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Merton Simpson
"Untitled Abstract" Oil on Board, Abstract Expressionist, Signed by the Artist
1983

About the Item

SALE ONE WEEK ONLY The energy and gusto of the applied paint in "Untitled Abstract" appears close to violent except for the calming influence of the circle in the middle. The red circle tempers the movement a little and brings all the strokes and wild directions into a harmony that is bursting with life. This is an extraordinarily expressive painting by Simpson. Simpson became the first African American to receive a prestigious five-year fellowship from the Charleston Scientific and Cultural Education fund and left South Carolina in 1949 for New York City after he finished high school. He attended New York University and Cooper Union while working in the frame shop of Herbert Benevy. Many well-known artists came to the frame shop and in time critiqued Simpson's work and developed a relationship with him. At NYU Simpson became acquainted with Hale Woodruff, William Baziotes and Robert Motherwell. Merton Simpson also came in close contact with Franz Kline, Max Weber and Willem de Kooning at the frame shop which he credited for giving him his real education. After four years in the service, Simpson went back to NYU to resume his work. In 1951 his work appeared in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and in 1954 his work was displayed in the Younger American Painters exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum. As his reputation grew his artwork made exhibitions at a number of galleries in New York City and even Washington, DC. By 1955 Simpson had a one-person exhibition at the Bertha Schaeffer Gallery. As Simpson became more established in New York he also became interested in the School of Paris and established a residence in the capitol. The new environment had a clear and direct impact on his painting style which had been greatly shaped by the brush painters of the New York School. Simpson divided his time between Paris and New York where he set up his own gallery in the 1950s. The Merton D. Simpson Gallery of Modern and Tribal Arts is famous for its exceptional collection of Tribal arts, and for artworks by his contemporaries Romare Bearden, Beauford Delaney, Norman Lewis, Charles Alston and John Biggers, among others. Simpson was a member of the Spiral Group which was formed by fellow artists and colleagues Romare Bearden, Al Hollingsworth, and Hale Woodruff. The purpose of Spiral was to gather African-American artists to discuss political and social issues. The group was formed in part as a response to A. Philip Randolph’s call for a "new visual order" that would be created in part by artists' contribution to the Black Freedom struggle. Members of the group worked together in obtaining buses to travel to the March on Washington in 1963. The focus of the group shifted from a more explicitly political trend to one that was more aesthetic and artistic. Bearden introduced Spiral members to collage work and the black and white artwork the group created reflected the political turmoil of the time. Unframed the piece is 24" h x 18" w.

Creator:

Merton Simpson

Creation Year:

1983

Dimensions:

Height: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Width: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)

Medium:

Oil,Board

Movement & Style:

Abstract Expressionist

Period:

1980-1989