Dusti Bongé (American/Mississippi, 1903-1993)

Dusti Bongé (American/Mississippi, 1903-1993) , "Untitled (Brightly Colored Abstract)", c. 1980, tempera on paper, signed lower right, 23 3/4 in. x 18 in., framed; ACCOMPANIED BY copy of certificate of authenticity. Note: Widely considered the first Mississippi artist to work consistently in a Modernist style, Dusti Bongé had a prolific artistic career that spanned over fifty-five years. Initially working in a style influenced by Cubism, Bongé experimented with Surrealism in the late 1930s and 1940s. By the mid-1950s, she was working fully in the vein of Abstract Expressionism, as displayed in the later abstract offered here. In 1946, the highly influential Betty Parsons Gallery opened in New York. Bongé forged a strong relationship with the prominent Abstract Expressionist dealer who would represent her for almost three decades, mounting several solo exhibitions of Bongé’s work which were critically well received. Bongé traveled often to New York and was active in the art scene centered around the Betty Parsons Gallery. Among the many prominent artists in this circle, some became close friends, such as Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Kenzo Akado and Theodoros Stamos. Ref.: “Dusti Bongé (American, 1903-1993).” Amanda Winstead. www.amandawinstead.com. Accessed Jan. 2, 2020. Dimensions: