Maro Gorky was born in New York in 1943, elder daughter of the distinguished American painter of Armenian origin, Arshile Gorky. Her first lessons in painting took place with her father as a child. After her father's death, Maro Gorky's family moved to Europe and she went to schools in France, America, Spain, Italy and England.
Gorky took her Baccalauréat at the French Lycée in London in 1960 and then studied at the Slade School of Art in London, where she graduated with a B.A. in Fine Art in 1965. In 1967 she married the artist Matthew Spender and the following year they moved to Italy. They have lived in the Siennese countryside ever since. They have two daughters, born in the early seventies, and four grandchildren. Gorky began to exhibit her work in the early eighties and has held exhibitions in London, Milan, Venice, Florence, Volterra, Pietrasanta, Carrara and Los Angeles.
Exhibition history
1982
London, The Wraxall Gallery
1986
Passau, Die Galerie am Steinweg
1988
London, The Albemarle Gallery
1989
London, Sarah Long, Art International
1990
Long & Ryle, London
1991
Galleria Daverio, Milan
1992
Long & Ryle, London
1994
Long & Ryle, London
1997
Long & Ryle, London
1999
Carrara, ex Banca d’Italia,
2000
Venezia, Galleria Percorsi d’Arte 90
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
Pietrasanta, Chiesa di Sant’Agostino
Firenze, Accademia delle Arti del Disegno
2001
Volterra, Logge del Palazzo Pretorio
Carrara, Centro Espositivo delle Erbe
2002
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
2003
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
2004
Los Angeles, Silvia Bezdikian Fine Arts
2005
Massa, Castello Malaspina
2006
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
New York, Salander-O’Reilly Galleries
2008
Museo Civico Archeologico, Fiesole
2009
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
2012
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
2013
Spineto, Castello a Monte
2015
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
2023
London, Long & Ryle, Art International
Bibliography
1989
Raffaele De Grada, in “Corriere della Sera”, Milano 30 aprile 1989.
1991
Giorgio Soavi, La banda dei nove Etruschi, in Nove artisti contemporanei appartati in Etruria, catalogo della mostra, Galleria Daverio, Milano 1991.
1997
John Russell Taylor, in “The Times”, 28 Aprile, London 1997.
1999
Anna Vittoria Laghi, Presentazione in Impronte, catalogo della mostra, Carrara (ex Banca d’Italia), Carrara 1999.
2000
John Russell Taylor, in “The Times”, 10 maggio, London 2000.
Ada Masoero in “Il Sole 24”, Milano 30 luglio 2000.
Giuseppe Cordoni, La poetica del colore, in Maro Gorky, catalogo della mostra, Venezia (Galleria Percorsi d’arte), Associazione Proposta, Pontedera 2000.
Nicola Micieli, Una terra, una casa, due artisti in Maro Gorky Matthew Spender artisti in Toscana, catalogo della mostra, Firenze (Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno), edizioni Caleidoscopio, Firenze 2000- 2001.
2001
Patrizia Cavalli, Perché Maro dipinge ? Forse teme la noia. Cos’altro la costringe? in catalogo della mostra, Le forme della luce, Volterra (Logge del Palazzo Pretorio), edizioni Caleidoscopio, Firenze 2001.
Giandomenico Semeraro, Le forme della luce, catalogo della mostra, Volterra (Logge del Palazzo Pretorio), edizioni Caleidoscopio, Firenze 2001.
2004
Hunter Drohojowska-Philp, in “Los Angeles Times”, Los Angeles, 20 dicembre 2004.
Albert Boime, Maro Gorky from another place, catalogo della mostra, Silva Bezdikian Fine Art, Los Angeles 2004.
Matthew Spender, Essere e accadere in Maro Gorky from another place, catalogo della mostra, Silva Bezdikian Fine Art, Los Angeles 2004.
2005
Claudio Giumelli, Maro Gorky il fascino discreto del colore, catalogo della mostra, Massa (Castello Malaspina), edizioni Caleidoscopio, Firenze 2005 (2005),
2005 Mara Amorevole nella Repubblica di Firenze
2006
Bernardo Bertolucci, Per partecipare e onorare Maro Gorky... Nel catalogo della mostra al Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, New York. (2006).
Roberta Smith (2006), Maro Gorky Paintings, recensione alla mostra alla Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, in “New York Times”, 29 dicembre 2006.