Early Abstracts (1945-1956)
Ary's painting had undergone a radical change.
This had been brewing ever since the early part of World War II. Ary was,
of course, profoundly shaken by the war, by the enormity and brutality and
hideousness of it, and especially by the tragic fate of six million Jews.
He was in an emotional upheaval that affected every phase of his being, and
of course this included walks we would take in Central Park on Sunday afternoons;
we would wind up in some secluded spot and then Ary would give voice to his
thoughts and feelings. He would say, "I cannot
continue to paint the way I have been doing, I am sure that every creative
person will have to make some change. For me, the world of surface realities
is no longer paintable. For nothing is as it formerly seemed. It is not the
surface of things—the
look of things—that is real—it is that which is hidden beneath
the surface—an inner reality of some sort that is real. And that is
what I must search for. I can no longer set up a still-life, or paint the
view of a city street, no matter how much of my own perception and sensitivity
I put into the painting. I shall have to dig down deep within myself—back
to my subconscious, if possible—and bring out what will be an inner
reality."
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Land of
Poco Tempo
1945,
oil on canvas,
29 3/4 x 23 3/4 in.,
[Private Collection]
Prismatic Vision
1945,
oil on canvas,
28 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.,
[Private Collection]
Fantasy
1946,
oil on canvas,
24 x 30 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Walpurgisnacht
1946,
oil on canvas,
24 x 28 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Cinematography
1948,
oil on canvas,
30 x 40 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Gold and Blue
1948,
acrylic over earlier oil,
27 x 21 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
House and Cliff
1948,
oil on canvas,
20 x 24 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Tapestry #1
1948,
oil on canvas,
36 x 26 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Allegretto
1949,
oil on canvas,
13 1/8 x 14 in.,
[Private Collection]
Jazz
1949,
oil on canvas,
22 x 18 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Jazz
1949,
oil on canvas,
24 x 19 1/2
in.,
[Private Collection]
Obligato (Ode to Night)
1949,
oil on canvas,
21 x 20 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Corner of Space Laboratory
1950,
oil on canvas,
24 x 18 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Dancing Forms
1950,
oil on canvas,
36 x 30 in.,
[Private Collection]
Fire Dance
1950,
oil on canvas,
28 1/4 x 24 3/8 in.,
[Private Collection]
Interlacing Colors
1950,
oil on canvas,
20 x 24 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Oncoming Dream
1950,
oil on canvas,
[Foundation Collection]
Untitled
1950,
oil on canvas,
26 x 38 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Remembrance
1951,
oil on canvas,
24 x 20 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Rhythms in Gray
1951,
oil on canvas,
44 x 36 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Rondo
1951,
oil on canvas,
30 x 24 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Strange World
1951,
oil on canvas,
48 x 36 in.,
[Private Collection]
Vista Mystique
1951,
oil on canvas,
30 x 40 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Blue Accent
1952,
oil on canvas,
40 x 30 in.,
[Private Collection]
Untitled
1952,
oil on canvas,
18 x 15 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Anguish
1953,
oil on canvas,
14 x 12 in.,
[Private Collection]
Calligraphics
1953,
oil on canvas,
20 x 32 in.,
[Foundation Collection]
Chinese Poem
1953,
oil on canvas,
20 x 32 in.,
[Museum Collection]
Door to the Sea
1953,
oil on canvas,
78 1/4 x 40 3/8 in.,
[Private Collection]
Imagery
1953,
oil on canvas,
40 x 30 in.,
[Museum Collection]
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