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Large and Vibrant Collage on Board by Jean Varda

About the Item

Here is a lively and whimsical collage on board by the San Francisco Bay Artist, Jean Varda. Varda is known for combining figurative, surrealist and abstract influences to make collages that are bold, colorful and often fanciful. The color and pattern in this particular collage are strong: the juicy pinks and raspberries red and the use of black and white polkadot patterning. The collage including the frame measures almost 48" high and 35 inches wide. The artwork itself measures 41.75" high be 29" wide. The collage is in very good condition considering that it's paper and unprotected by glazing. His collages are almost somewhat crude and his use of various materials and techniques in framing are unique. This example appears to be on a heavy paper, then adhered to plywood. The frame is an extension of the art itself and shows cracking and paint loss. There is also a corner where there is loss to part of the wood--shown in photos. The frame could certainly be restored and minimally touched-up if desired. But all in all, this is one of Varda's boldest collages that presents beautifully. A biography on Jean Varda by Heide Foley: "Jean (Yanko) Varda is best known as a collagist. From 1949 to his death in 1971, Varda experimented with paper, woven textiles, designer fabrics and painting in collage. His color theories and cubist influences are reflected in the bright, half abstract, half real content of his art. Varda believed art came from joy. He often made works of women, the still life, exotic towns with banners flying and the celestial city. Varda was first taught by his mother, a muralist in Smyra, Greece. Then he had several instructors in Alexandria who taught him the great renaissance masters and realism. In 1913 Varda moved to Paris where the influences of Dadaism and Cubism changed his style irrevocably. Switching from chiaroscuro seascapes, portraits and ship battles to a form of mosaic and scratched mirrors, Varda explored his Greek roots, the natural brilliance of light and Byzantium philosophy. In 1916, he studied at the Ecole de Beaux Art in Paris, shared a studio with Braque, met Matisse and Picasso. He traveled to Italy to take notes on the works of Raphael, Michelangelo, Giotto, and Fra Angelico. From 1925 to 1939 he showed in Europe, then he moved to the United States. Varda was successful selling his art in New York, but he preferred to live in California. There he befriended Henry Miller and Anais Nin. The collage work he began during the seven years he lived in Big Sur was surrealistic, described as 'dreamscapes'. In 1949, Varda built a studio in Sausalito with Gordon Onslow-Ford on the decommissioned ferryboat, Vallejo. In the early 1960s Ford sold his share to Dr. Alan Watts, the Englishman who introduced Zen Buddhism to America. Varda taught at university level, including Black Mountain College, NC; Pratt Institute, NY; and CSFA, now called the San Francisco Institute of Art. Varda has shown at: Neumann Willard Gallery, NY; "Art in Action" Pavilion at the Golden Gate International Expose; Walker Art Center, Chicago, IL; M.H. de Young Memorial Musuem, SF,CA; Brand Library Art Gallery, Glendale, CA; the Oakland Musuem, CA; and many more. "There are three perfect shapes in the world: a boat's hull, a violin, and a woman's body" - Jean Varda"
  • Creator:
    Jean Varda (Artist)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 47.88 in (121.62 cm)Width: 34.75 in (88.27 cm)Depth: 1.63 in (4.15 cm)
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    c. 1950s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Minneapolis, MN
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU10007242058382

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