Continental US - Abstract Paintings

This piece Owen depicts an abstract composition with the use of mixed media and bold patterns producing work which is visually textured and rich with layers and is a part of the arti...

Signed on the lower right side. It has the original strip frame from the Museum exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art 1983. Illustrated in the catalog, page 35 illustration #40 ...

5-3204a Black and white abstract set in a custom black frame

Antique American signed abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed.

Swiss born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An im...

Clara Berta’s acrylic and mixed-media paintings blend texture and color to create harmony, mystery, and depth on the painted surface. Her paintings transform spaces into Zen environm...

Violet Horizon II is a Neo Impressionist Landscape painted en plein air in Long Island, NY. Artist Bio Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnes...

Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: The Fall of Eden (Garden of Eden)—Untitled Year: 1985 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 48 x 24 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed, ...

Bettina Mauel expresses dynamism and sensuality in her paintings: “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, flowers, and people in motion, capturing th...

Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...

Clean and precise hand-painted stripes and blocks of color in yellow, orange, light blue and dark gray are warm and vibrant against the soft beige background. Signed, dated and title...

Artist: Nelson Serob Shirvanyan Work: Original Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Acrylic on Cardboard Year: 2001 Style: Abstract art, Title: Fire-wave, Size: 17" x 12.5" x 0.1'' inch, (44x32x0.2 cm), Unframed. Nelson Serob Shirvanyan was born in 1944 in Armenia. In 1970, he graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Yerevan State Institute of Fine Arts. Nelson Shirvanyan is a sculptor, artist, and teacher. His artistic journey began with his graduation from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Yerevan State University. In 1975, he became a lecturer in sculpture at the University of Armenia. In his work, Shirvanyan draws inspiration from the architecture of medieval Armenian stone...

This is a contemporary abstract watercolor painting by artist David Ruth. This series of paintings often feature bright colors and vibrant layouts that draw the viewer in. They are c...

Syril Frank (American, 1929-2021) Untitled, c. 1970s/80s Oil on canvas Framed: 21 3/4 x 25 2/3 x 1 in. This fantastic painting in the abstract expressionist style loosely depicts a ...

Thin stripes of color in gradient shades start with deep, dark indigo at the top and bottom and transition through navy blue to a brilliant shade of hot pink with golden yellow at the edges. Signed and titled on verso. Audrey Stone has spent her lifetime being fascinated with color and line. Her paintings are explorations of these two elements, appearing in thick blocks of color and subtle color gradients. The boundaries between broad and narrow bands of color generate optical vibrations, stimulating visual processes for a viewer as the colors transition and inform an emotional and physical response to the work. Stone’s paintings present a dynamic opposition within graphic blocks of color in a perfect ordered symmetry, a simultaneity of excitement and calm, movement and stillness. Audrey Stone’s work has been exhibited across the US as well as in Tokyo, Vienna, Prague and Bulgaria. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, W Magazine, Times Union and New York Artist Circle, to name a few. The work is in the collections of Ameritas Foundation in Bulgaria and Credit Suisse among others. Stone earned...

Signed lower left, 'Hortense M. Gordon' for Hortense Crompton Mattice Gordon (Canadian, 1886-1961) and dated 1949. Previously with: Dominion Gallery of Montreal (stamp, verso). Photo courtesy of Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Hamilton artist Hortense Crompton Mattice Gordon was one of Canada’s earliest non-representational painters, embracing abstraction in the 1930s. She was also an active member of Canada's first English-speaking abstract group, Painters Eleven. A scholarship recipient, Hortense Mattice first attended the Hamilton Art School and, subsequently, moved to Chatham, Ontario. Initially focusing on porcelain painting, Mattice quickly began building a portfolio of oils and, from 1908, was exhibiting both her porcelain and landscapes at what is now the Chatham Cultural Centre (1908) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (1909). During this time, Mattice frequently traveled to the United States and, in 1915, visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, where she would have seen early works by important modernists including Picasso and Matisse. She started her teaching career in Chatham but, having received a job offer from the artist John Sloan Gordon, returned to Hamilton to teach at the Hamilton Art School in 1918. The two artists married in 1920. In 1922, Gordon and her husband took a study trip to France and, inspired by the fervent of Modernist ideas in Paris, expanded her own approaches to art, developing an increasingly soft, loose paint handling style. It was not until the 1930’s, after a few more trips to France and her discovery of Piet Mondrian’s work, that elements of abstraction began to appear in Gordon’s work. After the death of her husband in 1940, Gordon attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art and studied with Hans Hoffmann (1941-1945) whose influence and friendship pushed her to explore non-objective painting. After her training with Hofmann and in Cranbrook, Gordon began to exhibit regularly and with success in both Canada and the United States including at the Riverside Museum (New York, 1947), Creative Gallery (New York, 1952), in Ann Arbor (Michigan, 1952), Phillips Gallery (Detroit, 1952), the Flint Institute of Arts (Michigan, 1952), Mount Allison University (New Brunswick, 1952), the Galerie Agnes Lefort in Montréal and Art Gallery of Hamilton (retrospective, 1960). She was a member of the Contemporary Artists of Hamilton (honorary president in 1948), the Ontario Society of Artists, the Hamilton Women...

