Lot 93
Morris Kantor (Russian-American, 1896-1974). "Proliferous Array" oil on canvas, 1968-1969. Signed and dated by the artist at upper left. An abstract painting by Morris Kantor that demonstrates the artist's mid-century avant-garde aesthetic. The title "Proliferous Array" in conjunction with the stylized biomorphic motifs suggest associations with plants that are budding and sprouting shoots, multiplying to create a "proliferous array" of flora. Kantor also offers the viewer different angles and viewpoints, rendering shapes that conjure sculptural forms that extend beyond the picture plane and suggest movement along with the passage of time. All is delineated in a vibrant palette of violet, lavender peach, spring green, aqua and royal blue hues and set in a custom frame. A striking piece in which Kantor masterfully engaged with Biomorphic Modernism. Size of painting: 55.2" L x 58" W (140.2 cm x 147.3 cm) Size of frame: 56.625" L x 59.5" W (143.8 cm x 151.1 cm)
Born in Minsk, Russia (now Belarus) Morris Kantor immigrated to the United States in 1906 when he was just a child. There is some debate as to whether he was with family or alone, but we know that he was very young, lived in New York City, and earned enough money working in the Garment District to enroll in art school by age 20. Kantor began attending the Independent School of Art in New York in 1916 and went on to teach at Cooper Union during the 1940s and the Art Students League from 1936 to 1972. Many of his students - including Robert Rauschenberg, Knox Martin, Susan Weil, and Sigmund Abeles - became quite famous in their own right.
Kantor maintained a studio in Manhattan, close to Union Square, as well as on Cape Cod in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. During the 1920s, he also worked in Paris. His arts circle included notable modernists such as the sculptor Isamu Noguchi. During the 1930s, Kantor supervised a Federal Arts Project Easel Painting Project in Rockland County, New York. The following decade he spent some summers in Monhegan, Maine, and in the 1960s his work was shown at Bertha Schaefer Gallery in New York City. Kantor's work has also been exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Denver Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and other prestigious institutions. His honors include receiving the Logan Medal of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Temple Medal of the University of Illinois. Kantor's oeuvre was vast and impressive, as he explored numerous styles ranging from realism colored by a hint of Surrealism to abstract movements including Cubism and Futurism.
Provenance: Private M. C. collection, Irvine, California, USA; Ex-Morris Kantor collection
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#168225
- Condition: Signed and dated by the artist at upper left. Also signed by the artist on the verso at upper right. Label on verso with title "Proliferous Array". Painting has a few drip marks and scuffs but is otherwise excellent. Frame is missing gold coverings over three edges (sides and bottom) and has minor scuffs/nicks commensurate with age.
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