Louis Bunce: A One-Man History of Modernism

When viewing a wall of paintings recently on display at O’Gallerie Auction in Portland, one could easily assume they were created by multiple artists. The works span a startling range of styles—still life, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism—executed in various media and painted on whatever surfaces were at hand.

PDX travelers may already be familiar with Louis Bunce, the artist behind these works, thanks to his large 1958 abstract mural in the pre-security area of Portland International Airport*.

As you flip through the auction catalog, you might question whether you’ve misread the lot numbers. But with repeated glances, it becomes clear: all these works are by Louis Bunce.

“My own credo has been to be absorbed by painting and life—to pursue them daily, to disregard what has gone before and not plan what might come tomorrow,”
—Louis Bunce, 50 Northwest Artists (1983)

Born in Wyoming, Bunce settled in Portland and studied at the Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art) before moving to New York (1929–1935), where he studied at the Art Students League and befriended figures like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and David Smith. These connections immersed him in the stylistic revolutions that shaped postwar American painting.

And yet, as seen in the works offered at O’Gallerie, Bunce was not constrained by New York school orthodoxy. His influences stretch back to the European avant-garde introduced to American audiences via the 1913 Armory Show.

In the upper right corner of the auction wall hangs a table-top still life with flowers ($5,550) and fruit, signed and dated 1946, with a label from The Laura Russo Gallery. Cubist influences are evident. Below it sits an abstract composition on paper from 1963 ($350). At the center of the wall is Woodyard ($7,000), an oil on tin reminiscent of George Braque, featuring provenance from three important Portland galleries: The Kharouba Gallery (co-founded by Bunce), The Fountain Gallery, and The Laura Russo Gallery.

Among the most striking pieces is Evening Sky [(1980) $2,000], a pointillist work painted just two years before his death. Its buoyant color palette and formal freedom suggest Bunce’s enduring optimism and curiosity. Another standout is Park at Night [(1945) $2,250,] which channels Surrealist influences—perhaps Paul Klee or Joan Miró—and could be inspired by parks in either Portland or New York.

After returning from New York, Bunce became a vital force in the Portland art scene, bringing his modernist influences into the Northwest artist paradigm. He taught generations of students at the Museum Art School and helped found the city’s first gallery dedicated to contemporary experimental art: the Kharouba Gallery.

Much like members of the Fort Worth Circle, Bunce served as a cultural bridge, connecting the modernist avant-garde of the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest’s emerging, more nature-inflected visual language.

In 2017, Salem’s Hallie Ford Museum of Art hosted Louis Bunce: Dialogue with Modernism, a major retrospective featuring 49 works spanning 57 years. His work is now held in major collections, including the Portland Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and MoMA in New York.

As for the market, works from the 1950s and 1960s—when Bunce was most deeply engaged in modernist experimentation—tend to be the most sought-after. Studies for his Portland airport mural and his prints often have strong demand.

Results from this current auction will be posted here following its conclusion (added in bold).