From Work

Irving Norman

Russian-born San Francisco Surrealist Irving Norman studied with Reginald Marsh at the ASL in New York and was influenced by the murals of the Mexican masters. His paintings, which were large in scale and in concept, frequently commented on the fate of the 'Everyman' and conformity, often using abstracted, repetitive motifs. His work did not find a receptive audience at the time.

Based on a drawing from 1943 and reminiscent of his 6' wide oil painting "The Bus", done in 1953, Norman depicts the sleeping faces of commuters, seen flashing by as two transporters move past each other in opposite directions. The viewer can imagine they are alive - their mouths are open.

Norman did few prints, this lithograph was done at Editions Press in San Francisco in 1979, published by them and Walton Gallery in San Francisco. This impression is an Editions Press Impression (E.P.I.), a proof aside from the published edition of 90.