Rubin, William Stanley

▪ 2007

      American curator (b. Aug. 11, 1927, Brooklyn, N.Y.—d. Jan. 22, 2006, Pound Ridge, N.Y.), served as director (1973–88) of the painting and sculpture department at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, where he was instrumental in expanding its collection and in shaping its identity and direction. Rubin's most notable accomplishments included acquiring MoMA's vast collection of Abstract Expressionist art and organizing numerous important exhibits, which featured works by Pablo Picasso and Paul Cézanne. Rubin was a skilled acquisitor and was successful in securing valuable donations, including a Picasso metal sculpture (Guitar) from the artist himself. In 1984 Rubin mounted the exhibition “Primitivism in 20th Century Art: Affinity of the Tribal and the Modern,” which sparked months of controversy among critics about Rubin's having juxtaposed African and Oceanic artworks with Western masterpieces.

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