Ed Moses - Moby Dick, 2000
Ed Moses - Moby Dick, 2000
Ed Moses (American, 1926-2018)
Moby Dick, 2000
Acrylic on canvas
66 x 54 1/2 inches (167.6 x 138.4 cm)
Signed, dated, titled, and inscribed on the reverse by the artist
About the Work
An exceptional museum-scale original painting by one of the most influential figures in postwar California abstraction. Executed in 2000 during one of Moses' most celebrated mature periods, Moby Dick exemplifies his relentless pursuit of innovation and his refusal to repeat himself over a career spanning more than six decades.
The composition is a dramatic orchestration of sweeping black gestures, luminous white passages, translucent veils of paint, and vibrant bands of magenta, punctuated by flashes of turquoise and yellow. The energetic surface shifts between controlled structure and spontaneous movement, creating a painting that continually reveals new relationships with each viewing. Monumental in both scale and presence, Moby Dick possesses the visual authority expected of important contemporary museum works.
Unlike the artist's editions and works on paper, this is a unique, one-of-a-kind original painting executed directly on canvas.
Exhibition History
Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, California
Oh Ed and Bjork
December 2, 2000 - January 9, 2001
Robert Green Fine Arts, Mill Valley, California
Ed Moses
February 3 - April 4, 2004
Provenance
Private Collection, Dallas.
Condition
The painting presents beautifully with exceptional color, surface quality, and visual impact. Remains on its original canvas and is ready for display. Please review all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description. Additional high-resolution images available upon request.
About the Artist
Ed Moses (1926-2018) was one of the defining painters of postwar Los Angeles and a founding member of the influential Ferus Gallery, alongside Ed Ruscha, Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, and Ken Price. Throughout his career, Moses became renowned for continually reinventing his artistic language, making each series distinct while maintaining an unmistakable vitality and originality.
His work is represented in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, LACMA, The Broad, SFMoMA, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, among others.