Special Value Offer: Painting of Mimbres Human and Bird Figures [SOLD]

Overlaid on a solid red background that had been atomized with black spray paint, the artist painted the essence of the art piece—that is, he painted the nine human-like figures and the head of a stylized eagle.  I will not attempt to explain in what manner each layer was added because I do not know the answer to that riddle.  There is so much going on in the layering of this painting that one wonders how Tony Da managed to visualize each layer as he was painting it. Of course that is why Tony Da was considered such a major artist.  This painting is dated 1964 at which time Tony was only 24 years old.  He had already mastered the techniques of painting by then.

Most collectors know Tony as a potter of unequalled talent from his magnificent masterpieces produced in the 1970s and early 1980s.  He was first a painter before becoming a potter.  His earliest paintings appear to be from 1957, the year before he graduated from High School.  He continued painting until 1966 when he moved in to live with his grandmother, Maria Martinez.  At that time, Maria began teaching him the rudiments of pottery making and he developed into an accomplished potter in less than three years and his painting career slowed dramatically at that time.  He made pottery on a full-time basis and painted only occasionally.

This painting is signed with his earlier signature DA and dated ’64 in lower left, a signature that later developed into a triangular D and triangular A.  It is beautifully matted and framed with all archival materials and placed back into the original frame.

Condition: excellent condition following cleaning and conservation by a professional art conservator.

Recommended Reading: The Life and Art of Tony Da by Charles King

Provenance: from the estate of Dorothy Sitter Foster, descended through the family.