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Item Ships From: Continental US
Antique American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Large Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist abstract expressionist large oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 31H by 41L.
Category
1960s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Oversized Large Abstract Multi Figural "We Are The Star Stars "Painting
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
4067 Surreal multi figural Star Stars painting
unframed
Category
1960s Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil
Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever (Grammy, Album Art, Music, Iconic, Disco)
By Kerry Smith
Located in Kansas City, MO
Kerry Smith
Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
Mixed Media on Crescent board
Year: 2022
Size: 21x20in
Signed, dated by hand
COA provided
Ref.: 924802-1625
*Black frame with a mirror-gl...
Category
2010s Pop Art Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache, Board
The Disciples
By David Stern
Located in New York, NY
David Stern (Germany, b. 1956)
Acrylics on canvas
71 inches by 81 inches
Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available
Keywords: red, abs...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Intimate IV
Located in Atlanta, GA
A rhythm exists here on the farm, beginning with the sunrise and the sounds of nature awakening. My art is a reaction to this sense of place. Whether I’m in the studio, tending to th...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Dye, Emulsion, Cotton Canvas, Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic...
Hunt Slonem "Blue Ascension Easter" Metallic Butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem "Blue Ascension Easter" Metallic Butterflies
Blue and white butterflies on a silver background
Canvas 60 x 60 inches
Unframed (framing options available)
Hunt Slonem is...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Intersecting Magic Square
By Charmion von Wiegand
Located in New York, NY
Charmion von Wiegand
Intersecting Magic Square, ca. 1963
Gouache on paperboard
Signed and titled on the back of the artwork. The signature shown on the frame back is a photo of the actual signature on the artwork itself.
Frame Included: elegantly floated and framed in hand made white wood museum frame with UV plexiglass
This work is signed and titled on the back of the artwork itself. The signature shown on the back of the frame is a photo of the actual signature, since the actual pencil signature and title is on the artwork itself, which can't be seen within the frame
Measurements:
Frame:
21 x 17 x 1.5 inches
Artwork:
18 x 14.25 inches
The Estate of the celebrated artist Charmion Von Wiegand has been represented exclusively by Michael Rosenfeld...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Handmade Paper, Mixed Media, Pencil
Wave - abstract painting, made in ultramarine blue, grey color
By Mila Akopova
Located in Fort Lee, NJ
Interior design paintings. The work was done with alcohol ink in ultramarine blue and grey color on Yupo paper. The work is 11 by 14 inches in size, framed (gold or black) with a sty...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Journeys, Abstract Painting
By Pat Forbes
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Part of Pat Forbes's ongoing "Journey" series of modern abstract paintings, evoking our colorful and complex life paths. "Life offers us many choices," she sa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
The Maze - Original Acrylic Artwork on Canvas
By Ricky Hunt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ricky Hunt’s work is influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphs, graffiti, and his tumultuous past that led to a paradigm shift in his creative life. He covers the canvas with unique imagery...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Xavi Carbonell, Untitled mixed media on paper, 2024
By Xavi Carbonell
Located in New York, NY
Spanish artist Xavi Carbonell born 1971, actively paints like a child as an adult, and leaves all of his pieces "untitled" so that each viewer can create their own story. The result...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Photographic Film, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Per...
Hunt Slonem "Blue Moon" Single Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem "Blue Moon" Single Bunny
A single rabbit gestured in black on a blue background in a vintage frame
Unframed: 8 x 6 inches
Framed: 11 x 9 inches
*Painting is framed - Ple...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Panel
"N.Y." Contemporary Abstract Pink and Orange Concentric Circle Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Pink and orange abstract contemporary circular painting by Houston, TX artist David Hardaker. Signed, titled, and dated by the artist on the reverse.
Artist Statement: The work is ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
Landscape
By Andre Elbaz
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Andre Elbaz (b.1934). Landscape, ca. 1980 . Oil on card panel, image measures 14 x 20 inches; 18.5 x 24.5 inches framed. Signed lower right. Excellent condition.
André Elbaz (born April 26, 1934, El Jadida, Morocco) is a famous Moroccan painter and filmmaker.
