Future_BrokenWoman

Ernst Hablen's 'Broken Woman'

Opening Moon'sDay at the Paramour is a retrospective
of Ernst Hablen's multi-dimensional work including many
of his 'Broken Woman' pieces.

Inspired by his tempestuous and often broken
relationship with Clarabelle Smith the Broken Woman
series occupied two decades of Ernst's life as an artist.

She had been the step-parent of his best friend and
den-mother of their cub-scout group, but it wasn't long
before she became his powerful muse. While the other
boys were learning to carve totems out of candles,
Ernst was cutting his fingers on something more potent.

After Junior High School the pair left Berlin and joined
an art-circus sponsored by the Buoyant Aspirin
Company. It was in New York that Ernst and Clarabelle
began to receive the recognition that follows them to
this day.

The relationship was too much for Ernst now in his
mid-thirties and he left Clarabelle and the New York art
world to become a member of the Air National Guard.
Basic training put him over the edge, however, and he
was able to live on disability payments after his abrupt
discharge for psychiatric disturbances. He lived for many
years in upstate New York usually in abandoned barns.

Eventually he rediscovered his artistic roots and began
to produce major works again. On his deathbed he is
said to have asked for Clarabelle to clean his
paintbrush. Clarabelle had predeceased him by several
hours in their townhouse in Manhattan. They are
survived by one daughter, Gretchen Stephani and their
money.