A colorful Mid-century modern expressionist work, signed and dated, Mednis 1966.

A Sydney terrace scene, with a harbor and ship visible between colorful houses. The vigorous application of paint - dropped, brushed and dragged over the board - conjures atmospheric energy. The air seems alive with movement and you can well imagine a busy harbor-side suburb on a windy day.

Mednis chose a beautifully balanced primary color palette and applied it with spontaneity. In spite of this free application of paint, the composition is remarkably harmonious.

Karlis Mednis (1910-1999) worked and exhibited in Australia and the US. His style changed radically over his lifetime as he experimented with method, materials, the expression of the paint itself, and with color.

This painting has a mid-century modernist aesthetic. Framed in a linen mount with silver foiled frame of the period. The frame somewhat scuffed.

About the artist:

Born in Penza, Russia, Karlis Mednis (1910–99) studied painting at the Riga School of Art in Latvia during 1937–40. He arrived in Australia soon after World War II, in 1949, where he practiced as both a painter and stage designer. During his lifetime, Mednis showed his paintings in more than 40 exhibitions in Australia and America.

MEASURES:

66cm H x 79cm W x 5cm D

CONDITION:

The whole painting and frame have been carefully cleaned. Craquelure is evident in the painting surface but the whole is stable and there are no losses. There are however some losses to the silver foil on the outer frame.