“White Sands"(for William Baziotes), 2012, oil/gessoed ragboard, 21"-17.5". 

“Lower Depths", 2012, oil/gessoed ragboard, 21"-17.5".

Shadow Play", 2012, oil/gessoed ragboard, 21"-17.5".

“Passages”, oil/paper, 14”-17”. 1999,This one and the following four paintings on paper were done in conjunction with my series of “Narrative Abstractions”painted on wood shapes. They were shown at Drexel University’s Art Gallery in 2000. 

“On An Overgrown Path”, 1999, watercolor/gouache, 14”-17”. 

     

“Night Journey”, 1999, watercolor/gouache, 14”-17”

“By A River”(for Arthur Dove), 1999, oil/paper, 14”-17”. 

"Mummer”, 1999, oil/gessoed paper, 14”-17”. For the Philadelphia Mummers and the Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day.

“Signs, Symbols, Shadows”, 2005, oil/primed paper, 14”-17”. For Catalan composer Frederic Mompou (1893-1987). 

"Night Fantasy”(for W.R.), 1992, oil/masonite panel, 23"-23" by Marc Salz. From 1987 to 1997 I did a series of paintings based on 14th century Sienese triptychs. This painting is dedicated to my former teacher and friend Warren Rohrer and is now in the permanent collection of the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia: https://woodmereartmuseum.org/explore-online/collection/night-fantasy-for-warren-rohrer

 "Web", 2001, oil/baltic birch, 23"-24" (for Philip Guston). Part of my series “Other Languages”(2001-2005). A web is also a melted grid. I did this one just after 9/11 and a memorial service I attended in a synagogue at the time.

“Unknown Galaxy”(for Scriabin), 2006, oil/board, 14.5”-14”. For composer Alexander Scriabin(1872-1915).  From the “Deluge” series..

"Burning Bush”, 2010, watercolor/gouache, 17.5"-14".

"Free Fall", 2011, watercolor/gouache, 17.5"-14".

"Wildfires”, 2010, oil/ragboard, 18”-16”.

"King Bees”(for Slim Harpo), 2010. For blues singer Slim Harpo and his tune “I’m A King Bee”, watercolor/gouache, 17"-14".

"Beasties", 2012, watercolor/gouache, 17.5"-14".

“The Sirens”, 2011, oil/ragboard, 16”-15”. From the tales of brave Ulysses.

"Pond", 2010, oil/gessoed ragboard, 21.5"-17".

"Curtain Call", 2010, oil/gessoed ragboard, 19.5"-17".

“Torch”,1986, oil/wood, 15”-11”. ForThe Statue Of Liberty and it’s still lighted torch. In 1986 The Statue was being restored so they moved the old torch part near the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The Torch near the Liberty Bell and it’s crack: “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”(Leonard Cohen). 

"Cabinet"(for Vuillard), 2002, oil/baltic birch, 15"-11" by Marc Salz. Dedicated to Edouard Vuillard. I always liked how Vuillard would paint intimate scenes on dark grounds and build up to colored patterns. I grew up in New York and lived with my family in the sixties on East 76th around the corner from Leo Castelli’s Gallery on 77th. My father Sam Salz was also an art dealer and sold many of Vuillard’s early paintings. My room in our place was facing the back courtyard right across from where Leo Castelli would have parties on his terrace with many of the then rising Pop Art artists(Johns, Rauschenberg etc.). At night the noise from the parties kept me up late. I guess that made me favor the quiet and intimate Vuillards over those loud and blaring Pop artists. 

“Gabriel’s Horn”, 1988, oil/wood, 16”-14”. For Albert Pinkham Ryder.

"He, She”(for Lena), 1981, oil/canvas in wood box, 13.5”-15.5”. For my wife Elena.  

My mother then known as Marina Franca in a ballet pose for the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo.

“Swamp Thing", 2011, oil/baltic birch, 18"-27.5".  One from the “Science Frictions” series.

“New Toy”(for Monk), 2010, oil/baltic birch, 12”-12”. For jazz musician and composer Thelonious Sphere Monk. 

“Aquatic World”, 2009, oil/baltic birch,  24"-22". From the “Science Frictions” series. The world under water and out of time. 

"Zim Zum", 2010, oil/baltic birch, 19"-27". A Kabbalistic shape shifting and contracting. From the “Science Frictions” series. 

 "Eve", 2009, oil/baltic birch, 15"-19". Serpents are not necessarily meant as symbols of evil or temptation in some cultures but are also symbols of good.

"Ping", 1992 (revised 1997), oil/wood with ping pong ball, 14”-15”. For comedy genius and television star  Ernie Kovacs. 

"Pong", 1992 (revised 1997, for Bill Walton) oil/ping pong ball/wood, 12.5"-12.5". For my friend sculptor Bill Walton(1931-2010). 

Marina Franca (Marina Salz, my mother) in a publicity photo for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo which she danced with between 1938 and 1940.

“Fall Scene”, 2010, oil/gessoed ragboard, 20”-17”. 

“Friendly Galaxies”(for Sun Ra), 2010, oil/rag board mounted on panel, 20”-17”. For jazz musician and composer Sun Ra. “Space is the place”. 

“

My father Sam Salz and Marc Chagall in the early sixties at Chagall's home in the South of France. My father had a gallery In Cologne, Germany in the twenties where he showed and sold Chagall's paintings. One of the them was titled "Birthday" which is now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For more on my father and Marc Chagall, you may go to posts made on March 22, 2011 and December 14, 2009 or to the blog made on him: http://samsalz.blogspot.com/?view=classic

"Birthday"by Marc  Chagall. Here is a link to the painting from the provenance department at MoMA:  http://www.moma.org/collection/provenance/provenance_object.php?object_id=79360
My father also had Chagall's "Over Vitebsk" which is now also in the Museum: http://www.moma.org/collection/provenance/provenance_object.php?object_id=79370

 "Tempest"(for Turner) 2011, oil/gessoed ragboard, 20"-17". For J.M.W.Turner.

"Golden Game", 2002(revised 2007), oil/baltic birch, 25"-19". From the series “Other Languages” where I appropriated the format of the Jewish Talmud with it’s central text(Torah) and it’s surrounding commentaries. So many abstract painters have used crosses (Christian) or circles (Asian) in their paintings so I wanted to give the format of the Jewish Talmud it's fair representation. This painting was included in two shows: a group show "Painting Midrash: Abstract art in response to sacred Jewish texts"  at the Borowsky Gallery in Philadelphia(2009) and a one person show at the Society Hill Synagogue(2012). It is dedicated to all the alchemists who used the Kabbalah as their source.

"Stars and Clouds"(for Betsy Ross),  2001, oil/baltic birch, 15"-16". My studio is near the Betsy Ross house home of the "Stars and Stripes". In these different times, these are the "Stars and Clouds".

"Bathers", 2005, oil/baltic birch, 22"-15". From the "Other Languages””series.

"Interlude"(for Jacques Tati), 2009, oil/baltic birch. 19"-19".  From the “Science Frictions” series. 

My shaped pieces are not only dealing with the sculpture/painting dialogue but are more about the object/subject contradiction that goes back and forth from subject to object. Where does one end and the other begin? A scene from Jacques Tati’s “Mon Oncle”: https://youtu.be/LE9t98Gox60

"Sax Play"(for Sonny Rollins), 2008, oil/baltic birch, 12"-20". Dedicated to jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Sonny Rollins playing "Broadway Boogie Woogie" or in the case of Philadelphia "Broad Street Boogie Woogie". This painting is now on the cover of a book of poems on Philadelphia streets titled  "Turnings" by Ernest Yates.

“Ups and Downs"(for Jimmy Reed) 2007, oil/baltic birch, 17"-17". For blues singer Jimmy Reed(1925-1976). 

"Pinky", 2008, oil/baltic birch, 14"-19".

“Tickle", 2008, oil/baltic birch, 18"-21"

"Invaders”, 2007, oil/baltic birch, 14"-16”. From the “Science Frictions” series. Invaders can come from anywhere. From other countries or other planets and sometimes from inside our own bodies.

My mother Marina Salz in her peacock costume when she danced in Radio City Music Hall, New York, in 1941 under the stage name of Marina Lord. The costume consisted of 827 rare Australian feathers and was 11 ft high and 14 ft wide. It was also equipped in the back with a motor that activated the moving feathers when bending forward. This photo was taken in the studios of "Bruno of Hollywood" in New York. Another photo by Weegee and more explanations can be found in an older post, June 27, 2010. Here are also two links to articles by New York dance critic Tobi Tobias on the Weegee photo:
http://www.artsjournal.com/tobias/2006/06/weegees_ballerina.html and this coda where I am interviewed about my mother's life as a dancer for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo : http://www.artsjournal.com/tobias/2007/04/coda.html

"Chamber Music" by Marc Salz, 1988, oil/wood, 22"-22". This painting was on my card for my solo show at the Dolan Maxwell Gallery in 1989. It was also taken to the Chicago International Art Exposition by the gallery the same year. From 1987 to 1997, I painted this series based on the format of 14th and 15th century Sienese triptychs. I was also thinking of Duccio and Cimabue as well as Russian icon painters (Andrei Rublev etc.). These artists had an archaic weight in the physical immediacy of their work coupled with an illusion to a lighter spirituality. I was also listening to the modern sacred music of Arvo Part and Igor Stravinsky when I did this series.

"Testimony"(for Dimitri Shostakovich), 1987, oil/wood, 21"-23". The title is from the book on Shostakovich by Solomon Volkov which I was reading at that time. The painting was shown at the Chicago International Art Exposition at the Navy Pier 1989(Dolan Maxwell Gallery) and reproduced in the catalogue for that art fair.