1970s Fantastic Abstract Watercolor by French Artist, Marie Luare-Ilie

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“Shadow Town” (1976) is a watercolor painting by Marie-Laure Ilie that appears to be an abstract, almost dreamlike vision of … Read more “Shadow Town” (1976) is a watercolor painting by Marie-Laure Ilie that appears to be an abstract, almost dreamlike vision of place. The composition is dominated by a group of boldly-colored rounded, almost architectural or mechanical forms rendered in transparent watercolor washes, giving a sense of layering thus possibly representing the passage of time and the artist's longing for something that was.

The bleeding translucent colors could perhaps suggest emotional vulnerability or the permeability of identity in a new environment. The piece is dated 1976 and in that context, she was then a relatively recent arrival in the US (1973) so "Shadow Town" alludes to her memory of her European past dissolving into an American present where the forms feel familiar yet ungraspable, like a city and specifically a culture you don’t yet fully understand.

Signed by Artist on bottom right corner.

Frame size:36 1/2" w x 28 5/8" h x 3/4" d (92.7cm x 72.7cm x 2cm)
Painting size (within the mat): 26 3/8" x 20" (67cm x 50.8cm)

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Marie-Laure Ilie (b. 1945) is a native of Paris, a former Fulbright Grant recipient and an MA graduate of The Sorbonne. Upon moving to the United States in the 1970s, she acquired formal art studies at the University of Michigan where she held a Teaching Fellowship and acquired an FBA. Her post graduate work includes painting, engraving and silk painting in Paris at Atelier de la Grand Chaumiere, Atelier Luçio Loubet, Atelier Friedlander, and Atelier Liza Bain where her extensive training complemented her personal art research.

She has shown her art extensively in the United States and Europe, in both solo exhibits and juried group shows, in galleries, universities, and museums. In addition to many private collections, corporate collections include the Bank of America, the Bank of New Zealand, Neiman-Marcus, Marshall Field and Company, Gale Research Company, and the Nicolaysen Art Museum. See less