Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6

William Antonow
"Falling Squares" Abstract, Linear, Muted Colors, Acrylic

1980-1990s

About the Item

SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "Falling Squares" is a rich gouache painting by William Antonow. Though the colors are muted they blend in a harmony that contrasts slightly with the falling squares that bring a movement to the piece. One of the original Cass Corridor artists from the 1960s William Antonow studied at the School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies) and at Wayne State University, where he received his BFA (1967) and MA (1970.) Other well-known individuals who taught or studied at Wayne State University and are connected with the arts are Arthur Danto, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Susan Aaron-Taylor, Tyree Guyton, Hughie Lee-Smith, Philip Levine, Casey Kasem, Helen Thomas, Sergio DeGuisti, Stanley Rosenthal, and Robert Wilbert. Antonow’s first one-person show at the Willis Gallery in 1971, represented a radical departure from his early work – abstract bronzes shown at the Michigan Artists exhibitions at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1969 and 1970. A founding member of the Willis, Antonow publicized his exhibition with a cryptic invitation stating, “art isn’t anything.” Echoing the challenge implicit in the exhibition announcement, the works in the show consisted of precariously balanced piles of such non-art materials as wood crates and barrels, corrugated paper or cardboard, cellophane and beer cans. These brash, paint-slathered juxtapositions of salvaged objects were perhaps the first example of the nascent “tough art” aesthetic of the Cass Corridor. (Both Gordon Newton’s wood constructions and Bob Sestok’s crude “radio wheels” first appeared in 1972.) In 1975, in the inaugural group exhibition of the Willis at its new location in the Fisher Building, Antonow showed free-standing screens, constructed of wood, wire, and cardboard, painted in gestural, flowing patterns. Later that year, Antonow moved to New York. He has continued to develop his screen pieces which were exhibited together with a series of paintings combining gestural backgrounds with more defined geometric elements in a one-person show at the Showcase Gallery, Southfield in 1979. This piece has a Preservation Framing. Unframed the piece measures: 41" h x 29" w.
More From This SellerView All
  • Carl Holty Abstract Oil Painting "Riviera" in Primary Colors
    By Carl Robert Holty
    Located in Detroit, MI
    SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "Riviera" is an exquisite painting of American Modern - primary colors actively composed in energetic movement and structure on the painted surface. These colors formulate the painting, play both for and against each other and create a lively surface with hints of either an architectural structure or freeway. This painting hints to future Modernists such as Richard Diebenkorn "Driveway" and David Hockney "Garrowby." Unframed the piece measures 18 x 24. "Riviera" is signed on lower left. On verso is Provenance of over 70 years, 3 galleries in New York and one in Detroit, Michigan: Andrew Crispo Gallery, Sid Deutsch Gallery and Linda Hyman Gallery in New York and Collected Detroit Gallery in Detroit, Michigan. Abstractionist Carl Robert Holty was known for his biomorphic abstract forms as well as the geometric abstractions he painted with his vibrant color palette. Born in Frieburg, Germany his family immigrated to the United States settling in Wisconsin. In 1919, he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago, and shortly thereafter attended the Parsons School of Design. He spent a short time at the National Academy of Design and studied with Francis Coates Jones...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Oil, Canvas

  • "Don't Cry Long" Abstracted and Distorted Self-Portrait, One Crying Eye
    Located in Detroit, MI
    "Don't Cry Long" is a self-portrait of the artist and an unusual one at that in which the artist portrays herself shedding tears. Perhaps it is an expression of some grief experienced by Ms. Woodlock, but it also admonishes her to not "Cry Long" while at the same time poking fun because of her elongated face and the one lone "long" tear tracing a pattern down her face. In addition to self-portraits, Ethelyn painted commissioned portraits. In this painting her head is cocked and her famous bangs hang down her forehead. Compare two self-portraits, “Up From Under”, and “M’Eyes" to "Don't Cry Long." The major differences are the close facial view and the brilliant blood red paint that fills the entire canvas. This painting is included in the book, "Dreams Have Wings: An Artist's Journey into Magic and Mystery" printed in the United States, 1985. She describes "Don't Cry Long" as showing how funny looking we are, if we cry too long. Ethelyn Woodlock...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Oil, Masonite

