Donald Keefe

UNTITLED CONSTRUCT 6 - Framed Abstract Painting in Blue, Yellow, White & Green

2018

"I don’t do enough red paintings. I like red, but somehow it doesn’t end up in my work all that often, or it ends up pretty muted and earthy by the end. When I was lighting the sculpture upon which this painting is based, I knew I wanted to do something with the red lights I had. As with previous work, this painting explores entanglement as both a compositional structure and as an artistic idea. The representational part of the painting is pushed as close to a photographic rendering as I could at the time. Meanwhile, I’ve contrasted that with flat graphic elements. I also wanted to do something interesting with the cast shadow of the form: whereas in some previous works in the series the main form either had a traditional cast shadow grounding the it to the illusion of a ground plane, or no cast shadow which left it floating within the shallow depth of the image, in Untitled Construct 5 I wanted to do something more specific with the cast shadow. The idea came to me to invert it to be pure white. Technically this was a bit of a challenge because the whitest oil paints take months to dry – so this work had quite a bit of ‘sit and wait time’ between layers. Personally, I enjoy the composition of this painting because the red attracts the eye towards the bottom left of the painting, but the contrasting movements in black, gray and white pull the eye up and over...

I have sketchbooks filled with small thumbnail drawings which I usually base compositional arrangements upon. These are non-representational: just lines, arcs, mass tones, etc – basically just playing with formal elements. I had an idea to recreate these doodles as small sculptures. I liked the results, and wanted to have it feed back into my painting work as an intermediate step. That idea grew and I began lighting the sculptures with colored lights...

This painting is inspired by a non-representational compositional sketch that I turned into a sculpture and then an oil painting. Whereas previous works were treating the sculptural form strictly as a still life, in Untitled Construct 2 I wanted to bring the work back to its abstract origins. I lit the sculpture with colored lights...

Douglas Degges (b. Shreveport, LA) is an artist and educator currently based in Mansfield Center, CT where he is an Assistant Professor of Art in Painting and Drawing at the Universi...

This vibrant 1970s abstract acrylic painting titled Yellow Sun is a stunning example of Beatrice Mandelman’s mastery in Mid-Century Modern art. Featuring a dynamic interplay of yellow, blue, white, and black hues, this piece captures the artist’s signature geometric abstraction style. Signed by Mandelman in the lower right corner, the painting is acrylic on canvas and presented in a custom blonde wood frame, with outer dimensions of 33 ½ x 25 ½ x 2 inches. The image size measures 32 x 24 inches. This colorful artwork encapsulates Mandelman’s unique vision and artistic legacy, making it a perfect addition to any collection of 20th-century American modern art. About Beatrice Mandelman: Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998) was an influential 20th-century artist whose work bridged the worlds of abstract expressionism and geometric abstraction. Originally from New York, she studied at the Art Students League before establishing herself in the vibrant New York art scene. In 1944, she and her husband, painter Louis Ribak, relocated to New Mexico, where they founded the Taos Valley Art School and were instrumental in forming the Taos Art Association. Mandelman’s paintings are known for their bold use of color and geometric shapes, with influences ranging from stained-glass windows and Native American art to the avant-garde movements of Paris and New York. Her work reflects her deep engagement with modernism, as well as her connection to the rich cultural environment of Taos. Her abstract works, like Yellow Sun, continue to resonate with collectors and art enthusiasts, highlighting her as one of the leading figures in 20th-century American modern art. ©David Cook Galleries...

Geometric and gestural abstract painting on canvas in tones of blue and yellow The Illusion of Separation #8, by Jeanette Fintz in 2017 24 x 24 inches acrylic on wood panel Signed ve...

The large abstract painting "TURQUOISE TWO STEP" by Jeffrey Kurland, with acrylic paint on canvas measuring 51" high by 84" wide, is new work from the summer of 2019. Often employing...

A fountain of colour in lemon yellow, mauve, lime green and turquoise draws the viewer’s eye to this intriguing work by Aron Hill. The Calgary artist is playing with space, form and ...