Louis Schanker worked during a period of time when there was great controversy over the validity of realism, abstractions that had some recognizable elements and total abstraction.
is generally classified as abstract although all of my work develops from
natural forms. I have an inherent need to express myself in relation to
those forms."
(The Tiger's Eye, No. 8. June 1948, p46).
One of Schanker's
favorite subjects was sports, including football, basketball, handball,
hockey and polo. Here we see football newspaper clippings which
became the source
for his abstractions in ink, watercolor, woodcuts, sculpture and
oil. Careful examination of
the clippings and the paired artwork will
reveal the connection. It is also interesting to note
that far from
hastily drawn images, there is amazing congruence when the compositions
are transferred to different media.
New York Times, Dec. 1, 1940
(Note 3 figures in center foreground)
"Men Running"
wood block print
pastel
(note additional form to the right in
clipping)
clipping, Herald Tribune, 1940
ink
ink
low relief sculpture
(Federal Reserve collection,Washington)
"Flight to Nowhere"
"Forms in Action"
(Smithsonian)
black and white woodcut
"Football Players"
(Smithsonian)
color woocut
"Football"
(Smithsonian)
low relief sculpture