Balcomb Greene Paintings

American, 1904-1990

Balcomb Greene has been described as "an iconoclast, a painter who has refused to conform to the latest artistic trends." This comment was apt, for Greene was an independent-minded artist who followed his own aesthetic inclinations regardless of what was in vogue among critics and the public. At the outset of his career, he eschewed Depression-era realism in favor of a cutting-edge geometric abstract style that set him apart from the mainstream art establishment and from many of his fellow abstractionists. During the 1940s, when non-representational painting came into fashion, he began to incorporate the human form into his work, creating enigmatic figure paintings in which variations of light and shadow played a vital role in creating mood. A turning point in his career occurred in 1931, when Greene and his wife, Gertrude Glass Greene, traveled to Paris to further their understanding of vanguard art and literature. Although Greene intended to write novels in his Montparnasse studio, he soon found himself drawn to the art world and decided to become a painter. He was especially inspired by the example of Piet Mondrian, Juan Gris and the Abstraction-Creation painters, who sought to eliminate all references to nature, literature and anecdote by focusing on pure abstraction. Greene returned to the United States in 1932, going on to develop his own hard-edged abstract style, creating what he referred to as "straight line, flat paintings." In 1937, he became a founding member and first chairman of Abstract American Artists, established to promote the cause of abstraction in national art circles. In the 1930s, Greene found employment with the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. He created an abstract mural for the Federal Hall of Medicine at the World's Fair of 1939. In 1940, Greene began studying art history at New York University, going on to receive a master's degree in 1943. During this period, his aesthetic approach changed as he abandoned the crisply rendered and brightly colored forms of his geometric work in favor of the figure shown against a backdrop of fragmented planes. He went on to create paintings, often naturalistic depictions of the female nude, that were characterized by an expressionist handling of paint and a limited palette of whites, greys and other muted tones that derived from his interest in photography. In 1947 Greene purchased some land on Montauk Point, Long Island. With the exception of a trip to Paris in 1958-60, he spent most of his time on Long Island, where he was one of the pioneers of the East End art colony. Inspired by the proximity of the ocean, he painted a number of marines, using dynamic brushwork to evoke the energy and spirit of the sea. Greene taught aesthetics and art history at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh (1942-47), where his students included Andy Warhol and Philip Pearlstein.

Artist: Balcomb Greene

Balcomb Greene"Composition" Balcomb Greene, Geometric Abstract, Early Modernist Composition, 1936

$45,000

"Composition" Balcomb Greene, Geometric Abstract, Early Modernist Composition

By Balcomb Greene

Located in New York, NY

Balcomb Greene Composition, 1936 Signed Balcomb Greene on verso upper stretcher bar Signed on backing board: Balcomb Greene Oil on canvas 30 1/4 x 46 inches Provenance: The artist A...

Category

1930s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Frida Willis"Untitled" - Large Textured Oil Impasto Modern Abstract Expressionist Artwork, 2022

$8,500

H 60 in W 48 in D 1.5 in

"Untitled" - Large Textured Oil Impasto Modern Abstract Expressionist Artwork

By Frida Willis

Located in Carmel, CA

Frida Willis (Swedish, born 1971) "Untitled" 2022 Oil paint, Canvas, Stretcher bars The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Frida Willis, the Swedish-born arti...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Kobi Raz"Riverbank" - Pink, Blue, and Earth Tone Modern Textural Oil Abstract Artwork, 2020

$12,000

H 30 in W 30 in D 0.75 in

"Riverbank" - Pink, Blue, and Earth Tone Modern Textural Oil Abstract Artwork

By Kobi Raz

Located in Carmel, CA

Kobi Raz (Israeli, born 1959) "Riverbank" 2020 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom left of the artwork. In “Riverbank,” Kobi Raz captures the organic rhyt...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Katarzyna SzulcRed, Purple & Yellow Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon in Arizona USA, 2017

$3,753

H 40 in W 30 in D 1.75 in

Red, Purple & Yellow Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon in Arizona USA

By Katarzyna Szulc

Located in Preston, GB

Red, Purple & Yellow Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon in Arizona USA by Polish Artist Katarzyna Szulc. This original oil painting is part of an inspired body of work b...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Martin ReynaUntitled 23024 (Abstract Painting), 2023

