Saturday, September 5, 2009

Maude Kerns ~ Composition #22, Sharpness compare with earlier works



Maude Kerns is most well known for her "non-objective" art as seen here in Composition #22, Sharpness. However, at various times, mostly early in her career, Kerns also painted landscapes and portraits. She also did some woodcuts along the way. Today's post is a compendium of these works. Later in the week, I'll post a grouping of her abstracts.

LANDSCAPES


Eastern Oregon, Oil


Provincetown, Watercolor 1939


Untitled (Seascape), Oil c. 1900


American Nomads


Chicago, Waterercolor 1939


PORTRAITS
Old Woman, Woodcut


We Three Woodcut


Edith Kerns Chambers– Edith Chambers was Maude Kerns sister. At one point Maude made the decision to stay in Eugene to care for her sister and mother after her sister's husband had died. So even though she didn't marry and have those obligations, she did limit her ability to move with complete mobility in the art world. In 1951, Mark Rothko commented on her paintings and said "that she should have had the courage to stay in the East and join the avant-garde, she remarked 'Of course, he did not know that a woman can't just do as she wants to.'"


Frank Chambers Maude Kerns' brother-in-law


Royal

1 comment:

Gary said...

From this selection of Maude Kerns work, it looks like blue may have been a favorite color.