Psychological State - Family Argument - Matisse Like Illustration

Legendary illustrator Bernard Bernie Fuchs explores the creative possibilities of radical design to illustrate a narrative of an emotional state of unconnectedness.
The present work is one of Fuchs' most deeply skillful examples of his early style.

By employing an unexpected flat composition, unnatural color, masterful draftsmanship, and a tension between quick brushstrokes and accurate figural representation, the artist creates a powerful psychological study of a family of five lost in their world after an apparent argument.

They are depicted sitting on a hill outside a parked car in the countryside. All of the car doors are open as if the car pulled over abruptly. We see the aftermath of a sudden stop to clear the air. As a result, all five figures seem to be disengaged with the group as a whole. Each is absorbed in a daydreaming of private thoughts. The grandmother floats in the upper left quadrant; her head is turned away, her back faces the group as she looks out of the composition. The young, attractive wife sits next to her husband, touching him, but disconnected. He is bent over in an almost fetal position, dwelling on deep feelings. The child looks down, fiddling with the strings of her hat. A large, dark brown mass, representing their car, occupies the lower half of the composition. In the reflection of a car window, we see an older man, who may be a grandfather. He, too, looks out of the composition into the distance. With disregard for conventional perspective norms, Fuchs has used the car in a radically graphic way. It physically separates the family on top with the grandfather below and could be the clue to the story. The artist’s use of a gloomy mustard yellow and soulless brown effectively defines the mood of the moment, deeply and touchingly impacting the viewer.
Signed twice B. Fuchs center right in pencil and B. Fuchs lower right in acrylic. Could the double signed point to the meaning of duality in the work?
The work was obtained from Taraba Illustration Art. According to Fred Taraba, his consignor obtained it from the Fuchs family. The work appears in the book, "The Life and Art of Bernie Fuchs" by David Apatoff. p. 72 and lists it as from 1965, though the back of the art says 1968.
The husband in the fetal position is a self-portrait of the artist. The grandfather was most likely Tom Holloway, who was Bernie's agent, or famed illustrator Austin Briggs.
Published: As a story illustration for “Chipping” by Merrill Joan Gerber, published in Redbook magazine, May 1965.
unframed
Provenance: Taraba Illustration Art