Original Signed Oil Painting “Java Rice Birds”

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This 1989 painting titled "Java Rice Birds" is a quintessential example of contemporary American artist Hunt Slonem's celebrated Neo-Expressionist avian … Read more This 1989 painting titled "Java Rice Birds" is a quintessential example of contemporary American artist Hunt Slonem's celebrated Neo-Expressionist avian series. The subject matter stems directly from Slonem's profound love for nature and his massive personal aviary. His studio often houses anywhere from 30 to over 100 live tropical birds. He considers birds to be symbols of divinity and spiritual transcendence, with their flight acting as a metaphor for leaving earthly constraints behind.

ARTISTIC STYLE: Influenced by Andy Warhol's Pop art seriality, Slonem organizes his paintings using recurring motifs in a mantra-like repetition. However, rather than mechanical reproduction, Slonem uses repetition as a form of meditative prayer or worship.
A signature element of his 1980s work, the grid pattern overlaying the birds in this work is applied using a wet-on-wet technique. Slonem scratches directly into the thick layers of oil paint with the back of a paintbrush or a palette knife. This texture mimics the look of a cage while simultaneously obscuring and integrating the subjects into the background, giving the piece a rich, tactile surface quality.

MONOCHROME PALETTE: While much of Slonem's later work bursts with bright, vivid color, this earlier 1989 piece highlights a more muted, monochromatic study. The stark contrast between the heavy black silhouettes of the birds and the neutral, layered grays and beiges emphasizes the composition's underlying rhythm and form.

VERSO AND FRAMING SIGNIFICANCE: The back of the canvas features Slonem's characteristic loose handwriting, clearly authenticating the piece with his name, the 1989 date, and the title "Java Rice Birds.
The black label at the bottom of the frame indicates it was constructed or handled by Steven Amedee, a highly respected custom framing studio located in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood. Slonem has spent his career based in Manhattan and Brooklyn, making this a localized and period-accurate frame choice for the artwork.

INSTITUTION COLLECTIONS: Owning a Slonem original piece of this scale from the late 1980s places a collector alongside prestigious institutions. The artist’s works are held in the permanent collections of over 250 museums worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Verso (photos #8,9). Unframed dimensions: 40 inches high x 30 inches wide. See less