New Construction by Edward A. Green

This is a silkscreen titled New Construction by Milwaukee, Wisconsin artist Edgar A. Green. Green was fascinated by industrial scenes, cityscapes, and other signs of the urban expansion. The work was created in 1957 and reflects a very modernist/brutalist trend in architecture. The image shows what might be a bridge structure set against a swirling sky rendered in an abstract expressionist gestural manner using two shades of blue gray. The black towers are stark, but pops of yellow add warmth and light, as do some fields of brown. If one's imagination is allowed to run wild, the scene evokes a futuristic structure taken from a pulp paperback sci-fi novel. It has a great mid-century vibe. The piece itself is in very good condition. It is unframed. The untrimmed sheet is unusual in that the artist chose to use a black paper which incorporates the paper into the overall color scheme of the image. The sheet is 28 x 22 inches. The image size is 25.75 x 17 inches. It is signed and dated lower right Edward A. Green '57. The title New Construction is lower left. No edition size is given although Green was inconsistent in using this. The work also came from the artist's estate, so this could have been a trial proof, although the title, signature, and date suggest that this was part of an edition. It is in excellent condition. The sheet is intact with no tears or paper loss. They are residua of a paper backing around the periphery of the sheet, but no affecting the image. There is no fading, foxing, staining, or toning. A wonderful work by this artist.

Edward A. Green (1922-2017) Edward Green was a Wisconsin artist. Born in Milwaukee, he served in the Coast Guard during World War II. After the war, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving a BS in Art Education, and an MS in Applied Art. He then earned a Master of Fine Art from UW Milwaukee. Following graduation, he went to work for the Milwaukee County Museum working there for 33 years. He was an art director, but eventually became a designer builder. He was responsible for many of the permanent exhibits at the museum including the Streets of Old Milwaukee, a European Village, a Hopi Pueblo, Chinese Joss House, Japanese Tea House, and Courtyard of Mexico and Morocco. He also designed the prize winning Conrad Fountain. He consulted with many museums and pioneered the innovative open plan exhibit design which was adopted by many museums. In 1999, he was honored by UWM with a Lifetime Achievement award. He was the recipient of a Ford Grant for Urban Planning. In 2001, Milwaukee named June 8th "Edward Green Day". In 2012 he won the Frank P. Zeidler Public Service award. He was recognized by the Wisconsin Art Commission for lifetime service. In addition to his professional work, he created art generally featuring architectural subjects in a very modern style.