Chanson

About Chanson

Harold Feist’s gloriously colourful acrylic abstract painting called Chanson radiates joy. Known for his innovative colour field work, Feist has chosen a bright rainbow palette in broad gestural strokes of orange, purple, blue, yellow, melon and white. Feist was a dedicated modernist whose expressive form displayed an intuitive sense of colour.

Early in his career he was mentored by the famed NY critic, Clement Greenberg and the American painter, Jules Olitski. Chanson means a French song or songbook.

“(Using colour) I could turn off any logic when I worked, and this leaves the door open for some other faculty to come through.” Harold Feist

“…Their (Feist’s paintings) true intelligence is less obviously apparent. They reveal their intricacies over time. Their eccentric drawing, unexpected colour harmonies and varied surfaces demand a great deal of the viewer but they reward that attention.” - Karen Wilken, NY Art Critic

Harold Feist was born in Texas(1945-2021). He won a scholarship for the University of Illinois and changed his studies from architecture to fine art acquiring a master’s at the Maryland Institute College of Art. While pursuing his own art, he took a job teaching at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary followed by the University of Regina and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
He decided to paint full time in the late seventies. His work is held in both private and public collections in Canada and the U.S. including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.