BELISARIO CONTRERAS
Garden Series No. 1.
Oil and collage on a tin sheet mounted to a thin wood panel, 1967. 2125x1055 mm; 83x41½ inches.Provenance: Acquired by Francis V. O'Connor (1937-2017), New York-based art historian, poet, artist and co-editor of the Jackson Pollock catalogue raisonné (published in 1978); gifted by bequest to the current owner.Contreras (1916-1990) came with his mother to the United States from Chile at the age of four. During World War II Contreras was part of the Ghost Army, a group of artists whose job was to create deceptive theatrical productions of military strength, fooling Axis troops into believing that they were fighting against a larger force. Artists were usually recruited from art schools and advertising agencies, with artists such as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer and Art Kane, selected for their creativity and artistry.