Lot 212
Attributed to Paul Forster (American, 1925-2012). Meditation. Oil on board, n.d. A mesmerizing painting by Paul Forster depicting the spiritual moment of an indigenous ritual with 3 meditating figures encircling an ethereal light pierced by a trio of prayer sticks. Illuminated by the apparition, the ceremonial participants wear brilliantly-hued clothing that starkly contrasts the dark surroundings of their wickiup. The turquoise glow of the supernatural light casts them all in shades of bright blue as the man to the left closes his eyes, focusing inward and the central figure gazes out at the viewer, bringing us into this sacred moment. Daylight peaks in through a doorway to the left, displaying a tranquil field and a cyan sky that nearly matches divine glow, suggesting their meditation has conjured a light of celestial origin. Finely rendered with a keen eye for composition and color, Forster's painting is notable not only for his remarkable artistry but also for his ethnographic intentions. Size: 40" W x 30" H (101.6 cm x 76.2 cm)
This painting has been attributed to Paul Forster due to its similarity in style and subject matter to Forster's artworks, as well as the fact that it is currently owned by a prominent collector of Paul Forster's work. Forster was an artist-as-ethnographer who aimed to preserve indigenous culture with his art. At the age eight, Paul Forster became the youngest member of the Albright Art Gallery Association in Buffalo, New York and also started studying at the Museum School with watercolorist Robert Blair. During World War II, Forster served in the Army Air Corps, and in 1952, he graduated from Brigham Young University with a Fine Arts Degree. In the late 1950s, Forster had a studio in Nevada painted murals for the Mormon Church. In the early 1960s, he taught art and became Chairman of the Art Department of the L.D.S. Schools of the South Pacific in Tonga. In 1969 he left Brigham Young University to paint full time. For the greater part of the next decade, Forster traveled throughout the American Southwest in an Airstream trailer to paint. In time, he moved to Oregon followed by Kansas City, but eventually returned to Arizona.
Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010
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#175932
- Condition: A few minor nicks to outer edges of board, but painting is otherwise in excellent condition. Pair of old collection labels on verso.
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