Peter Busa (American, 1914-1985). Oil painting on board depicting an abstract expressionist color scape of vibrant blue hues meeting yellow, white, and red borders. Signed along the lower right.

Provenance: Collection of Emil Arnold, New York; by descent from above.

Peter Busa was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by Italian immigrant parents. His father was a muralist who painted murals throughout the local churches, and as a child Busa accompanied him at work, learning painting techniques from an early age.

After spending three years studying art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, he moved to New York City, where he enrolled at the Art Students League, studying under Thomas Hart Benton. Among his classmates was Jackson Pollock, with whom he became friends, even standing up as best man in Pollock’s wedding. Busa continued to seek out opportunities to learn. He became friends with Arshile Gorky and Stuart Davis, both of whom proved to be important mentors and influences on him. He additionally studied with Hans Hoffman.

Busa remained at the cutting edge of the art world throughout his career. In the 1940s and 1950s, he became a leading member in the Indian Space movement, in which Busa and his contemporaries took inspiration from Native American art, particularly focusing on the way there was no clearly “positive” or “negative” space. He was also an early proponent of Abstract Expressionism. His boldly experimental works won great critical acclaim, and he was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 1976. He continued to produce art and teach at various universities throughout the United States until his death in 1985.
Unframed; height: 18 in x width: 23 3/4 in. Framed; height: 23 1/2 in x width: 29 1/2 in. Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.comwith any condition questions.