the Grand Central School of Art where he met abstract painter Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), who had adopted cubist forms in his work. Gorky became a lifelong friend and mentor; Burkhardt worked in Gorky’s studio for several years, occasionally collaborating with him. In the late 1930s Burkhardt moved to Los Angeles in hopes of getting involved with the movie industry. He met artist Lorser Feitelson (1898-1978), who arranged for his first show at Stendahl Galleries in 1939. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he held teaching positions at USC and UCLA.