Young Man Not Afraid to Talk to His Mother-in-Law

Steve Wheeler American, born Slovakia

1950

Not on view

Young Man Not Afraid to Talk to His Mother-in-Law is an abstract painting in oil, composed of flat, colorful forms that fill the picture plane to capacity like intricate puzzle pieces. Consisting generally of shades of blue, yellow, and red (left to right), Young Man is vibrant, and the smoothly painted, all-over composition does not provide a place for the viewer’s eye to rest. Wheeler was an interesting abstract painter, remembered primarily for his association with Indian Space Painting, a group at midcentury that borrowed forms freely from North and South American art and design to create a "native" style of abstract painting.

Artwork Details

Title: Young Man Not Afraid to Talk to His Mother-in-Law
Artist: Steve Wheeler (American (born Slovakia), 1912–1992 New York)
Date: 1950
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 16 3/8 × 26 3/4 in. (41.6 × 67.9 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2020
Object Number: 2021.54.55
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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