Skip to main content

Emerson Woelffer Art

American, 1914-2003
Once dubbed “the Grandfather of L.A. Modernism,” the Chicago-born Emerson Seville Woelffer was active as an innovative painter, collagist, and educator throughout his long and prolific career. A pioneering Abstract Expressionist, Woelffer’s brightly colored work with jagged forms reveals Cubist and Surrealist influences. Coming of age in Chicago during the Great Depression, Woelffer appreciated the improvisational nature of jazz music, a sensibility he would later apply to painting through gestural variation, energetic strokes, and a rhythmic use of line. From 1935 to 1938, Woelffer, a high school dropout, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago while employed as a janitor, early evidence of his enduring work ethic. He joined the Works Progress Administration arts program in 1938 as an easel painter, followed by a two-year stint as a topographical draftsman for the United States Air Force. The director of the Chicago Institute of Design, László Moholy-Nagy, invited Woelffer to join the faculty in 1942. His experiences there brought him into contact with the modernist idiom of the day, and his interactions with students caused him to re-examine his own practice. He also exhibited in group shows at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, participated in the Whitney Museum Annual (1949) and won the Pauline Palmer Prize for painting at the Art Institute of Chicago (1948). In 1949 Emerson Woelffer and his wife Dina, a fine art photographer, were invited by Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner to New York before they headed to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Exposure to Pre-Columbian art led Woelffer to incorporate totemic figures and vibrant colors into his abstract paintings. In 1959 Woelffer joined the faculty at the Chouinard Art Institute (later the California Institute of the Arts) in Los Angeles, where he instructed notable emerging artists until 1973 and where he was instrumental in bringing Modernism to LA. Ed Ruscha was one of his students. In 1974, Woelffer was named chair of the art department at the Otis Art Institute (now the Otis School of Art and Design). His tenure lasted until his retirement in 1989, and he was widely admired for his interdisciplinary approach in the classroom. An endowed scholarship fund in his name provides support for promising young artists and designers. Suffering from macular degeneration, Woelffer switched to drawing with white crayon on black paper in his final years of artistic activity. Emerson won a prestigious Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in 1967 and then went to wprk in Europe. Woelffer’s work is represented in the collections of such distinguished institutions as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others.
to
11
11
4
4
2
2
2
1
1
Untitled, 1968
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in San Francisco, CA
This lithograph is by Emerson Woelffer (1914-2003), a noted American abstract artist. The print is untitled, but it depicts a pair of lips, an image that Woellfer used in a number of...
Category

1960s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Lithograph

Early Abstract Expressionist - Black Mountain College Teacher, Franz Kline
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Miami, FL
With Abstract Expressionist painting, one could argue that the earlier, the more historically important. This stunning non-objective action painting is characterized by vast swaths o...
Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Oil, Fiberboard

Emerson Woelffer, Bold Torn-Edge Collage, Signed Abstract Expressionist Work
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Buffalo, NY
Emerson Woelffer Untitled Abstract Collage, 1989 Mixed media collage on paper Dimensions: 32 x 26 inches (framed) Signed and dated lower right A striking example of Emerson Woelffer...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Emerson Woelffer Clay Sculptures, Abstract, Signed and Dated
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Icon modernist artist, in these two clay sculptures. Prized individually at $ 3000.00 each Measures are different in each, please contact dealer for more curate size.
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Ceramic, Clay

Abstract Form No. 2
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Columbia, MO
EMERSON WOELFFER Abstract Form No. 2 1979 Terra cotta on wooden plinth 3.5 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Category

20th Century Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Wood, Terracotta

Emerson Woelffer Bonze Sculpture, Abstract Face, Signed, Dated, Numbered
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nice modern abstract Face, by the well known artist, Emerson Woelffer. Signed, numbered 1/4 and dated 1947.
Category

1940s American Modern Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Bronze

Untitled, Oil Stick and Collage on paper, Abstract, 1989, Manny Silverman Col
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in New York, NY
Once dubbed “the Grandfather of L.A. Modernism,” the Chicago-born Emerson Seville Woelffer was active as an innovative painter, collagist, and educator throughout his long and prolif...
Category

1980s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Abstract Form No. 1
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Columbia, MO
EMERSON WOELFFER Abstract Form No. 1 1979 Porcelain on wooden plinth 3.5 x 3.5 x 11.5 inches
Category

20th Century Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Wood

Emerson Woelffer Lithograph, 50/50 Signed, Dated, Unframed, Modern 74
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nice lithograph, of the well-known modernist artist Emerson Woelffer. Signed, numbered 50/50. Dated 74.
Category

1970s American Modern Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Paper

Vintage Emerson Fan, St. Louis
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Napa, CA
Large vintage fan with with turquoise blades and manufacturer medallions on front and back reading "Emerson Electric Fan St. Louis."
Category

