Tempest

In Moir's murky, expressionist print, the inner state of its subject at center has overwhelmed the world around him. Or perhaps it's simply understandable how, given the dark and claustrophobic setting, a person's psychic state would be tempestuous. This permeable condition is created by a blurring between the edges of objects and their surroundings; figure and ground are very indistinct, as with a woman standing at left. Given her pose, and the man's seated position, it's possible that we're in a subway car or public bus--a claustrophobic proximity with strangers. Viewers see the simmering anger on the man's face, but perhaps no one else does.

About the Artist

Robert Moir was born on 7 Jan. 1917 in Chicago, Illinois. He was a sculptor and lithographer, formally trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia University, New York University and the Art Students League of New York. Moir worked in the FAP’s Graphic Art Division, where he developed an emotive, expressionist style inflected with abstraction. As a New York Times reviewer wrote of a solo sculpture show, its first impression was “one of energy contained with difficulty within the writing forms. Figure themes are presented in a semi-abstract manner, but their inspiration is emotional rather than purely formal” (Preston). A similar claim might be made of his earlier prints. Moir’s career came to a halt during the 1940s when he was drafted for WWII, then resumed with gallery shows in New York during the 1950s. His sculptures were featured at successive Whitney Bienniels between 1951-56, including Cumulus (1951), The Expanding Universe II (1953), and Desire (1956). His sculpture Mother and Child (1950) is held at the Whitney Museum of American Art. He died on 11 Feb 1981. 14 graphic works at Art Institute of Chicago. 6 works at Philadelphia Museum of Art. 3 works at Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Works Consulted: “Stuart Preston, “Sculpture Shown in Galleries Here, New York Times 9 Nov. 1951: 25 Link.

Moir, Robert (1917 - 1981)

Cooper, Ken (description)

Copolla, Victoria (biography)

Helquist, Morgan (photography)

New Deal Museum, Mount Morris NY

Object #FA 1323

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Lithograph on paper

Image: 10 1/2 x 17 in.
Sheet: 14 1/2 x 23 in.