Ed Moses
Title: Yel/BLK
Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas. 1985
Location:

This is one of Moses’ craquelure paintings. He made these by placing black or white paint on a canvas, adding what he called a “secret sauce,” letting it dry and then hitting the canvas with his fist or elbow. Notice his use here of light-catching silver metallic paint, which gives the painting sparkle.

Moses was part of the original “Cool School,” a group of artists affiliated with the Ferus Gallery, a hub of avant-garde activity on La Cienega Boulevard in the 1960s. In this photo from 1962, Moses is third from the right, with fellow Ferus Gallery artists, from left, John Altoon, Craig Kauffman, Allen Lynch, Ed Kienholz, Robert Irwin and Billy Al Bengston.

In his later years, Moses referred to himself as a “retired playboy.” He died in 2018 at the age of 91.