Vincent Smarkusz

Undiscovered American Genius in Modern Art

Best of Vincent Smarkusz Introduction Gallery

Vincent Theodore Smarkusz - 1919 to 1974

From 1939 when he was 20, until his death at age 55 in 1974, Vincent T. Smarkusz created diverse and fascinating images in several styles* and techniques - blending Social Realism and Genre painting with Expressionism, Surrealism, and illustrative Mythic-realism*.
Vincent's unique imagery evolved over 35 years:
- From a stylized mix of Social Realism and Figurative Expressionism in the 1940s
- Into figurative abstractions we describe as mythomorphic "Fusionism" during the 1950s
- Then onto his illustrative Mythic-realism "Eden Frolic" dreamscapes through the 1960s
- Ending with Expressionist portraits we call "Aura View" through the 1960s into the '70s

His final "protraits" are a combination of Figurative Expressionism and abstract Color field painting - portraying abstracted human figures as individuals and in pairs, engaged in sensual activities or poses, viewed through colorful auras of mystery, fantasy, and emotion.

The series of works in this introductory "best of" gallery flows backward in time through the 1960s, 1950s, into the 1940s.  It then jumps forward to the artist's latest works from the late '60s to early '70s.  The gallery closes with images from his final solo NYC show in December of 1973.
The 20 main galleries that follow this one however, do present a roughly chronological sequence of works by Vincent Smarkusz from 1939 to 1974, which also parallel key events in the artist's life.
 
* Style designations have been attributed by the curators of this collection.  Descriptions are on the Social Realism, Figurative Expressionism, AbstractionSurrealism
"Fusionism",  "Mythic-realism",  "Eden Frolic", and "Aura View" pages.