Gerome Kamrowski
American, 1914 - 2004Via Space Ward, 1948
Not on view
Oil on board
Dimensions29 1/4 × 22 in. (74.3 × 55.9 cm)
Framed: 32 1/2 × 24 1/2 in. (82.6 × 62.2 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Kaye Goodwin Frank, 1964.7
The founder of Surrealism, André Breton, cited Gerome Kamrowski, whom he had met in 1944, as the most authentic of the Americans deploying Surrealist ideas in their art. He also lauded Kamrowski for the quality, originality, and experimentalism of his work.
Kamrowski used abstract, biomorphic imagery with occasional recognizable references to depict metaphysical concepts and man's inner psyche. This can be seen in Via Space Ward, which evokes a sense of the universe and alludes to the phenomena of space. In the 1940s, Kamrowski became drawn to more intense coloration and sometimes employed, as in this work, such vivid hues as bright pink, orange, purple, or blue.
Kamrowski remained a committed Surrealist and continued his association with the European Surrealists following their departure from New York after World War II. Though he had been a central figure in the development of American Surrealism, he did not achieve the degree of recognition indicated by the success of his early career. One reason may be that Kamrowski moved from New York to Ann Arbor in 1946 and became an instructor at the University of Michigan, a post he held for many years.
