104

DAN RICE

American, 1926-2003

"Your Marsh"

oil on canvas
titled and signed on the reverse "Dan Rice"
20 x 25 in. (50.8 x 63.5 cm.), Frame: 21 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 26 in. (54 x 3.8 x 66 cm.)

  • Provenance: Private Collection, Connecticut
  • Notes:
    "It is the grind against oneself that makes an artist, not talent and all that. It's the internal vision of what is possible to be achieved and the unwillingness to settle for less." — Dan Rice

    Born in Long Beach, California, in 1926, Rice manifested a quiet but fierce determination throughout his life in everything he pursued.

    As a teenager, he practiced trumpet four hours a day and was skilled enough to fill in when big bands (Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, and more) came through Los Angeles needing substitute musicians.

    For two years during World War II, Rice served on a U.S. Navy experimental battleship in the South Pacific then used the GI Bill to attend the University of California, Berkeley. Next he spent a decade as a student and teacher at legendary Black Mountain College in North Carolina, renowned as a crucible for artistic experimentation.

    BMC helped shape and sharpen Rice's outlook on life and art, and it was the touchstone to which he continually returned throughout his life. He was a pivotal figure in this multi-disciplinary community which included fellow artists Josef Albers, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Franz Kline, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Buckminster Fuller, and dozens more.

    Rice took a break from BMC to earn a master's degree in architecture from MIT in 1952 and upon returning to BMC, he worked with Merce Cunningham and John Cage to stage the first "happenings" — 45-minute, free-form mixed-media events that could involve the entire community.

    New York City then beckoned, and Rice became a key figure in the small group of abstract expressionist painters who gathered nightly at the famed Cedar Tavern. Remarking on his landscape-inspired paintings, Rice said, "They are what Bill de Kooning called my ‘out-doorsy' pictures."

    Several New York galleries showed Rice's work in solo exhibitions from the 50s into the 70s, and using his wide set of skills, he also earned income by converting lofts into live-in studios, stretching canvases, and mixing paint for his colleagues.

    Mark Rothko was a close friend, and Rice was his assistant when he was creating the acclaimed Seagram Murals, famously depicted in John Logan's play "Red." The Broadway production won six Tony Awards, including one for actor Eddie Redmayne whose character was loosely based on Rice as Rothko's energetic assistant.

    Rice's work is in numerous public and private collections, including Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Wadsworth Athenaeum, Hartford, CT; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT; and Princeton University Art Gallery, Princeton, NJ.
  • Condition: in excellent overall condition

    We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Shannon’s is merely a subjective qualified opinion. Frames on all paintings are sold "As Is". Frames may need some conservation. 
    NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE. 

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January 18, 2024 2:00 PM EST
Milford, CT, US

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