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Louis Schanker Art

American, 1903-1981

"Though much of my work is generally classified as abstract, all of my work develops from natural forms. I have great respect for the forms of nature and an inherent need to express myself in relation to those forms. No matter how far my experimental design may take me … there remains always a core of objective reality which I have no desire to destroy or even to impair but only to investigate, analyze, develop." Louis Schanker was one of many members of the American Abstract Artists who chose to base his art in the objects, patterns, and rhythms of nature. Although never a student of Hans Hofmann, Schanker's ideas about art had many parallels with Hofmann's. Concern for the spatial dynamics of a painting's surface, and an insistence on some aspect of nature as a starting point for art, are two areas that mirror a shared philosophy between the two artists. Although much of Schanker's later work is completely abstract, during the 1930s and 1940s he frequently used direct, identifiable themes—motifs drawn from sports, his early years working for a circus, and even socially conscious subjects not normally employed by abstract artists. During the mid 1930s, Schanker began making prints and subsequently became a graphic arts supervisor for the WPA. He also completed murals for radio station WNYC, the Neponsit Beach Hospital in Long Island, and the Science and Health building at the 1939 New York World's Fair. During World War II, Schanker worked as a shipfitter and began teaching the technique of color woodblock printing at the New School for Social Research. In 1949, he became an assistant professor at Bard College, where he remained until his retirement. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Schanker exhibited frequently in group shows both in museums and in commercial galleries. He became especially well known for his innovations as a printmaker. Schanker belonged to The Ten, a group that exhibited together in protest against the hegemony of Americanscene painting in Whitney exhibitions and in support of artistic experimentation and an international (rather than nativist) outlook in art.

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Artist: Louis Schanker
Abstract Composition
Abstract Composition

Abstract Composition

By Louis Schanker

Located in Wiscasett, ME

Tempura on heavy paper, signed and dated 1945 lower left. The piece measures 23" x 30" including the frame and presents very well overall. Provenance: Willard Gallery, NYC Brad...

Category

1940s Abstract Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Tempera, Watercolor

GREEN AND BLACK
GREEN AND BLACK

GREEN AND BLACK

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis (American, 1903-1981). GREEN & BLACK. Color Woodcut, 1941 Brooklyn Museum Booklet 53. Edition of 55 plus 20 trial Proofs. Signed, titled, and numbered 10/55 and inscr...

Category

1940s Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

Louis SCHANKER “Jai Alai”
Louis SCHANKER “Jai Alai”

Louis SCHANKER “Jai Alai”

By Louis Schanker

Located in San Francisco, CA

Louis Schanker : 1903-1981. Well, listed American abstract artist. He was well exhibited and is in the permanent collections of many important museums. This fabulous piece is a color...

Category

1930s Abstract Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

CARNIVAL

CARNIVAL

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis CARNIVAL. Color woodcut, 1948. Edition of 30. Signed, titled and numbered 24/30 in pencil. 14 1/4 x 21 inches (image), 18 x 24 inches (sheet). Hinging residue, verso,...

Category

1940s Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

GIRL WITH LUTE

GIRL WITH LUTE

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis (American 1903-1981). GIRL WITH LUTE. Johnson 18. Linocut in colors, 1938. Edition of 10. Titled, numbered 6/10 and signed in pencil. 5 1/2 x...

Category

1930s Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Linocut

POLO
POLO

POLO

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis (American, 1903-1981). POLO. Woodcut, 1937. Edition of 30. Signed, titled, and numbered, all in pencil. Printed on Japan paper. 7 7/8 x 7 1/4 inches (image), framed t...

Category

1930s Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

Early American modernist abstract sculpture - Totem
Early American modernist abstract sculpture - Totem

Early American modernist abstract sculpture - Totem

By Louis Schanker

Located in Colfax, CA

A rare sculpture by a fascinating American modernists, Louis Schanker. Shanker was born in New York City in 1903. At a young age he quit school, ran away from home and joined the ci...

Category

1930s Abstract Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Wood, Oil

MUSICAL CLOWNS
MUSICAL CLOWNS

MUSICAL CLOWNS

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis (American, 1903-1981). MUSICAL CLOWNS, Color Woodcut, 1937 Brooklyn Museum Booklet 31. From the Second Edition Edition of 21 (The first edition was 30, plus 12 Trial ...

Category

1930s Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

Interior Scene with Figures
Interior Scene with Figures

Interior Scene with Figures

By Louis Schanker

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Interior Scene with Figures Ink and watercolor on paper, c. 1930's Signed with the Estate stamp lower center Condition: Loss upper right corner; two small tears lower margin ...

Category

1930s American Modern Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Watercolor

FIGURE NO. 1
FIGURE NO. 1

FIGURE NO. 1

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis (American 1903-1981). FIGURE NO.1. Johnson 99. Wood etching in colors, 1949. Edition of 6. Titled and signed in pencil. 25 1/2 X 13 3/8 inches (image). Framed to 33...

Category

1940s Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

CIRCLE IMAGE NO. 25

CIRCLE IMAGE NO. 25

By Louis Schanker

Located in Portland, ME

Schanker, Louis. CIRCLE IMAGE NO. 25. Relief Print in color, 1954-1955. Edition of 210 published by IGAS. Signed and numbered 17/200 (the edition included 10 artist's proofs). 14 x 1...

Category

1950s Abstract Louis Schanker Art

Materials

Woodcut

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Previously Available Items
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Louis Schanker art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Louis Schanker art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Louis Schanker in woodcut print, paint, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Louis Schanker art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Warrington Colescott, Fred Nagler, and Howard Norton Cook. Louis Schanker art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $750 and tops out at $10,500, while the average work can sell for $1,500.

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