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oil paint canvas
Currently on view at Mint Museum--UPTOWN
Gift of halley k harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld
"I found a wonderful phrase . . . which I think states the nature of my painting in a most exact way: “The Structure of Becoming.” . . . My paintings are always concerned with the most minute relationships and structure, yet always remain in flux, in a state of becoming, never (in spite of the intensity and detail) to arrive at a final recognizable form." -Charles Seliger, 1980 Charles Seliger was one of the youngest, most perceptive, and most talented artists working in the stimulating environment of the New York art world in the 1940s. By his late teenage years, he had acquired a strong working knowledge of early twentieth century modernism but was particularly fascinated by Surrealism, which he encountered in books and at the galleries of Pierre Matisse, Julien Levy, and Peggy Guggenheim (who had given him his first solo exhibition, at age 19, in 1945). The fantastic imagery, inventive processes, and creative freedom that characterized Surrealism inspired Seliger to develop his own mature style between 1942 and 1950. "Metamorphosis" is an excellent example of the artist’s work from this era. It features a spiraling biomorphic form which appears to be in a state of flux, partially buried under the ground, partly emerging into the atmosphere above. The painting exemplifies Seliger’s signature blend of automatism and technical sensitivity.
Accession Number: 2016.4
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