11 x 15 inches, signed on reverse: FB; "Forrest Clemenger Bess was born in Bay City, TX. He studied at TX A&M Unin and then later at UT Austin, but then started work in the oil fields. After that period he moved to Mexico to paint, during that time he produced work in a post-impressionist style influenced by Van Gogh and Maurice Vlaminck.
He served in WWII with the US Army Corps of Engineers and a period at a Veterans hospital in San Antonio, from which he suffered emotionally difficult problems as a result. He returned to Bay City to care for his family business.
Bess was recognized as a talent by New York, Abstract Expressionist critic and dealer, Betty Parsons. As a result of her representation of his work, his paintings popularity and demand increased, his works were shown at the Corcoran Gallery Biennial, the Witte Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Andre Emmerich Gallery Houston and the New Arts Gallery, Houston, among many others.
Bess's work is abstract, many of the paintings are emanated from visions in his dreams; or include lines, eyes, crosses and other simple forms.
His works can be found in the following permanent collections: Museum of Fine Arts Houston; The Menil Collection, Houston; The Witte Museum, San Antonio; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to name a few.
-Source: Texas Painters, Sculptors and Graphic Artist, by: John & Deborah Powers
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