Forward pass

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by Joseph Vogel

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Artist Statement

Forward pass was created by Polish painter Joseph Vogel in 1936 as a part of his work with the Federal Arts Project. The FAP was a subdivision of The Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was established in 1935 as a government program designed to employ millions of job-seekers for public works projects with a goal of alleviating the economic effects of the Great Depression. Forward pass exhibits Vogel’s signature surrealist style in a sporty motif. The bold hues hallmark his self-described “colorist” tendencies, always preferring bright swathes of color over black and white.

Why We Love It

Originally painted in the 1930s by Joseph Vogel, Forward pass is an excellent example of the artist’s wheelhouse. Broad brushstrokes and bold, isolated hues create a color-driven composition. Vogel’s expressive, abstract style evokes the enthusiasm and excitement of the game. The three players are almost balletic in their posture, but their oversized hands and broad shoulders hint at their brute force. The field, flags, and distant goal post take a backseat to the dynamic dance frozen in the fore. This seems to be a scene of near success, the Quarterback hoisting the ball high out of reach, an offensive lineman (at bottom) blocking a tackle. Since these figures are faceless, this isn’t a nod to individual victory. Rather, it’s a triumph of teamwork, and an homage to the artfulness of athletic improvisation ... More on the blog!

Details

+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

Medium:

Museo Portfolio Rag

Edition Structure:
8"x10" | edition of 10
11"x14" | edition of 200
16"x20" | edition of 25
24"x30" | edition of 10

Joseph Vogel

Joseph Vogel (1911-1995) was born in Poland (then Austria-Hungary), and moved to the United States with his family at age 16. He studied at the National Academy of Design in New York, but credits his real art education and growth to self-exploration of museums and art associations. Vogel joined the Federal Arts Project after a bout of unemployment in the early 1930s. While there, Vogel was surprised to find a freedom of subject and medium within the job considering that most government-supported arts tended to be rigidly controlled and academic. His work flourished in abstraction, surrealism, and expressionism covering a... Read More
range of subjects from politics to sports.
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