Untitled (c. 1921)

Watercolor and ink on paper 6 x 8 inches Provenance: Martin Diamond Fine Art Jay Van Everen is unknown to most collectors of American art. The artist’s career was cut short by financial demands, and his art was largely forgotten. In 1917 he met James Daugherty, joined the Synchromists, and shortly thereafter embarked on a series of highly original color abstractions utilizing a custom set of geometrically shaped wooden blocks which he dipped in color and freely manip-ulated to make his abstractions. Of the artist Daugherty wrote “Van was aesthetically provincial and singularly free from influences. His delicate visions of a bright and ordered universe were subtle and complex.” Van Everen’s unique vision was ahead of its time, and remains remarkably fresh today.