Elbaz studied art and theatre in Rabat and Paris from 1950 to 1961. He started painting only at the age of 21, until which age he had been interested mainly in theatre. A few years later, he managed to combine his two passions into a new approach in art-therapy, inventing together with his wife, a psychiatrist, the Pictodrame, which brought him world recognition.
His first exhibition, which was very successful, took place in Casablanca in 1961 and earned him an appointment as Professor at the Beaux-Arts school in Casablanca. Years later, in 1976, he exhibited his paintings at the Tel-Aviv Museum.
In parallel to his career as a painter, Elbaz is also known as a filmmaker. He produced several short films in France, Canada and the United States. One of them, La nuit n'est jamais complète (The night is never complete), won a prize at the "5th Biennale de Paris in 1967" .[citation needed] Among the themes chosen for the many films he produced, there was a short one about the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, as well as a series of drawings entitled Seuls (Alone), with texts written by both Elie Wiesel...
Category
1970s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Masonite
Echoes
Located in New York, NY
John Vitale works on many canvases at once, moving between them, adding brushstrokes in acrylic paint, house paint and mark making with pencil and China markers. His process is intui...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
House Paint, Acrylic, Pencil
The Stars Are Screaming Beneath the Lies
Located in New York, NY
John Vitale works on many canvases at once, moving between them, adding brushstrokes in acrylic paint, house paint and mark making with pencil and China markers. His process is intui...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
House Paint, Acrylic, Pencil
The Wellspring - Abstract Contemporary Dynamic Expressive Colorful Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil
"Geometric 3077" Abstract Mixed Media Layered Composition on Baltic Birch Panel
By Christie Owen
Located in New York, NY
This piece depicts an abstract composition with the use of mixed media and bold patterns producing a work that is visually textured and rich with layers, as Owen creates an intricate geometric minimalistic composition. Even though this work has a rustic and heavily textured quality, the final result is intended to appear quiet to reflect a more minimal outlook on life and art. Creating a piece that allows us to escape the technological realm, contemplate modern living and nature and then communicate how each domain influences another. Her piece aims to engage the viewer with an emotional and environmental disposition that evokes a sense of balance and tranquility in the modern world. This unique work is executed on 1.5 depth baltic birch panel, and signed and titled by the artist on verso.
Art measures 36 x 36 inches
A native New Yorker, Christie Owen...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Resin, Pencil
Vintage Modernist oil Painting "Dancing Together" Figurative Painting
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
6004 Vintage modernist oil painting on artist board displayed in a gilt wood frame os a dancing couple.
Signed lower left by M.Barak.
Category
1980s Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil
Antique American New England Fall Impressionist Framed Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American impressionist landscape painting by Will S. Taylor (Born 1882). Oil on board. Framed. Signed. Image size, 12 by 13 inches.
Category
1970s Modern Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Masonite
Joan Miro. Original single piece mixed technique painting
By Joan Miró
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Joan Miro. Original single piece mixed technique painting
Joan Miro Ferra
1893-1983
Original Study for “EL GOLAFRE ".NOT SIGNED
1979
Unique.
Gouache, lithotint and crayon on paper
...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Gouache
Ruz 127 Golden Black Big Dejame - original abstract acrylic canvas painting
By Rafael Ruz
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Dejame - original abstract acrylic canvas painting. framed
, Rafael (Barcelona 1956)
While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to talk about real ‘psychodrama’, in t...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Antique American School Mid Century Abstract Expressionist Kulicke Frame Signed
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist abstract oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 12H by 16L.
Category
1960s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
For simplicity’s sake, Contemporary, classic, Triptych, white on white, 3 panels
By Juanita Bellavance
Located in Cumming, GA
Clean and refreshing. Easy on the eyes yet distinct in a classic appeal. White on white has the subtlety of a quiet personality in a room full of people. When it speaks everyone li...
