Two important paintings by American Expressionist Donray will be available for sale at Stair Galleries Auction House in Hudson, NY, beginning June 5. The works will be on display June 5 and the auction will be held on June 20.
The noteworthy paintings are from Pedro Vicente Perez, a longtime art collector and private dealer and a collector of Donray works for more than 15 years. According to Perez, the paintings Paladin and Butterfly #20 are representative of Donray’s surreal avant garde approach. “Donray carries the tradition of the great American modern artists of post World War II into the 21st century. I have been captivated by Donray’s distinct style for so many years. It is very exciting for me to see the heightened interest in his work,” said Perez.
Recently a substantial body of Donray’s work was purchased by investment banking firm, Allegiance Capital Corporation of Dallas and New York. Additionally, The Prestige Financial Center, an investment services firm in Manhattan, acquired several early pieces by Donray, including a self-portrait. According to esteemed art critic and author, Donald Kuspit, the artist’s work reveals “a verve, an energy, a dynamic surging gesture, violent movement, an overall vividness and vitality that places Donray’s paintings among the most interesting of what might be called post-modern expressionist painting.” An artist who epitomizes dynamic artistry through his powerful, energetic and sometimes dreamlike use of color, Donray’s work exudes movement and emotional images.
Many of his works use human and animal imagery to create moments of breathtaking lightness and transcendency and provide other instances of profound gravity and intensity. In particular, his special technique involving acrylics and glaze provides many of his canvas works with a depth not commonly found in the art world.
The two works to be sold, Butterfly #20, an acrylic piece on canvas, and Paladin, a pastel on paper, have been a part of Perez’ collection for several years. The former is part of a series of butterfly paintings done by the artist that relate to the concept of parallel universes, which has been prevalent in much of Donray’s work. The latter is one of many native American dancer paintings done by the artist that dwell on the theme of spirituality and the search for God. A piece similar to Butterfly #20 in the artist’s Rooster series is Blue Laced Wyandotte, believed to be valued at approximately $15,000.
For many of his acrylic pieces, Donray continues to use an innovative technique that he pioneered and for which he is known involving an acrylic-on-acrylic collage created by the artist. The collage material is the same as that being used to paint with and developed through a tedious process of mixing, pouring, manipulation and cutting. The result is a dramatic display of intermingling color, texture, reflecting light and exciting energy.
About the Artist
Often call an American Expressionist, Donray’s works have been lauded on both sides of the Atlantic. Powerful, energetic, pulsating and sometimes dreamlike, his use of color, movement and imagery is emotional, visceral and thought-provoking. Many of his works use human and animal imagery to create moments of breathtaking lightness and transcendency and provide other moments of profound gravity and intensity. In particular, his unique technique involving acrylic on acrylic collage provides many of his canvas works a depth not commonly found in the art world. You may learn more about Donray at Wikipedia, or via a Web site set up by his supporters at http://www.donrayartist.com/.