Over the weekend I went to the Portland Art Museum and discovered a real treasure—Milton Wilson. I had never seen any of his work, or even heard of him. His abstract paintings are so amazing that they stopped me in my tracks on the way to the Impressionist wing. They are truly something to take the time to look at. The colors are rich and layered with huge brush strokes, line work, hollow shapes over drips—endless textures.
#1016, 1963, Oil on canvas 63 " x 44 "
Untitled, 1969, Oil on canvas, 83" x 68"
After researching more on Wilson, I found out that he was born and raised here in Portland, Oregon. Following his death in 2004, Maldon, Wilson's daughter and the executor of his will, planned to auction off his entire collection of paintings with no minimum reserve to help pay off outstanding debts. (Watch the video from Oregon Live for more details
here.) It is sad that these works will lose value due to the declining worth of his estate. Fortunately the Portland Art Museum treasures Wilson's work as much as I do and keeps some of his paintings hung on a rotating basis.
One of Wilson's works at the Portland Art Museum.
Unfortunately I couldn't find a photo of my favorite Wilson painting, currently on exhibit. You'll just have to take a trip to the museum and see it for yourself.
