George Morrison (1919–2000) was one of the most significant yet often underrecognized figures in twentieth-century American art. A member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe), Morrison became known for his richly textured abstract paintings and later for his celebrated wood collages inspired by the rugged shoreline of Lake Superior. After studying at the Art Students League in New York, he became part of the city’s vibrant postwar art scene, exhibiting alongside many of the leading Abstract Expressionists. While his Indigenous heritage informed his deep appreciation for the natural world, Morrison resisted being defined solely as a Native American artist, preferring to be recognized first and foremost for the strength and originality of his modernist vision. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: George Morrison, The Antagonist→
There’s something quietly unsettling about Winter Twilight (1930) by Charles E. Burchfield — a winter scene that feels less like a peaceful evening and more like a moment suspended in uneasy silence. The painting depicts a snow-covered road at dusk, but instead of warmth or nostalgia, the scene leans into isolation and quiet tension. What strikes me immediately is how cinematic and moody it feels — almost like a haunted version of a Edward Hopper streetscape.
The street appears largely deserted, blanketed in mostly undisturbed snow. A storefront glows brightly, where two bundled pedestrians appear to be window shopping — one of the only signs of life in an otherwise still environment. Nearby, another lone figure stands facing the street, back turned to the pair, adding to the sense of emotional distance and disconnection. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Charles Burchfield, Winter Twilight→
Created in 1954, No Passing reflects artist Kay Sage’s mature style — a stark, architectural surrealism built from scaffolding-like structures, draped forms, and wide, empty expanses that feel both constructed and abandoned. The composition suggests barriers, boundaries, and restriction, with vertical elements that resemble incomplete buildings or skeletal frameworks. Fabric-like shapes appear suspended or stretched across the space, as if something is being concealed or held in place. No Passing feels exactly like its title — a visual barrier, a place where movement stops and entry is denied Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Kay Sage, No Passing→
Karl Wirsum (1939 – 2021) used the clean style of commercial graphics and the abstracted form of a dissected frog Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1968). who used this painting as the cover for his album Because Is In Your Mind (1970). Best known fir his 1956 song “I Put a Spell On You” and his sensational live performances, Hawkins appears here in full song, raining amoeba-shaped sweat down on a man wearing “armpit rubber,” like old fashioned galoshes, to keep the moisture at bay.
