SONIA SEKULA (American, 1918-1963). Untitled, 1947. Oil, ink, and watercolor on paper. 22 x 29-3/4 inches (55.9 x 75.6 c...

Description

SONIA SEKULA (American, 1918-1963)
Untitled, 1947
Oil, ink, and watercolor on paper
22 x 29-3/4 inches (55.9 x 75.6 cm)
Signed lower left: Sept. 1947 / Sonia Sekula
Paper stamped: VERITABLE PAPIER / D'ARCHES
Inscribed in French along the perimeter of the composition

Sekula is an influential abstract expressionist of the 1940s. She was inspired by Paul Klee (1879-1940), Roberto Matta (1911-2002), Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), and Max Ernst (1891-1976) whom she met at her parents' Park Avenue home throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

Sekula was an active member of the New York School of poets, painters, dancers, and musicians who drew inspiration from Surrealism and contemporary movements such as Abstract Expressionism. In 1947, the year this work was completed, she moved to Monroe Street where her friend, composer John Cage (1912-1922), and dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham (b.1919) also resided. The present example is delicately drafted with biomorphic shapes and a monochromatic palette that recalls the grid-like architecture of New York. The perimeter is surrounded with a dream-like text written by the artist. The incorporation of words and shapes foreshadow the Pop Art movement which began in the late 1950s. In 1948, Sekula began exhibiting with Betty Parson's Gallery which was one of the most prestigious venues for progressive American art in the 1950s.

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