Wednesday, January 9, 2008

abstract tangle

One of many—a recurring Flora motif. There's something jazz-like about these images, as if the artist were jamming on a canvas, creating rhythmic design. This untitled 10 x 8 tempera, discovered in a sketchbook, dates from the early to mid-1960s. There are dozens of sketchbooks in the collection, spanning the early 1940s to the month of Flora's death in July 1998. Aside from pen and pencil project drafts, the books contain numerous fully rendered (and often signed) paintings and drawings. It's possible that no one—including the artist's family—has previously beheld the vast majority of these works.

4 comments:

Ernie said...

For some reason, this piece reminds me of those mobiles by, ummm, some artist. Hold on while I consult Google...

Alexander Calder, that's the guy. I can imagine each of the organic shapes in the Flora design spinning on it's own axis, revealing some odd 3D shape as it rotates. Maybe I'm just high on glue or something...

Irwin Chusid said...

Good eye, Ern. Actually, there's more Calder influence evident in this image and this one.

And that's not glue—it's lighter fluid.

Barbara Economon said...

Ernie, I look at these "Calder-like" works and want (so badly) for them to become three-dimensional pieces, moving, spinning, etc., -- I mean, who wouldn't want a Flora-made (or inspired) mobile in their lives -- yikes, I know that *I* would.

Ernie said...

Shame Hunter Thompson isn't around. I'm sure he'd be able to fix you up with something that would make these things come alive. :)

More seriously, I wonder if anyone has actually looked at creating a 3-D version of any of these? Hmmmm....