Original 1956 George Ortman Abstract Modernist Wall Sculpture Construction NYC

Description: This listing is for the Original 1956 George Ortman Modernist Construction “A Sweet Woman” pictured above. About this work: An unusual, early construction by important 20th century American artist George Earl Ortman (1926-2015). Titled “A Sweet Woman”, this construction can be dissected into three major parts. The first being the outmost surface, which is slightly concave with rounded edges and composed of painted plaster. The second being a set of thin, rounded white spikes, which emerge from the inner plane and protrude through circular gaps in the outmost surface. The third being the central box, which contains a mesh of painted spheres and cylinders. Ortman’s constructions are both scarce and highly desirable. His work, influenced by geometry and the artist’s endless curiosity, laid the groundwork for Minimalism in the latter half of the 20th century. The work is composed of painted plaster and wood. It is signed and dated by the artist on the reverse. The work also contains its original label from The Alan Gallery in New York City. Provenance: The Alan Gallery, NY; Unknown; Eric Firestone Gallery, NY Size: 12 inches tall by 12 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep About the artist: George Earl Ortman (1926-2015) was an American painter, printmaker, constructionist and sculptor. His work has been referred to as Neo-Dada, pop art, minimalism and hard-edge painting. His constructions, built with a variety of materials and objects, deal with the exploration of visual language derived from geometry - geometry as symbol and sign. Ortman first exhibited in the Salon de Mai in Paris in 1950. Upon his return to New York City he was invited to join the Artist' Club, a meeting place for artists whose members included early proponents of Action painting and Color Field painting. In 1953 he had his first solo exhibition at the Tanager Gallery, one of the Tenth Street a co-operative galleries that together formed an avant-garde alternative to the more conservative 57th Street and Madison Avenue galleries. In 1954, he and actress Julie Bovasso founded the Tempo Playhouse to perform contemporary European playwrights, including the first American showings of Jean Genet, Eugène Ionesco, and Michel de Ghelderode. In 1954 and 1960, he showed simplified geometric constructions at the Stable Gallery. This work was viewed by Donald Judd as a precursor to Minimalism. In July 1960 he married the artist, Conni Whidden. In 1965 Ortman was appointed artist in residence at Princeton University, and was honored with a retrospective at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. In a catalogue essay for an exhibition of Ortman's work at Princeton University in 1967, American poet, Stanley Kunitz, wrote: "Ortman's work could not have been produced except for an artist of bold analytical intelligence, with a sense of the usable past and an inexhaustible curiosity about the way the thing is made, the "sacred mystery." In Arts Yearbook 7 (1964), Donald Judd wrote: "Some of George Ortman's reliefs are three-dimensional enough to be objects. They seem to be games or models for some activity and suggest chance … They suggest probability theory. They are one of the few instances of completely unnaturalist art. They are concerned with a new area of experience, one which is relevant philosophically as well as emotionally." Ortman died on December 16, 2015 at the age of 89. Condition: Good overall condition. Some cracking/lifting to plaster (due to artist’s materials/technique). Scattered small losses to paint/plaster. Scattered small repairs to plaster, primarily along edges. It is ready to be displayed and enjoyed This work will be carefully packed and shipped with insurance and signature confirmation. Free local pick up is also available. International buyers - please note I cannot lower the declared value of the package for customs. I frequently receive messages from people after I sell an item, asking if it is definitely gone. If something catches your eye, don't hesitate to inquire before it is sold! Feel free to ask any questions.

Price: 4950 USD

Location: Morrisville, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2023-10-21T02:40:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD