Bart J Morse (b.1938)

View from Casa Seton, Airmen, 1981
Watercolor, 37" x 27"

This pictorially complex interior depicts a full length mirror on the back of a door. Its reflection shows the other side of the room and an open window in which a collaged group of WWII airmen pose in front of a fighter plane. Similar planes fly in the air and a floating pin-up girl salutes.

As in most of the Casa Seton series, Deco tile and period architectural details are featured. Their geometric and abstract qualities were used by Morse to explore perspective and inventive space reminiscent of early renaissance painting (Fra Angelico, etc.) Other surreal and collage elements include the tail end of a bird and textured (paper?) fibers in the foreground which mimics a rug. Signed front bottom right "Bart J. Morse 11/2/81".

The source for the "Resolute Airmen" title and picture comes from a book "Air News Yearbook" published 1941 or 42 by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, NY. Morse changed it slightly to "Airman".

Courtesy of Aaron & Rebecca Morse
Held in Los Angeles, California, United States of America