20th Century American Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Metal

UNTITLED 1977, Paper Collage, 29" x 23" framed orange, green, blue and black
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in New York, NY
Once dubbed “the Grandfather of L.A. Modernism,” the Chicago-born Emerson Seville Woelffer was active as an innovative painter, collagist, and educator throughout his long and prolif...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Related Items
Contemporary impressionist expressive floral oil canvas "Vase with Pink Roses"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary vibrant, expressive abstract floral painting, "Vase with Pink Roses", is a striking work by French artist Natalya Mougenot, ren...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ceramic Link Chain Wall Sculpture
By Asmaa Aman-Tran
Located in Attleboro, MA
The Hamsa hand or hand of Fatima is known across many cultures to protect its wearer and ward off bad energy. It is also a symbol of patience and claire voyance. The Artist often use...
Category

2010s American Organic Modern Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Ceramic, Stoneware

Ceramic Link Chain Wall Sculpture
Ceramic Link Chain Wall Sculpture
$275 / item
H 2 in W 24 in D 1 in
“Abstract Sailing”
By Irving Marcus
Located in Southampton, NY
Mixed media painting consisting of watercolor and acrylic painting on arches paper by the American artist, Irving Marcus. Signed and dated lower right, 1973. Condition is very good....
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper

“Abstract Sailing”
“Abstract Sailing”
$1,400 Sale Price
36% Off
H 13.5 in W 10.5 in D 1 in
Razz Ma Tazz No. 1 / ceramic wall sculpture
By Jane B. Grimm
Located in Burlingame, CA
Ceramic wall sculpture from Pop Art pioneer Jane B. Grimm, whose minimal and meditative sculptures and wall reliefs are comprised of ceramic, using a low fire method. New works take ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Ceramic, Wood

Roland Garros French Open tennis Paris offset print (Hand signed by Sean Scully)
By Sean Scully
Located in New York, NY
Sean Scully Roland Garros French Open tennis tournament, Paris, France (Hand signed by Sean Scully), 2001 Offset lithograph poster (hand signed by Sean Scully) 29 3/4 inches (vertica...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Return, from the Octavio Paz Suite (unique signed position proof) Engberg/Banach
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
Robert Motherwell Return, from the Octavio Paz Suite, 1988 Lithograph and chine appliqué on watermarked Japanese Gampi hand made paper applied on Arches paper Hand-signed by artist, ...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Lithograph

The Butler Institute of American Art poster (Hand Signed by Peter Halley)
By Peter Halley
Located in New York, NY
Peter Halley New Works, The Butler Institute of American Art (Hand Signed), 1999 Offset lithograph poster (signed by Peter Halley) 38 × 21 1/2 inches Boldly signed in black marker by...
Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Semi-abstract expressionist floral oil painting "Essence of Roses" on cardboard
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary semi-abstract impressionist floral painting, Essence of Roses, created with oil paints on cardboard by French artist Natalya Mougenot, is part of her ongoing series...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Peter Halley, CORE Geometric Abstraction Silkscreen & Lithograph Signed/N Framed
By Peter Halley
Located in New York, NY
Peter Halley Core, 1991 Limited Edition Silkscreen with lithography on Coventry Rag paper. Pencil signed and numbered 13/50 on the front Publisher: Edition Schellmann & Pace Editions...
Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Lithograph, Screen

Mid-Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Still Life Oil Painting
By Toma Yovanovich
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original mid century modern abstract expressionist painting by American artist Toma Yovanovich. Toma Yovanovich (1931-2016) Yovanovich was a painter/printmaker whose work i...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Illustration Board, Oil

Contemporary abstract expressionist floral oil painting "Beauty in the bouquet"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This small abstract expressionist floral painting, "Beauty in the Bouquet," was created by the French artist Natalya Mougenot and is part of her ongoing floral series. Radiating ene...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Pictures and Borders III Signed/N lithograph by Pattern & Decoration art pioneer
By Joyce Kozloff
Located in New York, NY
Joyce Kozloff Pictures and Borders III, 1977 Color lithograph on wove paper Signed, titled, dated and annotated "Solo Impression" in graphite pencil on the back Editions Solo-Impression of 50 30 × 22 inches Unframed Pictures and Borders III Color lithograph on wove paper Pencil signed, titled and annotated "Solo Impression" on the back; a Printers Proof, aside from the regular edition of 50 Published by Judith Solodkin, founder of SOLO Impression, Inc Unframed Provenance: Provenance: De-accessioned from the corporate collection of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan JOYCE KOZLOFF BIOGRAPHY Joyce Kozloff was born in Somerville, New Jersey in 1942. She received a BFA from Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, PA in 1964 and an MFA from Columbia University in 1967. Kozloff was a major figure in both the Pattern and Decoration and the Feminist art movements of the 1970s. In 1979, she began to focus on public art, increasing the scale of her installations and expanding the accessibility of her art to reach a wider audience. Kozloff has since executed a number of major commissions in public spaces, including Dreaming: The Passage of Time for the United States Consulate, Art in Embassies Program in Istanbul, Turkey; The Movies: Fantasies and Spectacles for the Los Angeles Metro’s Seventh and Flower Station, CA; Caribbean Festival Arts for P.S. 218, New York, NY; New England Decorative Arts for the Harvard Square Subway Station, Cambridge, MA; and Bay Area Victorian, Bay Area Deco, Bay Area Funk for the International Terminal, San Francisco Airport, CA. Since the early 1990s, Kozloff has utilized mapping as a device for consolidating her enduring interests in history, culture, and the decorative and popular arts. She initially concentrated on cities known to her, onto which patterns and images reflecting their colonial pasts were then overlaid. Subsequent series examined bodies of water and the inaccuracies of early maps from the so-called “Age of Discovery.” In 1999-2000, Kozloff was awarded the Jules Guerin Fellowship / Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, Italy. During her yearlong residency abroad Kozloff conceived and completed Targets, a nine-foot walk-in globe in twenty-four sections, each of which is painted with an aerial map of a place that has been bombed by the U.S. in the years since World War II. A 2001 residency at the Bogliasco Foundation in Liguria, Italy provided the genesis for Boy's Art, a series of twenty-four collaged drawings based on maps, diagrams, and illustrations of historic battles...
Category

