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Irving Norman Art

American, Lithuanian, 1906-1989

The Lithuanian-American artist Irving Norman was a social Surrealist who painted large-scale and highly detailed critiques of contemporary life with hopes that viewers would consider the consequences of their actions and change their behavior.

Influenced by the dire conditions of the Great Depression, Norman’s massive canvases feature armies of clone-like figures behaving in the clockwork manner in which they have been programmed. He moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1934 before helping to defend the Spanish Republic from the fascist Franco dictatorship.

Norman survived the Spanish Civil War and in 1939 settled on Catalina Island off the Southern California coast, where he began drawing and painting from the atrocities he had witnessed. In 1940, he moved to San Francisco and had a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art two years later. Norman then traveled to Mexico City and saw the murals of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros before moving to New York City to study at the Art Students League from 1946 to 1947. He returned to San Francisco in the late 1940s. In 1988, fire destroyed Norman’s home, studio, artwork and personal papers.

Find original Irving Norman paintings and prints on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Heather James Fine Art)

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Artist: Irving Norman
How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed
How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed

How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"How Come" is a Modern surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1968. The artwork is 90 x 60 inches and 91 1/4 x 61 1/2 x 1 5/8 inches with the fram, weighing less than ...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Art

Materials

Oil

Snapshots
Snapshots

Snapshots

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Snapshots" is a modern surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1986. The artwork is 40 x 90 inches and 41 3/8 x 91 1/4 x 1 5/8 inches with the frame, weighing less than 50 lbs. It is signed and dated lower right, "I.N. '68". Norman's surrealist paintings transport viewers into dystopian realms where human figures meld with machinery, creating haunting landscapes of industrialized chaos and existential reflection. This painting uses a series of vignettes or "snapshots" of human couples in various states of health and vigor. The grotesque nature of some of the bodies is juxtaposed in the bright swimsuits as children play under an ominous sky...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Art

Materials

Oil

Man and Time Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, Signed, 20th Century
Man and Time Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, Signed, 20th Century

Man and Time Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, Signed, 20th Century

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Man and Time" is an American surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1986. The artwork is 58 x 30 inches and 59 1/8 x 31 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches with the frame, weighing le...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Art

Materials

Oil

Striptease
Striptease

Striptease

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

A drawing by Irving Norman. "Striptease" is a macabre cultural commentary drawing, pencil and color pencil on paper executed in a dark palette of blacks, grays, and reds by social su...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Irving Norman Art

Materials

Pencil, Color Pencil

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Previously Available Items
My World and Yours
My World and Yours

My World and Yours

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A drawing by Irving Norman. "My World and Yours" is a macabre social surrealism city scape, graphite on paper in a black and white palette by artist Irving No...

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Irving Norman art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Irving Norman art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Irving Norman in paint, oil paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the post-war style. Not every interior allows for large Irving Norman art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Nathan Oliveira, Paul Wonner, and Abraham Straski. Irving Norman art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,400 and tops out at $800,000, while the average work can sell for $150,000.