$5,530

H 37.41 in W 37.41 in D 0.04 in

Untitled 23024 (Abstract Painting)

By Martin Reyna

Located in London, GB

This abstract oil painting showcases a compelling investigation into the visual language of oil. The artist explores the dichotomy between dense and ethereal forms by alternating bet...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Katarzyna SzulcVery Large Square Painting of New York City Skyscrapers USA - Red Blue & Yellow, 2017

$4,779

H 47.2 in W 47.2 in D 1.75 in

Very Large Square Painting of New York City Skyscrapers USA - Red Blue & Yellow

By Katarzyna Szulc

Located in Preston, GB

Very Large Square Painting of New York City Skyscrapers USA - Red Blue & Yellow - by Polish Artist, Katarzyna Szulc. Signed Kasha on the front of the canvas. Art measures 47.2 x...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Kobi Raz"Urban Desert" - Contemporary Colorful Textured Desert Abstract in Earth Tones, 2020

$13,500

H 33 in W 36 in D 1.5 in

"Urban Desert" - Contemporary Colorful Textured Desert Abstract in Earth Tones

By Kobi Raz

Located in Carmel, CA

Kobi Raz (Israeli, born 1959) "Urban Desert" 2020 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom left of the artwork. This original abstract painting by Kobi Raz evo...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Steven H. Rehfeld'Untitled' Original Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media On Canvas by Steven, 2022

$20,000

H 50 in W 40 in D 2 in

'Untitled' Original Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media On Canvas by Steven

By Steven H. Rehfeld

Located in Carmel, CA

Steven is now one of the top emerging artists in the U.S. His works are groundbreaking, bold, and imbued with unflinching disregard for painting conventions. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Cindy Shaoul"Audrey Hepburn" Breakfast at Tiffanys Haute Couture Oil Painting on Canvas, 2020

$1,800

H 30 in W 24 in D 1 in

"Audrey Hepburn" Breakfast at Tiffanys Haute Couture Oil Painting on Canvas

By Cindy Shaoul

Located in New York, NY

Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Zion Mor"Yellow Spot" - Modern Geometric Abstract with Black, Yellow, and Red Oil Paint, 2021

$6,500

H 24 in W 20 in D 0.75 in

"Yellow Spot" - Modern Geometric Abstract with Black, Yellow, and Red Oil Paint

By Zion Mor

Located in Carmel, CA

Zion Mor (Israeli, born 1958) "Yellow Spot" 2021 Oil paint on canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the bottom right of the artwork. "Yellow Spot" captures the enigma of urban abstraction. Dominated by a vast expanse of deep charcoal, the canvas is contrasted sharply with a pale, almost ethereal background, symbolizing the duality of city life: both chaotic and calm. The bold black swatch, reminiscent of towering skyscrapers, is accentuated with sporadic splashes of crimson and an arresting yellow spot, which stands out as a beacon of light...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Katarzyna SzulcVery Large Square Red & Black Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon Arizona USA, 2017

$5,121

H 47.2 in W 47.2 in D 1.75 in

Very Large Square Red & Black Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon Arizona USA

By Katarzyna Szulc

Located in Preston, GB

Very Large Red & Black Modern Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon Arizona USA by Polish Artist, Katarzyna Szulc. This original oil painting is part of an inspired body of...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Katarzyna SzulcPink Red & Blue Modern Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon Arizona USA, 2017

$5,121

H 48 in W 36 in D 1.75 in

Pink Red & Blue Modern Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon Arizona USA

By Katarzyna Szulc

Located in Preston, GB

Pink Red & Blue Modern Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon Arizona USA by Polish Artist, Katarzyna Szulc. This original oil painting is part of an inspired body of work b...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Katarzyna SzulcBright Red, Blue & Green Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon in Arizona, 2017

$4,096

H 39.5 in W 31.5 in D 1.75 in

Bright Red, Blue & Green Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon in Arizona

By Katarzyna Szulc

Located in Preston, GB

Bright Red, Green, Blue & Purple Abstract Painting of Inside Antelope Canyon in Arizona by Polish Artist Katarzyna Szulc. This original oil painting is part of an inspired body o...

Category