Alfred L. Copley

Alfred Lewin Copley (1910 – 1992) was a German-American medical scientist [Magda Salvesen and Diane Cousineaup, "Artists' Estates: Reputations in Trust", Rutgers University Press, 2005, 356. ISBN 0813536049] and an artist at the New York School [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_n2_v82/ai_15079860 "Art in America", February, 1994.] ] in the 1950s. As an artist he worked under the name L. Alcopley. He is best known as an artist for his abstract expressionist paintings, and as a scientist for his work in the field of hemorheology. He was married to the Icelandic artist Nína Tryggvadóttir.

Work as a medical scientist

As a scientist, Copley studied the rheology of blood. In 1948 he introduced the word biorheology to describe rheology in biological systems.E. A. O'Rear "et al" (2004) "Rheology Bulletin" Vol. 73, No. 2 "International Society of Biorheology"] In 1952 he introduced the word hemorheology, to describe the study of the way blood and blood vessels function as part of the living organism. [J. F. Stoltz, Megha Singh, Pavel Riha, "Hemorheology in Practice", IOS Press, 1999, p2. ISBN 9051994354] In 1966 he established the International Society of Hemorheology, which changed its name and scope in 1969 to the International Society of Biorheology (ISB). In 1972 the ISB awarded him its Poiseuille gold medal. [ [http://www.coe.ou.edu/isb/awardees/1972.htm coe.ou.edu] , accessed September 23, 2007.]

Work as an artist

In 1949 he was one of twenty artists who founded the Eighth Street Artists' Club. The group also included Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning and Alcopley's close friend, the composer Edgard Varèse. [Steven Johnson, "The New York Schools of Music and Visual Arts", Routledge, 2002, p60. ISBN 0815333641]

He participated in the Ninth Street Show in 1952 and had a solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam in 1962. [ [http://www.artnet.com/artist/578390/alcopley.html artnet.com] , accessed September 22, 2007.] His work is held in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. [ [http://www.artfacts.net/index.php/pageType/instInfo/inst/2477 artfacts.net] , accessed September 22, 2007.]

References

Books

* Alfred L Copley; Alex Silberberg, [http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/oclc/27068332&referer=brief_results "One man--two visions: L. Alcopley--A.L. Copley, artist and scientist : a retrospective, on the occasion of an eightieth birthday,"] (Oxford ; New York : Pergamon Press, 1993.) ISBN 008040832X : 9780080408323
* Marika Herskovic, [http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/oclc/50666793&tab=holdings "New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists,"] (New York School Press, 2000.) ISBN 0-9677994-0-6
*Müller-Yao, Marguerite Hui: "Der Einfluß der Kunst der chinesischen Kalligraphie auf die westliche informelle Malerei", Diss. Bonn, Köln 1985. ISBN 3-88375-051-4
*Müller-Yao, Marguerite: "Informelle Malerei und chinesische Kalligrafie", in: "Informel, Begegnung und Wandel", (hrsg von Heinz Althöfer, Schriftenreihe des Museums am Ostwall; Bd. 2), Dortmund 2002, ISBN 3-611-01062-6
*Rolf Wedewer: "Die Malerei des Informel. Weltverlust und Ich-Behauptung", Deutscher Kunstverlag, München, 2007. ISBN 3422065601