1980s Abstract Sculptures

This enamel on aluminum in plexi box by Jay Phillips is a structural contemporary work. Phillips cut and folded his materials to form overlaps and projections. His use of bright colors reflected his early Southern California...

Angelo Canevari's "Mirabile Composto" is a 106.3 x 106.3-inch leather and stone abstract sculpture composed of 12 elements. This piece is part of a limited number of works where Canevari engaged in a different medium than bronze. The title "Mirabile Composto" comes from a 17th-century quote describing the work of the famous Baroque Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It refers to Bernini's fusion of architecture, sculpture, and painting. In this work, Canevari skillfully plays with different shades of leather and a river pebble to blur the distinction between painting, sculpture, or architectural pieces. The piece projects a magnetic presence. It reminds the immensity and peacefulness of the golden sand mounds in the Sahara desert when viewed from an aerial view. Angelo Canevari is an Italian sculptor from a long lineage of artists active in Rome since the 17th century. He has been commissioned several works by the Vatican, including the Bronze Doors of the Cathedral of Belluno and the Vatican Coins.

oil and wax on canvas Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After high school she attended ...

Toshiko Takaezu Large Closed Form (INV# NP5031) 10.75 x 8.5 x 8.5" 1980 signed by artist Toshiko Takaezu (June 17, 1922 – March 9, 2011) was an American ceramic artist and painter. ...

Duality manifests in her work as she juxtaposes rough, jagged edges with smooth, polished surfaces, as well as with the physical structure of the work, has each of the pieces typical...

Marvin Lipofsky 1938 - 2016 Lipofsky approached glass as an organic, sculptural medium; resulting in his signature amorphic forms. Many of his works are colorful “bubbles” of glass....

Magdalena Suarez-Frimkess Lidded Venice Beach Motif Jar (INV# NP3997) stoneware, underglaze and glaze 6.5 x 5" 1981 signed by artist provenance - The Nevica Project Magdalena Suarez...

Steel sculpture inspired from nautical and astronomical influences.

Wooden sculpture. Clark Murray is best known for large public sculptures made from pipe.

