Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

American, 1914-2003

Once dubbed “the Grandfather of L.A. Modernism,” the Chicago-born Emerson Seville Woelffer was active as an innovative painter, collagist, and educator throughout his long and prolific career. A pioneering Abstract Expressionist, Woelffer’s brightly colored work with jagged forms reveals Cubist and Surrealist influences. Coming of age in Chicago during the Great Depression, Woelffer appreciated the improvisational nature of jazz music, a sensibility he would later apply to painting through gestural variation, energetic strokes, and a rhythmic use of line. From 1935 to 1938, Woelffer, a high school dropout, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago while employed as a janitor, early evidence of his enduring work ethic. He joined the Works Progress Administration arts program in 1938 as an easel painter, followed by a two-year stint as a topographical draftsman for the United States Air Force. The director of the Chicago Institute of Design, László Moholy-Nagy, invited Woelffer to join the faculty in 1942. His experiences there brought him into contact with the modernist idiom of the day, and his interactions with students caused him to re-examine his own practice. He also exhibited in group shows at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, participated in the Whitney Museum Annual (1949) and won the Pauline Palmer Prize for painting at the Art Institute of Chicago (1948). In 1949 Emerson Woelffer and his wife Dina, a fine art photographer, were invited by Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner to New York before they headed to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Exposure to Pre-Columbian art led Woelffer to incorporate totemic figures and vibrant colors into his abstract paintings. In 1959 Woelffer joined the faculty at the Chouinard Art Institute (later the California Institute of the Arts) in Los Angeles, where he instructed notable emerging artists until 1973 and where he was instrumental in bringing Modernism to LA. Ed Ruscha was one of his students. In 1974, Woelffer was named chair of the art department at the Otis Art Institute (now the Otis School of Art and Design). His tenure lasted until his retirement in 1989, and he was widely admired for his interdisciplinary approach in the classroom. An endowed scholarship fund in his name provides support for promising young artists and designers. Suffering from macular degeneration, Woelffer switched to drawing with white crayon on black paper in his final years of artistic activity. Emerson won a prestigious Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in 1967 and then went to wprk in Europe. Woelffer’s work is represented in the collections of such distinguished institutions as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others.

Artist: Emerson Woelffer

Emerson WoelfferEmerson Woelffer, Bold Torn-Edge Collage, Signed Abstract Expressionist Work, 1969

$3,240

Emerson Woelffer, Bold Torn-Edge Collage, Signed Abstract Expressionist Work

By Emerson Woelffer

Located in Buffalo, NY

Emerson Woelffer Untitled Abstract Collage, 1989 Mixed media collage on paper Dimensions: 32 x 26 inches (framed) Signed and dated lower right A striking example of Emerson Woelffer...

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1960s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Emerson WoelfferUNTITLED 1977, Paper Collage, 29" x 23" framed orange, green, blue and black, 1977

$4,800

UNTITLED 1977, Paper Collage, 29" x 23" framed orange, green, blue and black

By Emerson Woelffer

Located in New York, NY

Once dubbed “the Grandfather of L.A. Modernism,” the Chicago-born Emerson Seville Woelffer was active as an innovative painter, collagist, and educator throughout his long and prolif...

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1970s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

Emerson WoelfferUntitled, Oil Stick and Collage on paper, Abstract, 1989, Manny Silverman Col, 1989

$6,800

Untitled, Oil Stick and Collage on paper, Abstract, 1989, Manny Silverman Col

By Emerson Woelffer

Located in New York, NY

Once dubbed “the Grandfather of L.A. Modernism,” the Chicago-born Emerson Seville Woelffer was active as an innovative painter, collagist, and educator throughout his long and prolif...

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1980s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

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Mixed Media

Dale Chihuly"Macchia Series Drawing" Boisterous Abstract Action Painting in Blue Green Gold

Sold|~~$15,000~~

H 42 in W 30 in

"Macchia Series Drawing" Boisterous Abstract Action Painting in Blue Green Gold

By Dale Chihuly

Located in Austin, TX

Page Size: 42 x 30 in. Frame Size: 48 x 36 in. Signed, bottom center. This energetic composition captures the raw, kinetic energy that defines Dale Chihuly's celebrated Macchia seri...

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Early 2000s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Grant McTavishThe Territory, Glasgow School Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media, 1988

$487

H 20.08 in W 20.08 in D 0.6 in

The Territory, Glasgow School Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media

Located in Cotignac, FR

A Scottish Glasgow School Abstract Expressionist mixed media painting by Grant McTavish. The work is signed and dated bottom right and is resigned and dedicated to the backboard. The...