1970s Abstract Geometric Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Lithograph

Previously Available Items
"Untitled, " Emerson Woelffer, Color Field, Blue Orange Abstract Expressionism,
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in New York, NY
Emerson Woelffer (1914 - 2003) Untitled, 1965 Oil on canvasboard 23 x 18 1/2 inches Signed and dated lower left Provenance: Private Collection, Pennsylvania Once dubbed “the Grand...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Signed Original Color-Field Painting
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract expressionist oil painting by Emerson S Woelffer (1914 - 2003). Oil on canvas, circa 1969. Signed. Displayed in a period modern frame. Image, 16"L x 20"H.
Category

1960s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Madrid & Forio
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Greenwich, CT
This is a striking and rare pair of 1959 abstract expressionist works by West Coast artist and teacher, Emerson Woelffer, dubbed “the grandfather of L. A. Modernism”. He had a brilliant career teaching at Black Mountain College, the California Institute of the Arts and was awarded the Pollock-Krasner Grant amongst many other distinctions. His works are at the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the list continues. 1959 is a great and desirable date! Taylor Graham...
Category

1950s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Oil

Emerson Woelffer Abstract Expressionist Ceramic Sculptures, 1979
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1914 - 2003 He was an "American original" stated Ed Ruscha, whom was once a student of Mr. Woelffer. Mr. Woelffer taught in art schools throughout the U.S. He even had a brief stint...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Ceramic

Emerson Woelffer Abstract Expressionist Painting, 1955
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Wonderful abstract composition in mix media by Emerson Woelffer. Signed and dated lower right, 1955. Measures: 15" H x 11" W Frame size: 26" H x 12 3/4" W Best known for his a...
Category

Mid-20th Century Emerson Woelffer Art

The Judgement by Emerson Woelffer
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Buffalo, NY
Modernist abstract oil painting by Emerson Woelffer (1914-2003). Oil on canvas, circa 1945. Signed lower left, "E. Woelffer". Displayed in a period grey wood frame. Ima...
Category

1940s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Emerson Woelffer Abstract Painting, 1975
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Chicago & Los Angeles Artist Emerson Woelffer (1914-2003) Acrylic and Spray Paint, 1975 Measures 30" H x 22" W. Signed and Dated Lower Left. Unframed, in a black archival mat. E...
Category

Late 20th Century Emerson Woelffer Art

Original, 1979 Paper Collage
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Signed and dated, original collage by American artist, Emerson Woelffer.
Category

1970s American Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Emerson Woelffer Oil/ Mixed Media on Paper Painting, Signed Dated, Framed
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great work for the well known modernist artist Emerson Woelffer signed LL and dated 57 and titled " Birds" in the back with Paul Kantor Gallery label. Very important Beverly Hills ga...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Paper

Emerson Woelffer Collage Painting "Apple" Titled "Green Mirror" Dated
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a great work for the very well known modernist artist Emerson Woelffer.Original label in the back and measures including the frame, original to the work as well. approx 23 x ...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Paint

Emerson Woelffer collage/mixed media painting, signed.
By Emerson Woelffer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Emerson Woelffer was native of Chicago where he worked at the institute of Design under Moholy-Nagy.In the 40's he brought modernism to Los Angeles and had an amazing career in, now,...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Emerson Woelffer Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Emerson Woelffer art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Emerson Woelffer art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Emerson Woelffer in lithograph, paint, wood and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Emerson Woelffer art, so small editions measuring 4 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Gerome Kamrowski, August Mosca, and Thom Cooney-Crawford. Emerson Woelffer art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $12,500, while the average work can sell for $6,240.

Recently Viewed

View All