Editorial : Recommendations
< Return

Lorser Feitelson
at Louis Stern Fine Art, West Hollywood, California
Recommendation by Elenore Welles


Lorser Feitelson, 'Untitled (January 30),' 1971, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60'

In 1934 Lorser Feitelson, together with his wife Helen Lundeburg, founded Subjective Classicism, otherwise known as Post Surrealism.  He also was a pioneer in the development of Abstract Classicism, a form of Hard Edge painting that was notable for being distinguished from East Coast Abstract Expressionism. Featured in LACMA’S 1959 exhibit “Four Abstract Classicists,” Feitelson was instrumental in putting Los Angeles on the map as a center of avant garde art. His distinctive sense of space and form, associated with traditional Classicism, remained intact throughout his career. This show focuses on Feitelson’s late paintings, and the selections here show how his artistic development went through a process of reduction, a gradual descent from austere geometric forms to the inclusion of graceful lines that rhythmically spiral and dance through space. Although Feitelson intended his configurations to metaphorically express “ominously magnificent and terrifying events,” that dire sentiment is difficult to envision when contemplating his minimalist reflections on line and color. His use of undulating colored lines against  solid  backgrounds, or curvilinear evocations of black on black are more readily conducive to meditation. Elements from his Hard Edge period, however, can be found in boldly colored geometric renditions, their harsh contrasts softened by the  sinuous lines that float and loop  through them. At the same time, it is testament to Feitelson’s harmonious balance that the eye is also drawn to the empty spaces that surround them. Although the reflective qualities  of his works may offer paths to emotional response, they ultimately stem from Feitelson’s critical assessment of form and space.

Published courtesy of ArtScene ©2009

Louis Stern Fine Arts

Galleries & Museums
Complete guide to fine art venues of the Western United States
By venue name:
# | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
Arizona Nevada New Mexico Texas Utah Colorada Wyoming Idaho Montana Oregon Washington Southern California Northern California Illinois




© 2024 Visual Art Source. All Rights Reserved.

Web Analytics