The Life and Artistic Journey of Syd Solomon
Born in Uniontown, United States, Syd Solomon was an American abstract artist whose life was shaped by diverse experiences and environments. After studying art at the Art Institute of Chicago, he served in the military during World War II, where he designed camouflage for the California coast and for the Royal Engineer Camouflage Corps in London. His time performing aerial reconnaissance during the war inspired his ideas on abstract art. Following his military service, he attended L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1945. Solomon eventually established a dual lifestyle, spending winters and springs in Sarasota, Florida, and autumns in East Hampton, New York, drawing inspiration from the environmental settings of both homes.
Style and Artistic Legacy
Solomon's work was characterized by a fascination with the climatic and environmental conditions of the land, sea, and sky. In the 1960s, his technique evolved to include the use of polymer tempera combined with colored inks and oils, and he was a premier user of acrylic paint. He utilized a resist technique involving a lactic caseing solution to mask his paintings, often employing gestures of circles, squares, and curves. His style embraced rough edges and unpredictability rather than perfection, frequently incorporating the color black. His reputation was marked by exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Guggenheim, the Whitney, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and he was a recipient of the Painting of the Year from the Whitney Museum of American Art.
