A moody, cinematic 1970s serigraph by Jay Riven, Townscape (AP) blends surrealist sensibility with modern American rural imagery—barns, houses, trees—floating above a glowing amber ground. A compelling collectible for admirers of mid-century modern printmaking and poetic landscape abstraction.
Townscape presents a quiet row of rural buildings—barns, farmhouses, trees, telephone poles—rendered in soft monochrome tones and suspended above a radiant amber field that rises from the bottom of the composition. The image reads almost like a memory or apparition: architecture floats rather than sits, suggesting recollection, time, and psychological distance rather than literal geography.
Stylistically, the work reflects mid-20th-century surrealist and poetic realism influences, translated into the disciplined language of serigraphy. Riven reduces detail to essentials—rooflines, silhouettes, tree canopies—while allowing tonal transitions and negative space to carry emotional weight. The dramatic color shift from dark horizon to warm, luminous foreground creates a cinematic tension, evoking dusk or dawn and reinforcing the theme of transition.
Technically, the serigraph process allows for smooth gradients and crisp architectural forms without visible brushwork. The surface appears velvety and controlled, emphasizing mood over texture. The print is pencil-signed “Jay Riven” and designated AP (Artist’s Proof), indicating a small, non-commercial subset pulled outside the numbered edition and often retained by the artist or publisher.
Jay Riven (1916–2006) was an American artist whose career bridged drawing, printmaking, collage, and assemblage. Born in the early 20th century, Riven came of age artistically during a period of profound experimentation in modern art. She relocated to New York City in the 1940s, where exposure to the surrealist collage movement—brought to the U.S. by European émigré artists—had a lasting impact on her visual language.
Riven’s early work began with pencil drawings, emphasizing structure, atmosphere, and psychological space. Over time, her practice evolved toward increasingly complex compositions that interwove architectural elements, landscapes, and symbolic forms. She became known for assembling imagery in ways that suggested memory fragments rather than fixed narratives—aligning her work with surrealism’s interest in the subconscious and poetic association.
By the 1960s and 1970s, Riven had translated these ideas into printmaking, particularly serigraphy, which allowed her to control tone, layering, and spatial ambiguity with precision. Her prints often depict towns, interiors, and landscapes that feel suspended in time—neither fully real nor entirely imagined. Throughout her career, she exhibited in the United States and developed a reputation among collectors for work that is quiet, introspective, and intellectually resonant rather than overtly decorative.
Riven continued working into her later years, maintaining a consistent commitment to mood, structure, and the emotional potential of built environments. Today, her work is appreciated for its subtle surrealism, refined restraint, and ability to convey narrative without literal storytelling.
Jay Riven (American, 1916–2006), Townscape, c.1970s, color serigraph on paper, 26 × 22 in, pencil signed, Artist’s Proof; surrealist-influenced rural architecture.
Artist: Jay Riven (1916–2006)
Title: Townscape
Medium: Serigraph (screenprint) on paper
Dimensions: 26 × 22 inches
Edition: Artist’s Proof (outside the numbered edition)
Markings: Pencil signature “Jay Riven”
Authentication Basis: Signature consistent with known examples; AP designation aligns with professional printmaking practice; stylistic coherence with Riven’s documented body of work; provenance from Mitch Morse Gallery.
Condition: Not examined in person; value assumes good vintage condition with intact color fields and no major paper loss.
Mitch Morse Gallery (acquired in NYC, United States & Europe) → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
A moody, cinematic 1970s serigraph by Jay Riven, Townscape (AP) blends surrealist sensibility with modern American rural imagery—barns, houses, trees—floating above a glowing amber ground. A compelling collectible for admirers of mid-century modern printmaking and poetic landscape abstraction.
Townscape presents a quiet row of rural buildings—barns, farmhouses, trees, telephone poles—rendered in soft monochrome tones and suspended above a radiant amber field that rises from the bottom of the composition. The image reads almost like a memory or apparition: architecture floats rather than sits, suggesting recollection, time, and psychological distance rather than literal geography.
Stylistically, the work reflects mid-20th-century surrealist and poetic realism influences, translated into the disciplined language of serigraphy. Riven reduces detail to essentials—rooflines, silhouettes, tree canopies—while allowing tonal transitions and negative space to carry emotional weight. The dramatic color shift from dark horizon to warm, luminous foreground creates a cinematic tension, evoking dusk or dawn and reinforcing the theme of transition.
Technically, the serigraph process allows for smooth gradients and crisp architectural forms without visible brushwork. The surface appears velvety and controlled, emphasizing mood over texture. The print is pencil-signed “Jay Riven” and designated AP (Artist’s Proof), indicating a small, non-commercial subset pulled outside the numbered edition and often retained by the artist or publisher.
Jay Riven (1916–2006) was an American artist whose career bridged drawing, printmaking, collage, and assemblage. Born in the early 20th century, Riven came of age artistically during a period of profound experimentation in modern art. She relocated to New York City in the 1940s, where exposure to the surrealist collage movement—brought to the U.S. by European émigré artists—had a lasting impact on her visual language.
Riven’s early work began with pencil drawings, emphasizing structure, atmosphere, and psychological space. Over time, her practice evolved toward increasingly complex compositions that interwove architectural elements, landscapes, and symbolic forms. She became known for assembling imagery in ways that suggested memory fragments rather than fixed narratives—aligning her work with surrealism’s interest in the subconscious and poetic association.
By the 1960s and 1970s, Riven had translated these ideas into printmaking, particularly serigraphy, which allowed her to control tone, layering, and spatial ambiguity with precision. Her prints often depict towns, interiors, and landscapes that feel suspended in time—neither fully real nor entirely imagined. Throughout her career, she exhibited in the United States and developed a reputation among collectors for work that is quiet, introspective, and intellectually resonant rather than overtly decorative.
Riven continued working into her later years, maintaining a consistent commitment to mood, structure, and the emotional potential of built environments. Today, her work is appreciated for its subtle surrealism, refined restraint, and ability to convey narrative without literal storytelling.
Jay Riven (American, 1916–2006), Townscape, c.1970s, color serigraph on paper, 26 × 22 in, pencil signed, Artist’s Proof; surrealist-influenced rural architecture.
Artist: Jay Riven (1916–2006)
Title: Townscape
Medium: Serigraph (screenprint) on paper
Dimensions: 26 × 22 inches
Edition: Artist’s Proof (outside the numbered edition)
Markings: Pencil signature “Jay Riven”
Authentication Basis: Signature consistent with known examples; AP designation aligns with professional printmaking practice; stylistic coherence with Riven’s documented body of work; provenance from Mitch Morse Gallery.
Condition: Not examined in person; value assumes good vintage condition with intact color fields and no major paper loss.
Mitch Morse Gallery (acquired in NYC, United States & Europe) → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
