Charles Biederman, born Karel Joseph Biederman (American, 1906-2004). Painted aluminum 'Structurist Relief' sculpture titled "Untitled (#2)" depicting a three-dimensional geometric abstract composition in bright colors against a solid white background, 1989. Signed, dated 1989 and 1991, and titled along the verso. The artwork comes with a custom-built crate for shipping.

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 similar to the artwork offered here 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.

Artwork; height: 43 in x width: 32 in x depth: 10 1/2 in. Crate; height: 55 1/4 in x width: 43 3/4 in x depth: 19 in.

All pieces are firmly attached and the artwork is stable. There are minute pinpricks along the surface with paint loss, possibly original due to the material. One of the red squares, middle right of the composition, has a small paint loss along the edge; visible in the second photo. Along the recto there is some wear and discoloration, possibly original to the artwork. Please note that a custom crate is included for shipping; not photographed.