Jean Dubuffet Paintings

Roland Ayers (1932-2017). Improvisation, 2nd Series, #5. Ink on paper, measures 19 x 24 inches. Unframed and unmounted. Signed and dated lower right, titled lower left. There are a few minor areas of loss in margins as depicted in close-up photos. Additionally, there a a few minor tears in margins. Ayers holds the distinction of having participated in the first important survey of African-Americans, Contemporary Black Artists in America, a 1971 show at The Whitney. Biography: Artist and art educator, Roland Ayers was born on July 2, 1932, the only child of Alice and Lorenzo Ayers, and grew up in the Germantown district of Philadelphia. Ayers served in the US Army (stationed in Germany) before studying at the Philadelphia College of Art (currently University of the Arts). He graduated with a BFA in Art Education, 1954. He traveled Europe 1966-67, spending time in Amsterdam and Greece in particular. During this period, he drifted away from painting to focus on linear figurative drawings of a surreal nature. His return home inaugurated the artist’s most prolific and inspired period (1968-1975). Shorty before his second major trip abroad in 1971-72 to West Africa, Ayers began to focus on African themes, and African American figures populated his work almost exclusively. In spite of Ayers’ travel and exploration of the world, he gravitated back to his beloved Germantown, a place he endowed with mythological qualities in his work and literature. His auto-biographical writing focuses on the importance of place during his childhood. Ayers’ journals meticulously document the ethnic and cultural make-up of Germantown, and tell a compelling story of class marginalization that brought together poor families despite racial differences. The distinctive look and design of Germantown inform Ayers’ visual vocabulary. It is a setting with distinctive Gothic Revival architecture and haunting natural beauty. These characteristics are translated and recur in the artist’s imagery. During his childhood, one of the only books in the Ayers household was an illustrated Bible. The images within had a profound effect on the themes and subjects that would appear in his adult work. Figures in an Ayers’ drawing often seem trapped in a narrative of loss and redemption. Powerful women loom large in the drawings: they suggest the female role models his journals record in early life. The drawings can sometimes convey a strong sense of conflict, and at other times, harmony. Nature and architecture seem to have an antagonistic relationship that is, ironically, symbiotic. A critical turning point in the artist’s career came in 1971 when he was included in the extremely controversial Whitney Museum show, Contemporary Black Artists in America. The exhibition gave Ayers an international audience and served as a calling card for introductions he would soon make in Europe. Ayers is a particularly compelling figure in a period when black artists struggled with the idea of authenticity. A questioned often asked was “Is your work too black, or not black enough?” Abstractionists were considered by some peers to be sell-outs, frauds or worse. Figurative* work was accused of being either sentimental or politically radical depending on the critical source. Ayers made the choice early on to be a figurative artist, but considered his work devoid of political content. Organizations such as Chicago’ s Afri-Cobra in the late 1960‘s asserted that the only true black art of any relevance must depict the black man and woman...

Interior design paintings. The triptych is made with alcoholic ink in pale pink, turquoise color on Yupo paper. Each work is 11 by 14 inches in size, framed (gold or black) with a s...

Abstract geometric mixed media collage in black, white, and grey with details of bright red "Layered Plan #6", made by Hudson Valley artist, Donise English, in 2009 15 x 12 inches, 2...

In the artist's Art and Design original print series, It Doesn't Have to be Perfect suggests that striving for perfection is not always the goal. Transcending the limitations of p...

DONALD BAECHLER Untitled painting for ACRIA, 1996 Mixed media with ball point pen, acrylic paint, industrial varnish and paper collage on canvas board Hand Signed and Dated. Framed with official label verso. artist frame included Measurements: Framed: 13.4 inches (vertical) x 10.8 (horizontal) x 1.25 (width) Artwork: 8 inches (vertical) x 6 inches (horizontal) Makes a fantastic gift! This unique signed collage by Donald Baechler is one of a series of unique pieces the artist made to benefit ACRIA a New York-based charity that supports AIDS victims. ACRIA, pioneers of HIV research, prevention & awareness, have now merged with the Gay...

Homage to the iconic Chanel Brand. This original artwork on paper combines textured brush strokes and textile collage elements. Surrounded by heavy texture, the focal point is a deta...

Let Go, 2023 by a.muse is a one-of-a-kind work on paper. The composition is a dance of lines and shapes and the art a visual exploration of the act of relinquishing control and embra...

Oscillating resonance Acrylic, ink and colored pencil on polypropylene paper - Unframed. Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt. Adrienn Krahl’s paintings express a profound sense of drama...

Ink, oil pastel and charcoal on paper - Unframed. Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt. Adrienn Krahl’s paintings express a profound sense of drama and emotional weight. Krahl works in a...

Ink and wash on paper. Signed and dated in ink lower right. John Sennhauser became known for his nononjective paintings in the early 1940's. Per teh Smithsonian Institute, "In 194...

Caroline Besse creates unique vibrant paintings on paper using crushed minerals that she carefully sources as pigments. She mixes Chinese ink with crushed minerals that she carefully...

In the artist's Art on Design print series, Mindset, 2023 by a.muse is a work on paper. A 13.75" x 10.75" monotype in an edition of 1 - date, title, and artist's signature on front....