Abstract Composition
Mixed media, 24 x 18 inches, c. 1949.
This unusual work was inspired, at least according to Rae Solowey, by a landmark Matisse retrospective held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1948. the exhibition had made a great impact on Ben and perhaps he saw how matisse evolved from traditional painting, in to a more modern abstract style. I doubt Ben ever considered not doing representational work, and indeed he thought many contemporary artists were “laughing up their sleeves” in their work because they could not draw. That was obviously not the case with Matisse, and perhaps that led Ben to want to experiment. He drew this work that shows the back of his easel using abstract shapes similar to the ones he had on rugs in the studio. Ben never exhibited this work and we’ve only exhibited this work twice over the years. First in 1997 in our Flights of Fancy exhibitions, and again in 2001 in our show on the modernist impulse in Ben’s work. Our still life show seemed like the right time to bring this experimental work out again after 13 years.
