Rare authenticated Tom Lieber original oil on canvas painting in gallery quality frame. Includes attached gallery lighting. Likely an early work of Mr. Lieber (1970s), this mid century painting is unique in its color and style. 

From the Appraisal:

“Brush and palette knife oil painting of waterfront-bay scene. Coloration is unusual as the entire work is in warm earth-tones: browns, beige, and mauve. Land mass is to the left and extends from the lower to the upper middle edge. The brightest areas of the center and gold toned light peeking through the clouds, introducing the water’s edge building draws first attention, but helps lead the eye towards the lighter area with a sailboat in the middle. The large mass on the left and landmass on the right create a pleasing bay of still water which leads out to the boat and horizon. The coloration is unusual.

The expression goes: “Collectors want what collectors want.” That applies to this early work by Tom Lieber, born 1949, California. The artist is popular as an abstract artist with highly active, Turner-like, canvases. Pricing is routinely $30,000 up to $50,000 in some markets. The owner of this work holds that Lieber pieces from his earlier career are being offered at similarly high prices. We have found most older works offered, not sold, in the $4,000-8,000 range. The abstracted works sell at a 5x-8x multiple. The gallery, which has sold and continues to offer for sale some of his works in New Mexico, was not familiar with his earlier style and did not recall handling any non-abstract pieces. The piece is assumed to be genuine in this appraisal.”

History of the Artist: 

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1949, artist Tom Lieber received an MFA from the University of Illinois in 1974. Shortly after graduating he relocated to San Francisco to fulfill his affinity with Bay Area painting.

In 1975 Lieber was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts; in 1982 he was selected for the Emerging American Artists’ Exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York curated by Diane Waldman, and was shortly thereafter invited to join Berggruen (FKA John Berggruen Gallery). In 1983 Lieber began making large-scale monotypes with Garner Tullis at Experimental Press. Through Tullis he has met John Walker, Sean Scully, Friedel Dzubas, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Francis, William Wiley and others.

Since the mid-1980s, Tom Lieber's work has been shown and celebrated internationally; it comprises such permanent collections as the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; and the Tate Gallery in London.

In the 2000 the artist moved to Kauai and has continued painting works largely influenced by the environment of Hawaii. Lieber now divides his time between Los Angeles and Kauai.