Robert Kushner (b. 1949) Two Birds, 1979 Acrylic on linen 68 x 121 inches (172.7 x 307.3 cm) PROVENANCE: Holly Solomon Gallery, New York; Private collection, Geneva, acquired from the above. EXHIBITED: Dominican Convent, Sparkill, New York, 1979; Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, " Robert Kushner," October 27-November 20, 1979; Museum of Modern Art, New York, "An International Survey of Recent Paintings and Sculpture," May 17-August 19, 1984. LITERATURE: Museum of Modern Art, An International Survey of Recent Paintings and Sculpture, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1984. NOTE: A native of Pasadena, California, Robert Kushner co-founded the "Pattern and Decoration Movement" during the 1970s. Drawing on a range of influences, including European textiles and the art of Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pierre Bonnard, Tawaraya Sotatsu, and Qi Baishi, Kusher creates intricate paintings on canvas, fabric, and antique book pages, as well as large-scale mosaics. His work is characterized by rich color harmonies and bold, fluid drawing, combining natural and representational elements with abstract, geometric forms in a way that is both decorative and modernist. Kushner emphasizes, "I never get tired of pursuing new ideas in the realm of ornamentation on which the eye can wander and the mind can think, unencumbered and expansively." According to the artist, Two Birds, 1979, is from a series of paintings based on books of popular Chinese motifs. HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved See More