Abstract Portrait of Madeline Gleason
1960s Bay Area Figurative Distemper
#12705
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$0$2,350
Alysanne McGaffey
This 1960s abstract distemper on paper portrait of San Francisco poet Madeline Gleason is by Bay Area artist Alysanne McGaffey (1931-2018). Born in Seattle, McGaffey moved to San Francisco in the mid 1950s to study at SFAI with Bay Area Figurative pioneers Joan Brown, Nathan Oliveira, Jay DeFeo, Bruce McGaw, and Manuel Neri. McGaffey had a one-wo classes at CCAC and UC Berkeley, and received an MFA in Painting from the University of San Francisco. She became involved in community arts organizations, holding offices in several, including the Coastal Arts League and Pacifica's Cultural Arts Commission. Eventually McGaffey's gaze moved from the figure to the landscape, and she spent the last thirty years traveling the Northern California coast painting watercolor seascapes.
1960s
Distemper on Paper
14"x20" framed, 10"x14" unframed
Distemper refers to any water based paint that blends chalk with an organic-based binder. It has a soft, velvety finish and was commonly used by Bay Area Figurative artists in the 1950s-1960s. Portrait of San Francisco poet Madeline Gleason, exhibited at a one-woman show at Kelly Gallery; 1968-69. Excellent vintage condition. Framed in a restored vintage wood frame with a light gray finish using archival beige linen matting behind conservation clear glass.
