Vera Simons (1920-2012) Monumental Abstract Painting, 91" X 67.5"

Lot description

Unframed mixed media painting on canvas, Abstract Composition, Vera Simons (Vera Habrecht Simons, German-American, 1920-2012), apparently unsigned, overall: approx 91"h, 67.5"w, 22lbs Provenance: Vera Habrecht Simons (German/American,1920-2012) was an international artist with a varied background in other disciplines which have greatly influenced her artwork. Her work was featured in group shows alongside her contemporaries, Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra, Andy Warhol and Christo. She studied formally at the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis School of Art, the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., and with the artist, Theodore Stamos. During the 1950's she co-founded and owned Winzen Research in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company was dedicated to the design, construction and flight of high altitude plastic research balloons. She is cited by Dr. Tom Crouch of the Smithsonian Institution in the book "The Eagle Aloft: A History of Ballooning in America," as "one of the important early pioneers in the area of plastic balloons." Craig Ryan also mentions her extensively in his book. In 1986, she created a commissioned work for the roof of the National Gallery of Scotland. This work, titled "Aerial Crown", echoed the facade of the Gallery on the central parapet, and was lit from within.