"Blumen Bild " Heavy Impasto Expressionist Flower Still Life Abstract expressionist sill life of flowers in a vase by California artist Harald "Harry" Dry Schmidt (American, 1933-19...

Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Canyon" Series: Abstract *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2021 Medium: Original Ac...

Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...

Lesley Anne Spowart, an abstract artist hailing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is renowned for her transformative creations that blur the boundaries of mediums and styles. With a di...

Ali Enache is an American abstract painter based in Los Angeles, California. A Washington D.C. native and a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ali Enache worked as a design...

Artist Len Klikunas paints to modify experienced reality through visual perception. His art is a mix of art and architecture, hovering between painting and sculpture. It employs shiz...

Psychi 2 from "The Soul" series is a pop-art inspired and fun painting on Fabriano paper depicting a colorful Butterfly. The painting is unframed. We can coordinate framing for you a...

Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express emotions akin to silent poetry while drawing inspiration for her palette from the layered world around her. Her artworks include layered textures and playful details along the surfaces. This original colorful graffiti-inspired painting measures 13 inches square. The artwork is framed in a white wood frame, size and price include the frame. It is wired and ready to hang. This painting is signed and titled by the artist on the back. Convenient local Los Angeles area shipping. Affordable Continental U.S. and global shipping also available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included. Amber Goldhammer is best known for creating vibrant abstract paintings with a street art edge. She originally started painting with pigments, powders, and waxes and went on to experiment with different mediums and processes to keep evolving her artworks. As love and joy are paramount emotions in life, Goldhammer hopes her series incorporating the “I Love You” message expands to reach a wide audience. Connecting people through public art is one way she believes her street murals can impact lives, as it is impossible to view her work and not feel a sense of joy and love. Painting a convergence of color and emotion, she builds and layers bold colors organically, allowing the process to determine the outcome. There is no analyzing, conceptualizing, or judging that takes place. It all happens in the moment, as a union between her, the canvas, and the paint. Amber Goldhammer frequently draws inspiration for her palette from the colors of the ocean, saying, “I get to take in the essence of the ocean every day, which fuels my creativity and brings me peace.” Embracing a profound love for existence unveils a world adorned with beauty at every turn. When one's heart is entwined with the sheer joy of life, the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary, and the mundane becomes a canvas of boundless inspiration. This sentiment resonates eloquently in the captivating artworks by Amber Goldhammer. Within her original creations, positivity takes center stage, as vibrant hues dance harmoniously to convey a celebration of life. Hearts and declarations of love, intricately painted onto the canvas, serve as visual affirmations of the artist's unwavering affection for the world. Each stroke tells a story of optimism, inviting viewers to share in the enchanting journey where love and art converge to create a tapestry of uplifting emotions. Amber Goldhammer's works are not just paintings; they are vibrant expressions of a love affair with life itself. A worldwide collected young artist with ongoing concurrent exhibitions in galleries throughout the United States and Switzerland, Goldhammer's artworks have also been exhibited at major international art fairs. Her original paintings have been showcased in print and online publications, and on such TV series as “Million Dollar Listing,” “Being Mary Jane,” “The Catch” as well as both multi-Emmy® nominated series, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, and “Scandal.” Goldhammer’s art is also featured on Netflix’s original series, “G.L.O.W.” by “Weeds” creator, Jenji Kohan. Artspace Warehouse has been representing and exhibiting Amber Goldhammer's original artworks since 2011. The gallery has been a 1stdibs partner since 2014 with consistently excellent reviews from clients