Maqueta Armonía de Volúmenes y Espacios -La Hoyada- BMPC-002, 1980(1982) Edition /25 Bronze 48 x 37 x 26 cm 18.8 x 14.5 x 10.2 in. ABOUT THE ARTIST Narváez was born in Porlamar, Venezuela, in 1905; he was the fifth son of eleven siblings; his parents were Jose Lorenzo Narváez and Vicenta Rivera. Don José Lorenzo, a multifaceted and creative man, sowed the seed of creativity in his son. “My father did not fit in with his fantasies of cabinetmaker, bricklayer, master builder, and self-taught architect.”1 From an early age, Francis was led to the artistic activity, he traced, carved, made replicas of the furniture and the saints restored by his father. In 1920 he obtained his first professional assignment, a San Rafael for the Church of Carupano, and, in 1922, his father authorized him to travel to Caracas to pursue his studies as an artist. He studied at the atelier of Marcos Castillo, at of the Angel Cabre y Magriña and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Caracas, where he was introduced to the painters and intellectuals of the time. In 1928 he presented his first solo exhibition at the Club Venezuela. With the money raised from the sale of the works and the support of Monsignor Sosa, and the Ministers Centeno Grau and Arcaya, he studied in Paris on a scholarship. Once there, he enrolled at the Académie Julian, where Tito Salas, Cristóbal Rojas and Arturo Michelena had also studied. It was in Paris where, unable to work in wood, he turned to stone carving. “In Paris, I didn’t have wood, so I carved a lot in stone (…), when there were demolitions I purchased chunks of stone, I would take them to the workshop and carve them.”2 His first attempts at volumetric sculptures and painting in plain colours, linked to the thematic of American miscegenation and Creole reality, can be traced back to that first trip to Paris. During his stay in the French city, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Alfredo Boulton, and Finita Vallenilla supported the artist both financially and logistically, and in February of 1930, the trio of friends arranged another exhibition for him at the Club Venezuela. Narváez describes his exhibition as follows: “(…) in it I feel that the sculptural work is more my own, done with more assurance, a response to my pursuit of large planes, stylisation and synthesis.”3 By then, as Boulton himself noted in his book about the artist, Narvaez departed from most of the artistic traditions that prevailed by that time in Venezuela. In 1931 he returned to Caracas and established his atelier at the Barrio Obrero in Catia. The atelier became the hub of the intellectual life of the time. “In those years, the atelier of Francisco Narváez was the hub of the greatest Venezuelan hope. Nothing comparable to it can be found either before or since.”4 From that year onwards, exhibitions, projects, trips, and awards we multiplied. He was awarded the President of the Republic of Venezuela Prize, the National Sculpture Prize of the 1st Official Venezuelan Art Salon, and the John Boulton Prize of the 3rd Annual Venezuelan Art Salon; for the Military Academy, he produced a spectacular relief entitled La Patria. In 1945, commissioned by the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva, he produced two groups of sculptures known as Las Toninas, both located in the O’Leary Square. There, as he himself states, he incorporates some baroque patterns into the figures to the source itself: “It is a work of balance between the decorative requirements and the sculpture of planes and angles.”5 In 1948 he was awarded the National Painting Prize. In the same year, he was called upon by the architect Carlos Raul Villanueva to participate in the project for the arts integration in the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Francisco Narváez’s public output continued with works such as the statue of Fermín Toro, La Educación, La Ciencia, three murals (produced by María Luisa Tovar) for the Instituto de Medicina Experimental, El Cristo; el Atleta, the equestrian statue of General Rafael Urdaneta. In 1953 he was appointed Director of the School of Plastic and Applied Arts, and in July of the same year, he exhibited “Francisco Narváez, Maderas, Piedras y Bronces” (Francisco Narváez, Woods, Stones and Bronzes) at the Museum of Fine Arts. Narváez is, unquestionably, one of the great Venezuelan sculptors, his work goes through various stages and interests; as the art world evolves, the artist does not remain in his initial scopes of work. His creations are not imposed by the prevailing trends or fashion but do evolve by experimenting with new materials and interests. When one peruses the artist’s lengthy list of exhibitions, commissions, and awards, it is worth remembering the Narvaez who embark on his career as a child and who, overcoming obstacles, knew how to make the most of his curiosity. He did not settle for living off his successes. He did not remain stagnant as many creators of his environment did. Narvaez managed to understand the changes in the history of art around him. We must not overlook the fact that Francisco Narvaez is an artist amid all the changes occurring in the art world. He moves from the classics to the great transformations in the art world. It is the Europe of Picasso, Braque, Arp. He observes, he is aware of what is happening in the centres of the world of art, but between his craft and his sensitivity, the result is NARVAEZ, his stamp, and his identity. Francisco Narváez comes from tradition, and his first stage is linked to the classics, to the exploration of his heritage, but always with his very own language. Throughout his prolific career, he knew how to remain true to himself, without disregarding the influences of his surroundings or his artistic interests: his ability as a sculptor, his selection of materials, whether they were wood, stone or bronze; his choice of the subject of his work…His mastery and great craftsmanship are a constant that over time have made him a leading player in the history of contemporary Venezuelan and world art. From his beginnings, no subject was foreign to him. His paintings, drawings, aquarelles, and sketches are testimony to his prolific output. Among his themes are portraits, our traditions, still lifes, and landscapes. Narváez is an artist who represents his time. Later, he evolved towards purer and simpler forms, abandoning figurative art for short periods. In 1956 he declared to the newspaper El Nacional: “Every day I am freeing myself, it is a soul that frees itself from the ephemeral wrappings of the circumstantial always, as well as from the inevitable weight of the anecdote. This second stage of my work is remarkably close to abstractionism, even if there are still certain figures or figurations in the sculptures that I will shortly be showing. However, pure, and absolute abstractionism, it will treat the form itself as the sole reason for its existence on the plane of artistic excellence.”6 The artistic development was his professional life. Each period of his life as an artist, he went one step further, searching, solving, seeing plenty of things and understanding how diverse expressions were transforming themselves. His hands followed his gaze and his mind, always inquisitive. He added movement to the volumes. Arturo Uslar Pietri, “Formas Nuevas”, Cromotip editions, 1956 “Francisco Narváez is a path: the path that Venezuelan sculpture...

