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Revere Auctions
Live Auction

2nd Annual Minnesota Art and History

Wed, May 17, 2023 11:00AM EDT
Lot 511

Charles Biederman Abstract Ink Drawing 1935

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $25
$300 $50
$1,000 $100
$3,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$500,000 $25,000
$1,000,000 $50,000
$10,000,000 $100,000
Charles Biederman, born Karel Joseph Biederman (American, 1906-2004). Green, blue, and black ink on paper abstract drawing, 1935. Dated 11/35 along the lower right.

Lot Essay:
Born to Czech parents in Cleveland in 1906, Biederman was involved in the American art scene for his entire life. He briefly studied at the Cleveland Art Institute and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) before dropping out and moving to New York. It was there that he met and was included in shows with other influential artists of the time including Alexander Calder, John Ferren, George L.K. Morris, and Charles Green Shaw.

For nine months from 1936-37 Biederman studied in Paris. It was here that he met and was influenced by leading artists including Picasso, Mondrian, and Miro. He was initially influenced by the works of Fernand Leger before moving away from his style and towards totally abstract, geometric compositions. The movements of Cezanne, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism informed the evolution of his style. And while he started out painting, he abandoned two-dimensional for more sculptural works by 1937.

In 1941 he married Mary Moore Biederman and in the following year he moved to Red Wing, Minnesota, where he would spend the rest of his life. In the 1950s, he created the term "Structurism" to help define his works from Constructivism and De Stijl. Many prominent collections around the world contain Structurist Reliefs including The Whitney Art Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Tate, London.

In 2004, Beiderman died at the age of 98 and his estate was subsequently given to the Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus. They have organized traveling exhibitions of his works.

Sight; height: 13 in x width: 11 in. Framed; height: 17 in x width: 13 in.

Condition

No visible tears, creases, or losses. No visible sign of restoration under UV light. Due to the original color of the sheet, it is difficult to discern whether the sheet is toned. There are minute light brown spots throughout; however, it is difficult to discern if it is the original design of the paper or foxing. The color is bold and bright. Along the margins, there is light browning and there are a few areas with light soling. The verso could not be inspected. Not inspected out of frame. Very light wear to the frame.

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