worldwide. The gallery exhibits a large selection of affordable original artworks from established and emerging international artists with diverse backgrounds at high standards. Artspace Warehouse is known to provide accurate descriptions, images, reliable services, communication, and delivery. REPRESENTATION Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, California SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2022 Christopher Martin Gallery, Dallas, TX 2022 Merritt Gallery, Washington, DC 2021 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA 2020 Christopher Martin Gallery, Dallas, TX 2012 Meridian’s, Ventura, CA 2010 Healing Bodywork, Santa Monica, CA GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2023 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kunstwarenhaus, Zurich, Switzerland Christopher Martin Gallery, Dallas, TX Merritt Gallery, Washington DC MAC Fine Art, Ft Lauderdale, FL Clarendon Fine Art, London, England 2022 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kunstwarenhaus, Zurich, Switzerland Christopher Martin Gallery, Dallas, TX Merritt Gallery, Washington DC MAC Fine Art, Ft Lauderdale, FL Clarendon Fine Art, London, England 2021 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kunstwarenhaus, Zurich, Switzerland Christopher Martin Gallery, Dallas, TX Merritt Gallery, Washington DC MAC Fine Art, Ft Lauderdale, FL Clarendon Fine Art, London, England 2020 Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, Switzerland Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kevin Barry Fine Art, Las Vegas, NV Ethos Contemporary, Newport Beach, CA Christopher Martin Gallery, Dallas, TX 2019 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kevin Barry Fine Art, Las Vegas, NV Ethos Contemporary, Newport Beach, CA 2018 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kunstwarenhaus, Zurich, Switzerland Kevin Barry Fine Art, San Francisco, CA 2017 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Jackson Gallery, Palm Springs, CA Kevin Barry Fine Art, San Francisco, CA Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, Switzerland 2015 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA JCC Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, Switzerland Michael Kate Design, Santa Barbara, CA 2014 National Peace Project USA 2014 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Burbank Creative Arts Center, Burbank, CA 2013 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA 2012 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Artlife Gallery, El Segundo, CA Encino Community Center, Encino, CA ART FAIRS 2024 AAF New York, NY AAF Austin, TX 2021 AAF New York, NY 2020 AAF New York, NY Art Palm Springs, CA LA Art Show, CA 2019 AAF New York, NY Art Palm Springs, CA 2018 AAF New York, NY AAF Hong Kong Art Palm Springs, CA 2017 AAF New York, NY 2016 AAF Hong Kong AAF New York, NY 2015 AAF New York, NY 2014 Love Art Fair Toronto, Canada 2013 Affordable Art Fair New York, NY Affordable Art Fair Seattle, WA PRESS 2023 Home and Design Magazine 2023 So Cal Design Magazine 2021 Art Daily Swagger Magazine Grey Journal 2020 Paper City Magazine, Dallas 2018 Architectural Digest Magazine 2018 LA Yoga Magazine 2015 Scene Magazine - Santa Barbara, Ca 2014 Avant Garde Magazine – Nationwide (USA) 2013 Blick Winter Catalog 2013 Fusionart, Rassouli 2011 Origin Magazine – Nationwide (USA) TV & FILM Insecure, HBO GLOW, Netflix L.A.’s Finest, Netflix Planet of the Apps, Apple TV The Catch, ABC Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, CW Scandal, ABC Million Dollar Listing LA, Bravo Being Mary Jane, BET Staged to Perfection, HGTV Beyond Hope, Al Diaz Silicon Valley, HBO The Laundromat (2019) Love, Simon (2018) REPRESENTATION Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, Switzerland COLLECTIONS The STRAT Hotel, Las Vegas, NV Cooperative of American Physicians, Los Angeles, CA Casting Networks, Los Angeles, CA Capital One Headquarters, Los Angeles, CA Brentwood Country Club, Los Angeles, CA Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles, CA Meredith Baer...

Amber Goldhammer, a celebrated Los Angeles artist, brings a playful yet serene approach to abstract art with her vibrant acrylic compositions. "Fall Flowers" features a dynamic array...

Antique American abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 26 by 36 inches overall and 20 by 30 painting alone.

In this painting, I blend the tumultuous depth of abstract with the softer edges of impressionism, capturing an emotional landscape that speaks to our lives of loneliness or willing ...

