Untitled
Artist
Jonathan Waite
(American, 1941-2010)
Date1972
MediumAcrylic on canvas
DimensionsImage Size: 24 x 24 in. (61 x 61 cm)
Frame Size: 25 1/4 x 25 1/4 in. (64.1 x 64.1 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of Linda Dunne and John Egner, 2012
Object numberUAC5659
DescriptionJonathan Waite was an artist and instructor thoroughly tied to the Detroit art scene through his work shown at the Willis Gallery, the Detroit Artists' Market, and the renowned Kick Out the Jams exhibition originally at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1980. Waite's life and work has touched the lives of fellow artists and students across the nation, and his work is held in the collections of fellow artists Robert Rauschenberg and Ivan Chermayeff as well as the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney, Australia, and the Slade School of Art in London, England.While Waite's more recent paintings feature fantastical allegorical landscapes and art historical references, this piece from the Wayne State University Art Collection is an example of his early abstract work. Influenced by geometric designs and African motifs, Waite uses line in a visually striking way, directing the viewer's eye across a canvas of linear chaos.
Text by Catherine Milewski
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