Seattle School, Mid-Century Abstract Oil on Canvas Panel "Labyrinth," Circa 1960

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**Seattle School, Mid-Century Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas Panel, Titled "Labyrinth," circa 1960s**

This compact yet powerfully rendered abstract oil … Read more **Seattle School, Mid-Century Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas Panel, Titled "Labyrinth," circa 1960s**

This compact yet powerfully rendered abstract oil painting, titled *Labyrinth*, is an evocative example of Pacific Northwest modernism, likely associated with the mid-century *Seattle School*. Executed on canvas panel with a heavily worked impasto surface, the composition comprises a dense layering of earthen pigments—oxidized reds, ochres, and umbers—encased within a central rectilinear matrix. The gestural strokes and built-up texture evoke both geological formations and subconscious interior spaces, in keeping with the organic abstraction favored by artists of the region.

The reverse bears the handwritten title *Labyrinth* and an indistinct signature, which may read “Seastone” or a similar hand, suggestive of a Pacific Northwest origin. The use of a pre-prepared canvas panel, standard in American studio practice of the 1950s–70s, and the restrained scale point toward a work intended for intimate, contemplative viewing rather than monumental display.

While unsigned on the front, the chromatic vocabulary and symbolic spatial logic resonate with the work of contemporary Seattle painters influenced by Mark Tobey, Paul Horiuchi, and the wider ethos of the Northwest Mystics—a group characterized by their integration of abstraction, natural forms, and spiritual introspection.

The painting is presented in a period-appropriate linen-lined frame with a narrow gilded slip, enhancing its mid-century authenticity. As an artifact of regional abstraction, *Labyrinth* exemplifies the meditative, materially expressive tendencies that distinguished West Coast modernism from its more overtly formalist New York counterpart.

Measures:
13" w x 15" h See less