  • Sam Gilliam Handmade Paper "Untitled #34" Acrylic. Signed & Dated
    By Sam Gilliam
    Located in Detroit, MI
    SALE ONE WEEK ONLY “Untitled #34” was created by Sam Gilliam, one of the great innovators in postwar American painting. It is dated and signed on the lower front. The thick handmade paper is rich with folds and texture and the colors lively. In addition to Acrylic paint on the surface there appears to be imbedded color in the handmade paper which has additional embossed accents. Unframed the piece measures 16 x 14. Provenance of Yaw Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan is on the verso along with the note that the Paper Surfaces in contact with this artwork are acid free. In the mid-1960s he emerged from the Washington D.C. scene with works that elaborated upon and disrupted the ethos of Color School painting. A series of formal breakthroughs would soon result in his canonical Drape paintings, which expanded upon the tenets of Abstract Expressionism in entirely new ways. One profound manner was the sculpture aspect of the painting giving it a free flowing expression of pure color. In the latter half of the 1950s, Washington D.C. saw a flourishing of abstract art that emphasized the form-making capabilities of pure color. Known as The Washington Color School, the loosely affiliated group of abstract painters knew each other through various teaching experiences. The moniker has an uncertain origin but likely originated with the title of a 1965 exhibition at the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, "Washington Color Painters," curated by Gerald Nordland. The show exhibited the works of Kenneth Noland, Paul Reed, Morris Louis, Howard Mehring, Thomas Downing, and Gene Davis. Additionally, Leon Berkowitz...
    Category

    1970s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic, Handmade Paper

  • "The Banicor" Mixed Media, African-American, Abstract, Free Floating, Colorful
    By Al Loving
    Located in Detroit, MI
    SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "The Banicor" is an exuberant lively piece full of intense color with a subtle coating of sparkles that catch the light in various ways and enhances the vibrant painted surface. It hangs free and explodes into lively movement against the wall. Al Loving...
    Category

    Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media

    Materials

    Lucite, Acrylic, Cardboard

  • "Geostructure VI" Abstract, Graphic, Colors, Geometric, Primary Shapes, Acrylic
    By Franklin Jonas
    Located in Detroit, MI
    SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "Geostructure VI" is an intensely colorful painting of the primary shapes of the circle, square, and triangle. Though the shapes are repetitive their mixed juxtapositions and the creative use of color moves the eye around the canvas with constant interest. This painting is an extraordinary example of Franklin Jonas...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Linen, Acrylic

  • "Geostructure X" Abstract, Colors, Geometric, Primary Shapes, Acrylic
    By Franklin Jonas
    Located in Detroit, MI
    SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "Geostructure X" is an intensely colorful painting of the primary shapes of the circle, square, and triangle. Though the shapes are repetitive their mixed juxtapositions and the creative use of color moves the eye around the canvas with constant interest. This painting is an extraordinary example of Franklin Jonas...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Linen, Acrylic

You May Also Like
  • The Circle - Original Abstract on Paper
    Located in Soquel, CA
    The Circle - Original Abstract on Paper Vibrant composition by California artist Charles "Dave" Francis (American, 1951-2018). Layers of yellow, green, blue and pink blend and overl...
    Category

    Early 2000s American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic, Watercolor, Laid Paper

  • Blue Emersion - Original Abstract Acrylic on Paper
    Located in Soquel, CA
    Blue Emersion - Original Abstract Acrylic on Paper Vibrant composition by California artist Charles "Dave" Francis (American, 1951-2018). Multicolored layers of green, purple and or...
    Category

    Early 2000s American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic, Laid Paper

  • Cosmos and Tree Original Abstracted Composition
    Located in Soquel, CA
    The Cosmos and Tree - Original Abstracted Composition by Dave Francis Unique and thought-provoking abstracted composition with cosmos and oak tree by California artist Charles "Dave...
    Category

    Late 20th Century American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic, Laid Paper, Paper

  • Coral Reef Original Abstracted Composition
    Located in Soquel, CA
    Original Abstracted Composition of Coral Reef by Dave Francis Unique and vivid abstracted composition of coral reef by California artist Charles "Dave" Francis (American, 1951-2018)...
    Category

    Late 20th Century American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Paper, Acrylic, Laid Paper

