Robert Kushner -
Midsummer, 2003
American, b.1949
Midsummer, 2003, 2003
Lithograph, 44.5 x 30 inches
Edition 24/30
Shark's Ink
05.001
Gift of the Global MBA Class of 2005
In the early seventies, Kushner was one of the artists in the Pattern and Decoration movement, which began in California. After completing his studies at U of California, San Diego, he moved to New York, where he used fabric collage in large-scale, bold paintings of the figure. Kushner, along with Miriam Shapiro, Joyce Kozloff, Robert Zakanitch, and Valerie Jaudon led the Pattern and Decoration movement in New York. Since 1987 he has used flowers as the subject of his paintings and more recently has added a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables to his repertoire. Kushner's use of rich color harmonies and bold fluid drawing, mark his belief in the importance of beauty in our lives. Master printer Bud Shark and Kushner have collaborated since 1982 on various monotypes and lithographs.
For Midsummer, Kushner worked with branches and grasses collected in the vicinity of Shark's studio. This composition was determined by chance, dropping markers on the lithographic plates to determine the placement of the branches to create and elegant print. In 1997 Hudson Hills Press published the monograph, Robert Kushner: Gardens of Earthly Delight by Alexandra Anderson-Spivey.