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Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Oil, Acrylic

Bruce RubensteinMountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting, 2025

$6,700

H 44 in W 66 in D 1.5 in

Mountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting

By Bruce Rubenstein

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Flourishing Fields' features whimsical details and vi...

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21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Angela WakefieldYellow & Black Abstract Expressionist Art, Mixed Media on Paper, Signed, 1999, 1999

$26,492

H 33 in W 24 in D 2.5 in

Yellow & Black Abstract Expressionist Art, Mixed Media on Paper, Signed, 1999

By Angela Wakefield

Located in Preston, GB

Yellow & Black Abstract Expressionist Art, Mixed Media on Paper, Signed, 1999 - a Unique Original Painting - an extremely rare early work from leading British Contemporary Artist...

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1990s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

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Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Wood, Paint, Paper, Parchment Paper, Varnish, Cot...

Frederic PaulCaribbean Sea - Original Textured Blue Tone Abstract Landscape Artwork Framed, 2023

$635

H 9 in W 9 in

Caribbean Sea - Original Textured Blue Tone Abstract Landscape Artwork Framed

By Frederic Paul

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The delicate and poetic artworks of painter Frederic Paul reference his Asian roots in expressive and elaborate compositions. Inspired by the bold colors, spices, flora, and landscap...

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2010s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Rice Paper

Enrico BajEnrico Baj (1924 - 2003) - Fabrics and collage on board - 1969, 1969

$3,771

H 30.71 in W 22.64 in

Enrico Baj (1924 - 2003) - Fabrics and collage on board - 1969

By Enrico Baj

Located in Varese, IT

Fabrics and collage on board, edited in 1969. Limited edition of 200 copies, numbered 107/200 in lower left corner. Hand-signed by artist in lower right corner. Paper size: 78 x 57.5 cm Frame size: 87 x 67 cm Very good conditions, slight oxidation. The frame has defects. Made with M24 furnishing fabrics by Du Pont. Studio Marconi, Publisher, Milan. Bibliography: Jean Petit...

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1960s Abstract Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

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Mixed Media

Paula ValenzuelaLiminal Space, 2024

$4,300

H 30 in W 40 in

Liminal Space

By Paula Valenzuela

Located in San Francisco, CA

Paula Valenzuela Liminal Space, 2024 Mixed media on canvas 30 x 40 inches Paula Valenzuela's signature style consists of the creation of complex layers of paint which are covered an...

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21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Jason DeMeoEssentials Collection: BURNING DESIRE - Meditative Abstract Painting on Canvas, 2025

$2,925

H 36 in W 36 in

Essentials Collection: BURNING DESIRE - Meditative Abstract Painting on Canvas

By Jason DeMeo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...

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21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Gold Leaf

Irving Marcus“Abstract Sailing”, 1973

$1,400Sale Price|36% Off

H 13.5 in W 10.5 in D 1 in

“Abstract Sailing”

By Irving Marcus

Located in Southampton, NY

Mixed media painting consisting of watercolor and acrylic painting on arches paper by the American artist, Irving Marcus. Signed and dated lower right, 1973. Condition is very good....

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1970s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Hector FrankDiptych Figurative Portraits of a Man and Women, Contemporary Cuban Art, 2022

$7,000

H 24 in W 36 in

Diptych Figurative Portraits of a Man and Women, Contemporary Cuban Art

By Hector Frank

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Diptych of Red and Blue Figurative Portraits of a Man and Women, Contemporary Cuban Art Unique Acrylic and Collage on thick Aches Paper. Both pieces are cur...

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2010s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Cotton, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Stanley BoxerStanley Boxer Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist Painting on Paper, Gold, 1987

$4,000

H 27.5 in W 21.5 in

Stanley Boxer Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist Painting on Paper, Gold

By Stanley Boxer

Located in Surfside, FL

Abstract, 1987 Hand signed and dated verso Not sure of technique. this might be a monotype or monoprint with hand painting. The handmade paper is cut somewhat irregularly as per the ...

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1980s Abstract Expressionist Emerson Woelffer Mixed Media

Materials

Acrylic, Gouache, Archival Paper

Malgosia KiernozyckaSweet Emotions Mixed Media on Paper, 2017

$1,500

H 19.6 in W 28 in

Sweet Emotions Mixed Media on Paper

By Malgosia Kiernozycka

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Sweet Emotions Mixed media acrylic, watercolor, ink marker, pastel on archival. Malgosia Kiernozycka was born in Wroclaw, Poland. She graduated high school at the School of Fine Art...

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