Arthur Pinajian: Lost Master

Lawrence Fine Art (www.lawrence-fine-arts.com)  is pleased to announce it will present “Arthur Pinajian: Lost Master” at its East Hampton Gallery beginning May 20th. Pinajian’s [1914-1999] work, which had been relegated to the town dump and was discovered in a Bellport, Long Island garage and saved, has garnered extraordinary attention since Rediscovered Masters mounted an exhibition in NYC, including being featured on ABC’s “Good Morning America” as “the unlikely discovery that has rocked the art world." The New York Times also featured a story on this extraordinary discovery (www.nytimes.com/2013/03/09/arts/design/saved-from-obscurity-arthur-pinajians-paintings-shown-in-gallery.html?_r=0).

Several museums have already purchased his work for their permanent collections. The Gallery will accommodate requests by collectors, curators and museums for private viewings.  Please contact Howard Shapiro at 516-547-8965.

After Pinajian's death in 1999, five decades of accumulated work were found stacked up in the one-car garage and attic of the Bellport, Long Island cottage he shared with his sister. He had left instructions for the work to be discarded in the town dump. At the last moment, an artist cousin refused to let the town garbage truck haul away the paintings.  Instead, the family contacted noted art historian Professor William Innes Homer to examine the works. He was stunned by what he found:  a large body of abstract landscapes and extraordinary mid-century abstractions.  He, in turn, contacted noted art historian Peter Hastings Falk who shared his conclusion that this was an extraordinary find.

Homer, Falk and noted art critic John Perreault have collaborated on a hard-cover book on the artist.  Homer writes of Pinajian:  "Ultimately Pinajian's work reflects the soul of a flawed, yet brilliant, artistic genius.  When he hits the mark, especially in his abstractions, he can be ranked among the best artists of his era. . . . His life is, above all, a model for those who feel that they must follow their calling despite the lack of public acceptance."

Falk will give a talk on Pinajian on Saturday, June 1 at 2 pm.  For further details, contact the gallery. Lawrence Fine Art is located at 37 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY.