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Julian Stanczak
JULIAN STANCZAK Sequential Chroma #4 1980 OP ART Painting Red Blue Violet Purple

1980

About the Item

Signed, dated and titled on verso Original frame by the artist Provenance: Private Collection, Cleveland, Ohio; Acquired directly from the artist in 1980. Julian Stanczak's Sequential Chroma #4 (1980) is a striking example of Op Art—a movement known for its optical illusions and visual dynamism. Measuring 44 x 38 inches and rendered in acrylic on canvas, the work exemplifies Stanczak’s mastery of color relationships and geometric precision. The composition is meticulously constructed with a grid of squares that radiate an intricate interplay of hues, creating a mesmerizing visual effect. The painting’s title, Sequential Chroma #4, highlights Stanczak’s deliberate approach to exploring the sequential interaction of colors. The chromatic shifts within the grid seem to pulse, oscillate, and vibrate as the viewer’s gaze moves across the surface. This dynamic is not merely visual but psychological, as Stanczak’s careful modulation of tones creates a sense of depth and movement that defies the painting’s two-dimensional plane. The grid structure offers a sense of order, yet the gradation of color imbues the work with vitality and rhythmic energy. What makes this painting particularly compelling is its ability to engage viewers in an active experience. The eye is drawn into the grid’s center, where colors appear to intensify, then pulled outward as the edges subtly fade into cooler, darker tones. This shifting focus mirrors Stanczak’s lifelong interest in perception and the ways in which color and form interact to shape human experience. Stanczak, a Polish-born artist who survived significant hardships during World War II, brought a deeply personal understanding of resilience and transformation to his work. His fascination with color and its emotive potential can be seen as a metaphor for renewal and hope—a theme that resonates within Sequential Chroma #4. The painting invites contemplation, not just of its formal elements, but of the profound effects that color and pattern can have on the mind and spirit. Ultimately, Sequential Chroma #4 is a testament to Julian Stanczak’s innovative contributions to Op Art and his unique ability to craft compositions that are both technically precise and deeply moving. It is a work that bridges the gap between science and art, logic and emotion, offering a dynamic and transformative visual experience. ARTIST BIO Julian Stanczak was born in Borownica, Poland in 1928. At the beginning of World War II, Stanczak was forced into a Siberian labor camp, where he permanently lost the use of his right arm. He had been right-handed. In 1942, aged thirteen, Stanczak escaped from Siberia to join the Anders' Army in Persia. After deserting from the army, he spent his teenage years in a hut in a Polish refugee camp in Uganda. In Africa, Stanczak learned to write and paint left-handed. He then spent some years in London, before moving to the United States in 1950. He settled in Cleveland, Ohio. He became a United States citizen in 1957, taught at the Art Academy of Cincinnati for 7 years. In 2007, Stanczak was interviewed by Brian Sherwin for Myartspace. During the interview, Stanczak recalled his experiences with war and the loss of his right arm and how both influenced his art. Stanczak explained, "The transition from using my left hand as my right, main hand, was very difficult. My youthful experiences with the atrocities of the Second World War are with me,- but I wanted to forget them and live a "normal" life and adapt into society more fully. In the search for Art, you have to separate what is emotional and what is logical. I did not want to be bombarded daily by the past,- I looked for anonymity of actions through non-referential, abstract art." Wikipedia
  • Creator:
    Julian Stanczak (1928, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1980
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 44 in (111.76 cm)Width: 38 in (96.52 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Rancho Santa Fe, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU516312557972

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A wonderful, museum caliber painting by Craig Kauffman. Initialed "CK" and dated "82" in the lower right corner. PROVENANCE: Asher Faure Gallery Luther Vandross Luther Vandross Estate Private Collection, New York Private Collection, San Diego, CA EXHIBITED: Asher Faure Gallery, Los Angeles, California, CRAIG KAUFFMAN: NEW PAINTINGS April 23 through May 21,1983 CATALOGUE: Craig Kauffman Estate Archive Number CR No: P.1982.2 The following is from The New York Times, May 15, 2010, By Douglas Martin Craig Kauffman, who in the 1960s helped put Los Angeles on the art map with audacious experiments in molding industrial plastic to create ethereal wall-mounted sculptures — some resembling giant pieces of jelly candy — died Sunday in Angeles City in the Philippines. He was 78. The cause was complications of pneumonia following a recent stroke, said Frank Lloyd, his friend and dealer. Mr. Kauffman was eminent in an eclectic group of artists who reveled in the light, space and energy of postwar Southern California to forge new Minimalist, often glossy artistic approaches. Richard Armstrong, director of the Guggenheim Museum said that these Californians, sometimes called the Cool School — along with Chicago Imagists and Washington, D.C., painters called the Color School — were counterpoints to the Abstract Expressionists who ruled New York. "California was never ashamed of being a new society," Mr. Armstrong said in an interview on Thursday, "it all fit together nicely." Los Angeles was then ascending to the status of a metropolis, with a growing number of major-league sports teams, fresh industries and a surging population. There were new quarters for public galleries and the burgeoning of commercial ones. 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