DONALD SULTAN (Asheville, North Carolina , 1951).

DONALD SULTAN (Asheville, North Carolina , 1951). "Cantaloupe Pickers (melon pickers)," 1982. Watercolor and ink on paper. Signed, titled and dated on the left side. Measures 39 x 39 cm (irregular); 44 x 44 cm (frame). Preparatory sketch-drawing for the painting "Cantaloupe Pickers," by the artist in 1983, which is on view at the Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York. Donald Sultan combines the mediums of painting, printmaking and sculpture to construct elegant paintings through the use of industrial materials such as tar, linoleum, aluminum, plaster and enamel. His structured works are both abstract and representational with quickly recognizable images such as the "Disasters" series, paintings that focused on industry, war and man-made catastrophes. But over the years, he has reinvented still life with images of lemons, poppies, fruits and flowers and everyday objects. His work is interested in contrast, Sultan explores the dichotomies of beauty and roughness, nature and the artificial, realism and abstraction. He has been exhibiting internationally in leading museums and galleries, and his works are included in major museum collections around the world. Sultan has received numerous honors and awards for his artistic achievements.