Accumulation of Violins Arman, French (1928–2005) Date: 1989 Bronze, signature and number inscribed Edition of 37/99 Size: 13.25 x 6.5 x 6.5 in. (33.66 x 16.51 x 16.51 cm)

This stunning brutalist wall sculpture, entitled "Saturn Rings" was realized by the esteemed multidisciplinary artist and furniture maker Silas Seandel in the United States Circa 198...

"Offshoot" is a horizontal pedestal sculpture by renowned Australian artist Clement Meadmore. It is an elegantly simple form with a beautiful dark brown patina. "Offshoot" balances o...

Edgar Negret El Sol Rojo, 1985 Painted Aluminum 250 x 244 x 80 cm 98.4 x 96.1 x 31.5 in. Carlos Jiménez Moreno, Negret Escultor: Homenaje. Villegas Edito...

Beverly Pepper Untitled, 1982-1983 steel and iron 33h x 27.50w x 10d in

Artist: Garth Evans (British, b. 1934) Title: "The Duck (N.6., No. 3)" Year: 1982 Medium: Painted plywood wall-hanging sculpture Signed and titled Dimensions: 24" x 12" x 7" Conditio...

Artist: Sophia Vari, Greek (1940 - ) Title: Entwined Bodies Year: circa 1985 Medium: Bronze Sculpture, Signature and number inscribed with foundry stamp Edition: 4/6 Size: 12.5 x 2...

Artist : Arnie Zimmerman Title : Platter Materials : Stoneware, glaze Date : 1982 Dimensions : 22.75" x 23.5" x 4.5" Description : Hand-signed and dated o...

Lipofsky approached glass as an organic, sculptural medium; resulting in his signature amorphic forms. Many of his works are colorful “bubbles” of glass. Often semi-transluscent, the...

Carved yew Unique Initialed, titled and dated

Artist: Sophia Vari, Greek (1940 - ) Title: Gree's Head Year: 1985 Medium: Bronze Sculpture, Signature and number inscribed with foundry stamp Edition: 1/6 Size: 7.25 x 7 x 6 in....

Artist: Antoine Poncet, Swiss (1928 - ) Title: Cororeol Medium: Polished Bronze Sculpture, Signature 'A.P.' inscribed Edition: 2/6 Size: 41 in. x 21 in. x 5 in. (104.14 cm x 53.34 cm...

Peter Voulkos Title: Plate CR952-W Medium: Woodfired ceramic Year: 1989 Signed and dated by the artist Size: approx. 20.5 x 5 inches A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voulkos (1924-2002) led in the development of pottery as an art form. . With an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts (1952), he taught at Black Mountain College (1953) where he was exposed to the avant-garde. In 1954, Voulkos moved to Los Angeles to become the chairman of a newly established ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute (later renamed the Otis Art Institute) and soon assembled a remarkable group of students: Paul Soldner, Jerry Rothman, Kenneth Price, John Mason, Henry Takemoto...

Artist: Sergio Camargo, Brazilian (1930 - 1990) Medium: White Marble Sculpture, signature inscribed on base front Size: 7.875 x 12.25 x 10.25 inches ; 2...

Wood Fired Platter Material: Stoneware and woodfired Year: 1989 Signed Dimensions: 3 x 22 x 22" Provenance - Charles Cowles Gallery, NYC A West Coast potter and sculptor, Peter Voul...

stoneware, underglaze, and glaze

Painted wood wall sculpture

porcelain, glaze

Edition 1/8 Medium: Patinated bronze Jim Ritchie (1929-2017) born in Montreal, Canada, is known for his pastel drawings and bronze sculptures. He is stylistically linked with Cubism...

Edition 1/8 Medium: Bronze cast of found, assembled bones. Mounted on marble. Jim Ritchie (1929-2017) born in Montreal, Canada, is known for his pastel drawings and bronze sculpture...

A unique brass abstract sculpture mounted on a bronze base. Jim Ritchie (1929-2017) born in Montreal, Canada, is known for his pastel drawings and bronze sculptures. He is stylistically linked with Cubism, Abstract figurative work, and modernism, and the human figure is the subject of much of his work. Ritchie had several exhibitions in Montreal before moving to the small town of Vence in Provence, where he lived and worked for over thirty years. The Adelson Galleries...