Althea Dodson Tanner (America/N.O.)

Althea Dodson Tanner (American/New Orleans, 1919-2014), "Mardi Gras in New Orleans", 1988, acrylic on canvas, faintly signed lower right, handwritten label with artist, title and date en verso, 34 in. x 30 in., framed. Note: New Orleans native, Althea Tanner, had a long and illustrious career as an artist, taking part in over 100 exhibitions nationally and internationally and frequently winning awards and placing in juried shows. Despite her decorated standing, works of hers rarely come up for sale at auction.An inventive and innovative artist, she was fearless in employing any and all media from watercolor to clay and even wrote poetry. Her abstract canvases, such as the one offered here, showcase her mastery of color and composition. Aptly entitled “Mardi Gras in New Orleans”, Tanner captures the frenetic energy of a jubilant crowd in her oranges, purples and greenish grays. These dynamic fields of color are cropped and contained by a white and gray border which serves to anchor the composition and create a sort of windowpane through which to view the festivities.