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Norman Rubington Abstract Paintings

American, 1921-1991

Norman Rubington was an artist whose career parallels those of the great names in mid-20th century art history, even as he stood apart in his desire not to emulate but to re-examine methods of expression in a distinctive voice. He was deliberate in his early studies, attending Yale University. After a three-year stint in the Army rendering reconnaissance maps, Rubington moved to Paris to study at Le Grand Chaumière and École des Beaux-Arts. He found a level of respect for artists in Europe that was not common in the United States, and this support encouraged Rubington to explore and challenge the established schools of Cubist and Expressionist painting. He was considered one of the most talented of the younger American artists in Paris and was selected for the Salon d'Automne in 1948, a rare distinction for an American. One French critic hailed Rubington's solo show at Galerie Huit in 1950 as an astonishing success. Rubington's art, he wrote, "was burning with a new flame." He exhibited with the best young French artists of the day Bernard Buffet, André Minaux, Roger Montane, as well as American painters Sidney Geist, Bill Rivers and Jules Olitsky. Under the guidance of the master printer Roger Lacourière, he also achieved a remarkable proficiency, using aquatint to eloquent effect and mastered the technique of soft-ground etching. Rubington won a Prix de Rome in 1951, a Tiffany Foundation Fellowship in 1954 and was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1958. He was a resident at the MacDowell Colony in 1970. His approach to painting and other media had an expressionist tone grounded in representation. Rubington's range of subject matter was broad and he would focus on depicting series of like compositions through a variety of approaches. His most poignant subject was humanity on the fringe.

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Artist: Norman Rubington
Mid Century Abstract Expressionist Guitarist Figurative
By Norman Rubington
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Wonderful abstract expressionist painting of guitarist painted by Norman Rubington (American, 1921 - 1991) while in Rome, 1952. Signed lower left and on verso. Dated "11 - 52, Roma" ...
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1950s Abstract Expressionist Norman Rubington Abstract Paintings

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Canvas, Oil

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Norman Rubington abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Norman Rubington abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Norman Rubington in oil paint, 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 abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Norman Rubington abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 20 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Leslie Luverne Anderson, Harriet Holden Nash, and Dorothy Fitzgerald. Norman Rubington abstract paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,000 and tops out at $2,800, while the average work can sell for $2,400.

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