Biography
Born in Springdale, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh, Fink was trained at the Pittsburgh School of Design and the Boston Museum of Art, after which he studied at the Art Students League. Following this, he worked as an illustrator for Scribner's Magazine and Harper's Magazine. He lived in Haworth, NJ during this period, where he also painted and did commercial advertisements. During World War I he completed several large canvases, commissioned as part of the War effort.In 1920 he came to Florida for the winter, having just completed a poster commission and a series of paintings for a volume of verse written by his nephew George E. Merrick. Merrick was to gain renown as the designer of the planned community of Coral Gables. Fink moved permanently to Florida in 1924 to serve as Merrick's artistic advisor. He was responsible for many of the design features of the community and completed a major mural for the Miami Courthouse. He painted a number of other Florida murals, and his work was exhibited nationwide. He became the head of the art department at the University of Miami, where he served for 25 years.
Critical Analysis
Fink, along with Merrick, is revered for the work he did in designing Coral Gables. His influence was felt from major elements, such as the Venetian Pool, to minor details, such as the footers for the city's streetlights. Looking at Fink's art today, one is struck by both his workmanship and the overall placidity of his compositions. His palette is rich in pastels, and his brushwork is careful and calm. The quiet beauty of his work was perhaps an ideal fit for the design of a planned Florida community, and these qualities remain evident in Coral Gables today.Murals
- Lake Wales, Florida - Post Office: Harvest Time - Lake Wales
- Miami, Florida - U.S. Post Office and Courthouse: Law Guides Florida Progress
References
- Denman Fink (Wikipedia).
- American Gallery, Denman Fink (1880 - 1956), American Gallery - 20th Century November 19 (2017).
- Denman Fink, Miami, Coral Gables (Artists of Old Florida).
- Honoring the Artist - Denman Fink (Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables).