Arnold Iger Painting – “Harmonic Variations #90” (2002) (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 7A)

$289.13

Arnold Iger (American, b. 1949). “Harmonic Variations #ninety” mixed media painting on paper, 2002. Signed and dated at lower right; titled at lower left. A vibrant exploration of balance, movement, and musical abstraction, “Harmonic Variations #ninety” by Arnold Iger fuses expressive gesture with architectonic structure. Fluid washes of ochre, teal, slate, and sienna sweep across the surface, held within a graphite framework of lines, arcs, and interlocking circles. Like a visual symphony, the composition unfolds in measured intervals, drawing the viewer into its syncopated rhythm of color and form. Emerging from Iger’s long and multifaceted career as a painter, printmaker, and filmmaker, this work reflects his deep engagement with architectural history, traditional Japanese art forms, and contemporary design. Size of painting: 18″ W x 18″ H (45.7 cm x 45.7 cm); of frame: 28.25″ W x 28.5″ H (71.8 cm x 72.4 cm)

Educated at the San Francisco Academy of Art and the San Francisco Art Institute, with additional study at Japan’s Oomoto Foundation, Iger draws on a global visual vocabulary to create richly layered compositions. The title suggests musicality, and indeed, the work behaves like a scored improvisation – deliberate yet intuitive, harmonic yet experimental. The geometry that anchors the painting is softened by expressive brushwork and unexpected spatial inversions. The artist’s background in industrial design and animation lends clarity to the linework, while his painter’s hand imbues the piece with warmth and texture. Iger has often said that Nature is his greatest inspiration, and here, the organic mingles seamlessly with the constructed – cloudlike forms press against ruled geometry, as if wind were passing through blueprints.

“Harmonic Variations #ninety” belongs to a series of works in which Iger investigates visual equivalents to sound and sensation. As with a musical variation, this piece offers a fresh perspective on recurring themes – echo, divergence, and return. Represented in galleries across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, Iger’s work continues to push the boundaries of mixed media, always with an eye toward resonance, discovery, and connection.

Arnold Iger is a multidisciplinary artist known for his richly layered approach to visual media, synthesizing painting, printmaking, film, mask making, and design. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Iger’s early fascination with museums and galleries laid the foundation for a lifelong artistic journey. After serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, he resettled in San Francisco, where he studied at the Academy of Art and the San Francisco Art Institute. He later deepened his practice with traditional Japanese art at the Oomoto Foundation in Japan and studied printmaking techniques in Paris under Stanley Hayter.

Iger’s work is distinguished by its integration of architectural motifs, abstract forms, and a visual language drawn from global traditions and industrial design. His mixed media compositions often fuse contemporary design with the texture of antiquity, suggesting imagined histories and symbolic geographies. Inspired by nature and committed to continual experimentation, Iger sees art as an ongoing practice of observation and transformation.

In addition to his visual art, Iger is an acclaimed filmmaker and co-founder of Persona Grata Productions. His PBS documentaries, including “Anatomy of a Springroll”, merge performance, ethnography, and visual storytelling. His work has been exhibited in galleries across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, and is held in corporate collections such as AT&T, Bank of America, and Oracle. With a career spanning over 25 years, Iger continues to explore new intersections of media, culture, and imagination.

Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection

Condition: Excellent. Signed and dated at lower right; titled at lower left. Mounted behind glass in custom matte and frame with suspension hooks on verso for display. Has not been examined outside of glass, but both painting and frame appear to be in excellent overall condition.