Northern City

Maurice Lapp

An early abstraction by Northen California artist Maurice Lapp, done around 1960 when he was experimenting with analytical cubism and linear abstraction in his city/landscapes. This work is signed "Lapp" in the lower right image.

Lapp uses a dark background below a high horizon, on which he paints a synthetic cubist composition, rectangular, triangular and square spaces filled with colors, red, white, black, gray, etc.

The overall effect is perhaps inspired by the great Italian printmaker Giovanni Piranesi, who Lapp admired and whose architectural etchings of ancient Rome and imaginary Prisons have intrigued other artists for three centuries.

The "structures" emerge from the backgound and recede again. They could be a musical score, ancient ruins or a modern city. Viewed in another way it could have been inspired by an aerial view of streets, roofs, parks, etc.