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-1- James Brooks is a quiet, thoughtful, questing man who depends, for his work, on [[strikethrough]]his[[/strikethrough]] inner strength and commitment. He entered the U.S. Army in 1942 at the age of thirty-six and found himself a civilian again in 1946 after two and one-half years in the Near East and a final six months in Washington. That constituted a major break in his painting career, even though he was doing art work in the Army. But the sketches of Army life and operations were far removed from the large murals [[strikethrough]]which in the late 30's had established his substantial reputation.[[/strikethrough]] that established a substantial reputation for him by the late 1930's. Now, on separation from the service, he had the opportunity to pick up his work in his established field or to reassess his interests and redirect his energies. His work as a muralist had drawn on [[strikethrough]]his[[/strikethrough]] earlier studio work, [[strikethrough]]his[[/strikethrough]] teaching, and [[strikethrough]]his[[/strikethrough]] lettering. He could again use the same background to do more innovative work, although his ability at murals gave him great assurance. At this period in New York City he fortunately was able to resume his contacts with working artists he had known previously. [[symbol- 1, circled]] Many of [[strikethrough]]whom[[/strikethrough]] these were now in the forefront of the avant-garde group.[[symbol- 1, circled]] [[strikethrough]]Jackson Pollack's brother, Charles, [[above]]SANFORD[[/above]] had been one of the artists working for Brooks on the LaGuardia Airport mural, "Flight".[[/strikethrough]] In the Spring of 1942 when Brooks was going into the Army, Marcel Duchamp [[strikethrough]]had been organizing[[/strikethrough]] organized a group show for Peggy Guggenheim's "Art of this Century Gallery". Jackson Pollock [[strikethrough]]had been[[/strikethrough]] was invited to be in the show and Duchamp wanted to see Brooks' work, but he had already packed up to enter the service. Pollock had his first one-man exhibition in November of 1943, Motherwell in 1944, Rothko in 1945, and Still in 1946. Among the other artists who were able to [[strikethrough]]progress with their work[[/strikethrough]] continue working and exhibiting during that time were Gorky, Guston, Baziotes, de Kooning, and Kline. [[symbol- 2, circled]] [[strikethrough]]These war years of artistic productivity for so many had set back Brooks' painting, and also required a period of[[/strikethrough]] [[strikethrough]]Brook's absence from New York during these [[strikethrough]]war[[/strikethrough]] imperative, crucial years [[strikethrough]]so of[[/strikethrough]] in the development of the American abstract painting [[strikethrough]]was ruined[[/strikethrough]] [[strikethrough]]in caused[[/strikethrough]] caused a gap in [[strikethrough]]his [[/strikethrough]] the development of Brooks work that was largely over come by 1949. [[strikethrough]]because[[/strikethrough]] His absence from the 'scene' during those years and [[strikethrough]] has proved far more difficult to bridge. never the less has had a continuing effect on appears to have had a continuing effect on his public the public [[/strikethrough]] Brook's [[strikethrough]] public [[/strikethrough]] reputation.
