Frances Wismer Modernist Acrylic Painting

Frances Wismer, aka Frances Baker or Frances Blakemore (American 1906-1997) acrylic on paper abstract; signed and dated "Wismer '51" lower right; measures approximately 16-1/2" x 17" with frame and has a sight image of approximately 9-5/8" x 11-1/8"; in in good overall condition. Frances Baker Blakemore was known throughout the world as author, collector, philanthropist and curator. As Frances Wismer, she was one of the early members of the Northwest Printmakers organization, exhibiting frequently and winning several prizes for her relief prints. In 1935, she went to Japan where she held several positions in various fields and drew weekly sketches for Japan News Week. She also executed murals and worked in the commercial art field. Upon her arrival in Japan, she began to incorporate scenes of everyday life in her new environment, depicting the working people in many of her prints, which she continued to send back to Seattle for exhibition. These prints are very unique adaptations of Eastern traditions as seen through western technique and stylization. During the war, the artist lived in Honolulu where she produced illustrations for several books and continued her work in the commercial art field. When she returned to Japan after the war, she continued her art career and eventually married Thomas Blakemore, an attorney who would go on to become an important legal figure in relations between the United States and Japan. Frances Blakemore became a champion of contemporary Read more…