"Poemes CXXVIII" is a framed mixed media work on canvas by Raul de la Torre, with layers of contrasting abstract shapes and colors. De la Torre's signature technique of painstakingly embroidering meticulously-matched asymmetric forms over smooth layers of paint adds texture and delight to each of his pieces. This piece is finished in a silver floater frame with subtle beveling and a dark brown (nearly black) woodgrain effect along the frame’s interior and sides. Pricing includes the pictured frame. Unframed dimensions are 30 x 60 inches. Spanish artist Raul De La Torre creates vibrant abstract mixed media artworks that focus primarily on the color and the material. "Many painters create texture upon their canvases by building layer upon layer of paint; with each layer comes a greater sense of history and dimension within the work. Others using thickening agents to almost sculpt their paint, spreading it thickly upon their work’s surface for a subtle 3D effect. I have chosen a unique route to enrich my acrylic paintings with texture: embroidery. I first choose the colors I want to incorporate in the palette of the work I’m about to embark upon. To me, the colors represent people, moments or feelings. I paint with acrylic in various blocks of color interacting with one another, evolving a pattern upon the canvas. Sometimes I contain the paint within a clean border, other times I let the blocks of color drip down the canvas or paper. Next, I begin the process of embroidery. I make horizontal cuts on the canvas or paper and covers these open areas using cotton thread. This process of embroidering on canvas or paper adds both intrigue and a sense of depth to each unique work. My most recent body of works reflects a series of poems by a well known poet from Catalonia, my home country. An homage to both the poet and the creative process, my technique of embroidery is heartfelt exploration. Just as a poet builds words to form metaphor or meaning, I build texture through embroidery to form depth and character." POEMES Series The starting point and inspiration of Poèmes is a series of verses from the Catalan poet Miquel Marti i Pol - poems that reflect loss but not always sadness. The color is used as a code to represent times, places, and people left behind. Some of them are embroidered forever in our memory, turning to form part of our DNA. To represent the firmness and strength of that past, the cotton is mixed with the paint in the works to form a unity. "For the series POEMES, I have been using different poets as inspiration. The initial inspiration for the first works were poems by one of my favorite poets, Miquel Marti i Pol. Other favorites are Benjamin Fondane, Seamus Heaney...

Forest Fern Excess from Chloe Hedden’s Excess series captures the rich depth and organic movement of nature through thick, sculptural layers of dee...

Colorful mid century abstract expressionist painting by Les (Leslie Luverne) Anderson (American, 1928-2009). From the estate of Les Anderson in Monterey, California. Unframed. Titled...

Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...

Chloe Hedden’s Venetian Rose Excess from her Excess series embodies Excessivism through its sculptural application of thick, swirling paint. The Venetian rose hue, often linked to ro...

OCBLK009102723 Oil, bitumen, graphite, marble powder, burlap on canvas 72" X 60" I am a visual artist whose work investigates small and large -scale abstraction primarily in the med...

"Moonrise Over Colorado Springs" is a striking 1950s abstract expressionist oil painting by renowned artist Charles Ragland Bunnell. Created in 1952, this captivating piece features ...

Magenta and white abstract contemporary concentric oval shaped painting by Houston, TX artist David Hardaker. Signed, titled, and dated by the artist on the reverse. Artist Statemen...

Dan McCaw's (US based) "Reverie" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an abstracted figure in an interior setting. Artist Statement: Born: 1942 A solid foundation o...

Artist: Vahagn Ghaltaghchyan Work: Original oil painting, handmade artwork, one of a kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Style: Abstract Art Year: 2023 Title: Mountain of the Bible Size: 36"...

Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...

This striking original abstract oil painting, titled Mesa Verde, was created by artist Wilma Fiori (1929–2019) on November 17, 1988. The piece is a vibrant...

Painting description: This is a new example of my ongoing series, "Intersections". My attempt to capture urban abstraction. Shapes and colors intersect and overlap. With the use of...

This is a unique original acrylic painting on canvas in a fantasy abstract style by Serg Graff Titled "Loop". It comes signed, dated, and with a COA (Certificate of Authenticity). ...

Artist: Voskan Galstian Work: Original Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on linen Year: 2013 Style: Abstract Art, Title: In The Season 2 Size: 47" x 62" x 1.5'...

Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...

"Dancing with" Abstract Acrylic on Linen Painting 46" x 30" inch by Hossam Dirar "Dancing with" (2016) by Hossam Dirar 46” x 30” Mixed media on linen canvas CHAOS This project i...

Richmond Burton’s works are known for their kaleidoscopic color, undulating patterns, and lyrical handling of expressionistic mark making. His Visceral, seductive, and organic compos...

This is a one of a kind original abstract oil painting on panel by Southern California artist, Daniel Ketelhut. Its dimensions are 20" x 20" x 2.5". It is unframed. A certificate of ...

Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...

Jodi Fuchs creates modern abstract expressionistic artworks with undeniable energy. Years of inquiry into the metaphysical aspects of life have influenced her studio practice. This i...

