1960, right between these two events, Tobey moved to Basle. Is it likely that the great recognition his works earned in Europe contributed to his decision to settle there? And was he disappointed at the way his work was received in the USA?
We traveled to Paris together in 1961 to open his retrospective in the Louvre. Tobey had always been in contact with Europe, simply because he was valued more as an artist here. Especially as Arnold Rüdlinger presented his work for the first time in the 1955 show, Tendances actuelles III, at the Kunsthalle Bern, and several European art historians and curators became increasingly aware of his work. After all, New York had largely ignored Tobey, and he had only spent a little time there.
You had a close, trusting business relationship. Would you also say that you were friends beyond that?
We had a very friendly relationship. By the way, I did not attempt to become his sole representative, but encouraged him to continue his relationship with his original gallery, Willard Gallery, in New York.
How did Tobey feel about Seattle during his time in Basle?
From time to time, Tobey returned to his studio in Seattle, and he maintained his friendships there.
Mark Tobey was a devout member of the Baha’i religious society. Taking this into consideration, is it possible that Basle’s remarkably humanist tradition was important to him?
Basle’s humanist tradition was very important to him, and he quickly made connections to Baha’i circles in Switzerland.
What was a typical day for Tobey like in Basle?
He led a reserved life, as he always did everywhere, but he did enjoy having several friends — doctors and musicians — around. Especially during his last years he often gave away small, spur-of-the-moment works, which, unfortunately, were later circulated.
Do you remember the people who visited him?
Ben Nicholson, Julius Bissier, John Cage, Sam Francis, and others often visited him.
Do you recall any conversations you and Tobey had about painting?
Tobey often came to the gallery. We talked a great deal about painting, about works in shows or museums in Basle that seemed important to him. He allowed himself to be inspired by other works, valued Picasso, and laughed a lot about his spontaneous, fresh ideas.
Two wonderful paintings by Tobey are part of the Fondation Beyeler collection in Riehen: White Journey (1956), which you’ve already mentioned, and the late, large-format canvas, Oncoming White (1972), which the painter completed at the