Category
2010s Abstract Impressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Sunflowers of Provence, Abstract Expression 20th C/early 21st C Scottish
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Abstract expression of the Sunflowers in Provence sets the traditional fields ablaze with orange. Painted by Scottish artist Sheila McNab MacMillan, who is known for bold outlines of...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Garden Flowers Variegated - Cool Tone Floral Still Life on Canvas
By Maria C. Bernhardsson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Maria C Bernhardsson's original artworks are influenced by the architecture and geometry of houses. Born in Sweden, Bernhardsson travels the world photographing and sketching houses ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Speedy Snoopy (Original Artwork On Wood Panel)
By Mauro Oliveira
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**END OF THE YEAR SUPER SALE UNTIL DEC. 31ST**
*This Price Won't Be Repeated Again Next Year - Take Advantage Of It*
Speedy Snoopy by Mauro Oliveira, signed. Abstract paint...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Neon Valley - Abstract Colorful Original Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elisabeth Grace, a visionary artist based in Denver, CO (USA), is renowned for her immersive large-scale paintings, collages, murals, and installation art. With a BA in oil painting ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Canvas
"Branches in Bloom" French Vase with Colorful Flowers Oil Painting on Linen
Located in New York, NY
An impressionistic depiction of a Saint-Cloud factory porcelain vase ca. 1695–1710 with a burst of flowers exploding with color and bold marks. Alfaro bridges the Baroque cultural mo...
Category
2010s Abstract Impressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
Color Film - Textural Abstract Geometric Colorful Oil Painting
By Petra Rös-Nickel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Reconstruction, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Several shades of blue sweep across a lightly textured background. Bits of orange highlight the focal point, adding warmth to the composition. Sections of gray ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
'Solarium', by Anthony Dyke, Oil on Canvas Painting, 2022
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Anthony Dyke's "Solarium," a 74 x 48 x 1.25 inch oil on canvas painting, references solar flares in its use of shape and color. The bright values of yellows, reds and blues surround a large red circular shape. The bright color wavelengths give this painting a vibrational energy.
Anthony Dyke was born in Norwich, Vermont and attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University earning a BFA and MFA in painting. As an artist and arts educator, he relocated from New York City to his down¬town Oklahoma City studio, working there for two decades before returning to Boston in 2020. Coming from VERMONT where the seasons are distinctly different from one another. My shift from a pastoral setting to an urban environment set up a dichotomy in my work, both visual and emotional. I have an extensive education in painting, photography, graphic design and figure sculpture. These mediums intersect in my work through many years of creating artworks and currently speak to my interest in abstract painting. During my senior year in the BFA Program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, my large painting “Natole” was chosen by Frank Stella (the juror) into the highly competitive and prestigious Dana Pond...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary Composition of Guitar, Composition a la guitar, Georges Terzian.
By Georges Terzian
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
Composition à la guitare is a vibrant and visually captivating work that exemplifies Georges Terzian’s distinctive style. Known for his love of color and complex compositions, Terzia...
Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Dancing Light" Large Contemporary Colorful Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Contemporary colorful painting by Houston-based artist Peter Healy. The work features expressive pink, blue, yellow, and red strokes against a light gray background. Signed, titled, ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition (III) in Acrylic on Board
Located in Soquel, CA
Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Board
Textured and detailed abstract composition by Loretta Burton Youngman (American, b. 1943). Teal and charcoal blue pat...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Plaster, Glaze, Acrylic
Boundless Flight I - Original Minimalist Blue Landscape Mountains Artwork
By Peter Kuttner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The organic aesthetic and textures of Peter Kuttner’s original boho minimalist artworks are the result of patient layering and unique uses of media. Through a combination of collage ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Detritus Series 1, Acrylic Abstract Painting by Juan Sanchez Juarez
By Juan Sanchez Juarez
Located in Long Island City, NY
Detritus Series 1
Juan Sánchez Juárez, Mexican (1946)
Acrylic on Canvas, signed l.r.
Size: 48 x 60 in. (121.92 x 152.4 cm)
Category
1980s Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
1959 Geometric Abstraction by Francis Almeida Luzzatto
Located in New York, NY
Francis Almeida Luzzatto (American, 1935-1999)
Untitled, 1959
Oil on canvas
40 x 48 1/2 in.
Signed and dated lower right: Luzzatto 59
Partial label verso: The Art Rental Gallery, Wa...
Category
1950s Abstract Geometric Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Vintage Signed American School Modernist Abstract Cubist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very impressive signed 1967 abstract landscape. Appears to be an abstract coastal scene. Framed.