  • Shanty Town
    By Robert Noel Blair
    Located in Buffalo, NY
    You are viewing a modernist American acrylic painting depicting a charming but rundown seaside town at night. Robert Noel Blair (American, 1912-2003) was an American artist, paint...
    Category

    1950s American Modern Landscape Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic, Archival Paper

  • Persephone
    By Virginia Dehn
    Located in Fairlawn, OH
    Persephone Oil on canvas, 1952 Signed lower left (see photo) Titled reverse "Persephone" Signed "V. 52" Exhibited: Columbus Gallery of the Arts label "71/30 Bt. 2", see label Condition: two very small flakes of missing paint Canvas size: 20 1/8 x 16" Frame size: 20 7/8 x 16 3/4" Provenance: Estate of the artist Dehn Heirs An important painting by the artist. Virginia Dehn From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Virginia Dehn (1922-2005) Virginia Dehn (née Engleman) (October 26, 1922 – July 28, 2005) was an American painter and printmaker. Her work was known for its interpretation of natural themes in almost abstract forms. She exhibited in shows and galleries throughout the U.S. Her paintings are included in many public collections. Life Dehn was born in Nevada, Missouri on October 26, 1922.] Raised in Hamden, Connecticut, she studied at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri before moving to New York City. She met the artist Adolf Dehn while working at the Art Students League. They married in November 1947. The two artists worked side by side for many years, part of a group of artists who influenced the history of 20th century American art. Their Chelsea brownstone was a place where artists, writers, and intellectuals often gathered. Early career Virginia Dehn studied art at Stephens College in Missouri before continuing her art education at the Traphagen School of Design, and, later, the Art Students League, both located in New York City. In the mid-1940s while working at the Associated American Artists gallery, she met lithographer and watercolorist Adolf Dehn. Adolf was older than Virginia, and he already enjoyed a successful career as an artist. The two were married in 1947 in a private ceremony at Virginia's parents house in Wallingford, Connecticut. Virginia and Adolf Dehn The Dehns lived in a Chelsea brownstone on West 21st Street where they worked side by side. They often hosted gatherings of other influential artists and intellectuals of the 20th century. Among their closest friends were sculptor Federico Castellón and his wife Hilda; writer Sidney Alexander and his wife Frances; artists Sally and Milton Avery; Ferol and Bill Smith, also an artist; and Lily and Georges Schreiber, an artist and writer. Bob Steed and his wife Gittel, an anthropologist, were also good friends of the Dehns. According to friend Gretchen Marple Pracht, "Virginia was a glamorous and sophisticated hostess who welcomed visitors to their home and always invited a diverse crowd of guests..." Despite their active social life, the two were disciplined artists, working at their easels nearly daily and taking Saturdays to visit galleries and view new work. The Dehns made annual trips to France to work on lithographs at the Atelier Desjobert in Paris. Virginia used a bamboo pen to draw directly on the stone for her lithographs, which often depicted trees or still lifes. The Dehns' other travels included visits to Key West, Colorado, Mexico, and countries such as Greece, Haiti, Afghanistan, and India. Dehn's style of art differend greatly from that of her husband, though the two sometimes exhibited together. A friend of the couple remarked, "Adolf paints landscapes; Virginia paints inscapes." Virginia Dehn generally painted an interior vision based on her feelings for a subject, rather than a literal rendition of it.] Many of her paintings consist of several layers, with earlier layers showing through. She found inspiration in the Abstract Expressionism movement that dominated the New York and Paris art scenes in the 1950s. Some of her favorite artists included Adolf Gottileb, Rothko, William Baziotes, Pomodoro, and Antonio Tapies. Dehn most often worked with bold, vibrant colors in large formats. Her subjects were not literal, but intuitive. She learned new techniques of lithography from her husband Adolf, and did her own prints. Texture was very important to her in her work. Her art was influenced by a variety of sources. In the late 1960s she came across a book that included photographs of organic patterns of life as revealed under a microscope. These images inspired her to change the direction of some of her paintings. Other influences on Dehn's art came from ancient and traditional arts of various cultures throughout the world, including Persian miniatures, illuminated manuscripts, Dutch still life painting, Asian art, ancient Egyptian artifacts...
    Category

    1950s American Modern Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic

Recently Viewed

View All