Gestural abstract painting on paper with gold metallic powders and cobalt blue, pastel green, and rust colored enamel paint "New Looking Methods", made in 2022 by Hudson Valley paint...

Colorful abstract painting with geometric details in bright hues of blue, red, green, and yellow, against a black background "Instead", painted by Anne Francey in 2017 Mixed media on Masonite 10 x 10 x 2 inches, sides reveal raw wood Excellent condition, signed verso Ready to hang Anne Francey has been working with subject matter inspired by nature for most of her artistic career. Since the pandemic, this focus has become ever more apparent as her new acrylic paintings on paper demonstrate her intuitive process of reinterpreting literal subjects like leaves, flowers, birds, or bugs into vibrant worlds of layered color. She begins by drawing from life but then allows fluctuating colors, traces of the hand, and evidence of the physical medium to be introduced as the composition evolves and finds its final imprint on the surface. The spontaneity of her process welcomes the unknown, she explains: “The things that moved me first…might have become by now just a faint whispering. But I know that a story is being told, even if I don’t understand yet all the words.” About the artist: Anne Francey was born in 1956 in Grandson, Switzerland. She attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne (ECBA) from 1976 to 1981, where she received a diploma of Fine Arts in painting. In 1981, she moved to New York where she attended the School of Visual Arts and the graduate program of Fine Arts at Hunter College. She graduated in 1987 with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). EDUCATION 1983-1987 Hunter College: Master of Fine Arts, New York EXHIBITIONS (Most recent) 2021 Le Comptoir des Motifs, Artefactory, Geneva, Switzerland, fabric design, group show 2018 Eric Laffer Gallery, Upstate Invitational, 3 person show, Schuylerville, NY The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Configurations, one person show, Troy, NY Carrie Haddad gallery, Ebb and Flow, Hudson, NY Saratoga Arts, Then and Now, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 2017 Byrdcliffe Kleinert/James Center, The Ritual of Construction, group show, Woodstock, NY Carrie Haddad gallery, Summer, group show Thompson Giroux gallery, En Masse, group show Eric Laffer gallery, Winter Show, Schuylerville, NY 2016 Saratoga Arts, 30th Anniversary Invitational, Saratoga Springs, NY Carrie Haddad Gallery, Summer Color, Hudson, NY Laffer Gallery, 5th Annual Juried Group Show, Schuylerville, NY 2015 Carrie Haddad Gallery, Paper, group show, Hudson, NY 2014 Luminarté, Contemporary Islamic Art, group show, Dallas, TX Spring Street Gallery, Where are you from? 3 persons show, Saratoga Spgs, NY Albany Institute of History and Art, Mohawk Hudson Regional, group show NY Albany International Airport, Natural Gestures, 3 persons show Albany, NY Laffer Gallery, Winter show, Schuylerville, NY COMMUNITY MURALS, GRANTS, RESIDENCIES, SYMPOSIUMS, 2021 Community Mural United Nations International school, NY “The Year that Zoomed by” 2020 Fulbright U.S. Scholar award 2020-2021 (travel postponed to 2021-2022) 2019 1001 Hands (“1001 Mains”) Concept, design and direction of a 150 sqft community ceramic mural with 600 participants, Ibn Rachiq Art Center,Tunis, Tunisia. Funded through the US Embassy and the Swiss Embassy in Tunis. Colors of the City, Wall Ceramic and Architecture in Tunis, International symposium, Tunis/Tunisia 1997- 2018 Artist in residence at various schools for the creation of community murals 2018 Bir-el Bey...

Title: Rhyme Series I Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 27 x 35 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This pain...

Lesley Anne Spowart (American, born 1957) "Dog with Pearls" 2021 Acrylic Paint, Mixed Media, Wood Panel The artist signed the bottom left and back of the painting. "Dog with Pearls"...

Artist: Josep Grau-Garriga, Spanish (1929 - ) Title: Untitled, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TX Year: 1971 Medium: Mixed Media and Collage on Paper, signed Size: 25.5 in. x 20 in. (6...

Mary Didoardo Deep Dive, 2022 oil on wood panel 8 x 8 in. (dido093) This small abstract oil painting on wood by Mary Didoardo features he...

Iris Kufert-Rivo describes her work... "pattern and repetition of forms is a subject I’ve pursued for decades. This new set of paintings called The Structure Series is inspired by t...

Roland Ayers (1932-2017). Untitled, 1983. Ink on paper, measures 17 x 23 inches. Unframed and unmounted. Signed and dated lower left. 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...