Category
1960s Cubist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Composition in Oil Pastel on Cardboard
By Honora Berg
Located in Soquel, CA
Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Composition in Oil Pastel on Cardboard
San Francisco Bay area abstract expressionist composition by Ho...
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil Pastel, Cardboard
Large Antique American Abstract Expressionist Vintage Signed Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract cubist oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed. Signed.
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Harmonia 39-6" Contemporary Abstract Blue Framed Acrylic on Canvas Painting
By David Skillicorn
Located in Baltimore, MD
"Harmonia 39-6" is a framed acrylic painting on canvas by David Skillicorn, featuring four elongated, organic blue forms set against a deep blue background. The contrast between the ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
Song of the Sea - Large Contemporary Cubist Colorful Green Oil Painting Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Harrison Gilman graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In 2018 his artworks were exhibited at the We Rise Art Fair in Los Angeles alongside Shepard Fairey ...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Princess /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Painting Grace Kelly Abstract Colorful
By Jack Graves III
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-)
Title: "Princess"
Series: Eclecticism
*Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso
Year: 2024
Medium: Origi...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
Hypnosis
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler’s dazzling contemporary water reflection acrylic paintings bridge realism with abstraction. Up close, the paintings appear ambiguous and loose, yet with a little di...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Yeah - Minimalist Abstract Painting on Natural Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Taylour Martin creates captivating abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas, showcasing a dynamic interplay of emotions and colors. Martin's art is a reflection ...
Category
2010s Minimalist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil
The Red Cloth 146- Minimalist Figurative Romantic Original Ink Painting on Paper
By Bettina Mauel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers and people ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite
Hiking up the Turquoise Mountain
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Lynn Sanders is an artist excited by beauty: architecture, foliage, landscapes, seascapes, interiors. She finds palettes and shapes in her environment and propels them into her work,...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
Antique American Modernist New York Cityscape Silver Leaf Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist cityscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Measuring 27 by 33 inches overall and 23 by 29 painting alone. In excellent original condition. Handsomely f...
Category
1940s Modern Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
When I See You I Smile - Large Original Beige Abstract Graffiti Artwork
By Amber Goldhammer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Category
2010s Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
"breathe out", Abstract, Figurative Painting, Black, Red, Grey
By 108 (Guido Bisagni)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This black, red, and beige abstract painting titled "breathe out" is an original artwork by 108 made of paint on paper. This piece measures 12"h x 12"w.
108 is an Italian artist in ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paint, Paper
Glow 2, fantasy landscape, pink, blue, luminous, sunset, waterfall
By Juanita Bellavance
Located in Cumming, GA
"Glow 2" transports viewers into a mesmerizing fantasy landscape, where the boundaries of reality blur with the ethereal. Dominated by hues of pink ...
Category
2010s Abstract Impressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Expressionist Painting American Late 1960's Mid Century New York Brown
Located in Buffalo, NY
Mid Century Modern, American Abstract Expressionist Painting on Masonite.
This wonderful work in hues of blue comes house in a contemporary natural wood frame presentation..
The ar...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Masonite, Acrylic
Matilda Mother
Located in New York, NY
John Vitale works on many canvases at once, moving between them, adding brushstrokes in acrylic paint, house paint and mark making with pencil and China markers. His process is intui...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
House Paint, Acrylic, Pencil
Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Framed Original Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract cubist oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed.
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Hyperion Study" acrylic on canvas on wood panel
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Bret Hansen originally from Baltimore, Maryland is a painter and graphic designer based in Los Angeles, California.
His design career spans art direction roles in publishing, brandi...
Category
2010s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Tablescape (Mid-Century Abstract, Cubist Still Life Painting in Grey & Blue)
By Lionel Gilbert
Located in Hudson, NY
Tablescape (Mid-Century Modern Abstract and Cubist Style Oil Painting on canvas) by New York School Painter and WPA artist, Lionel Gilbert
Mid century modern, abstracted still life p...
Category
1960s Cubist Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Improvisation abstract African-American artist painting.
By Roland Ayers
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
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...
Category
1980s Abstract Continental US - Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
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