Edvins Strautmanis
30 x 36 inches (framed)
Provenance
Ex. Coll: The artist, 69 Greene Street, New York, NY; to Allan Stone Gallery until 2020.
Edvins Strautmanis
(American, 1933-1992)
Untitled, 1977
Acrylic on newsprint
22 ½ X 28 ¾ inches
30 x 36 inches framed
Signed and dated (at lower left): E. Strautmanis 77
Page 8f / 25f The New York Times, June 20, 1976
red Strautmanis stamp on the reverse:
Edvins Strautmanis / 69 Greene Street / New York, NY / (212)…(illegible).
Framed to museum conservation standards with archival 8 ply white mat, white frame & Tru Vue museum glass
Born in Latvia, Edvins Strautmanis emigrated to Chicago with his family in 1950. Shortly thereafter he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago where he became enamored with Abstract Expressionism, particularly the work of Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning. Before moving to New York Strautmanis exhibited in Chicago.
By 1970 Strautmanis was living in New York. The move to New York was pivotal for him. He began creating large works, usually on the floor, using sweeping, gestural movements - his "calligraphic strokes" using enormous brushes and brooms. The colors are gorgeous, thick and lush and the paint surface has a tactile, experiential quality. Strautmanis's creative force is palpable and speaks to the viewer on emotional and intellectual levels.
Strautmanis enjoyed success as a 2nd generation Abstract Expressionist. He exhibited at the LoGiudice Gallery, Stephen Rosenberg Gallery and was part of legendary Abstract Expressionist dealer Allan Stone's stable of artists. The artist's work is in the collections of the Kunsthaus, Zurich, Switzerland, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University and Ringling Museum, Sarasota.
This 1977 acrylic on newspaper relates closely to paintings on New York Times newsprint by Willem de Kooning. A 22 x 28 ¾ inch composition, Untitled, c. 1977 by de Kooning from the same year, shares many similarities with our painting. Prices for de Kooning's paintings on newspaper range in price from $100,000 to well over $200,000. The colors in our 1977 Strautmanis are lush and unexpected. Beautiful, rich and sensuous purples and cobalt blues are juxtaposed with vibrant yellow, white and black. This work retains all the dynamism of his large-scale canvases. The columns of print type in the background add frisson.