The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 24, 2024

Playhouse Square

Playhouse Square

1935
(American, 1902–1999)
America, Ohio, Cleveland
watercolor
Gift of Joseph M. Erdelac 1992.191
Location: not on view

Description

This painting depicts Cleveland’s Playhouse Square from an unusually high vantage point, which creates a dynamic composition emphasizing qualities of abstract design and movement. The cars and converging diagonals define the modern city as a hub of social and business exchange. Blazey gave the composition additional focus by creating the red and green traffic lights through small pieces of painted paper collaged on the surface. An advertising artist and industrial designer by trade, Blazey studied at the Cleveland School of Art and in 1924 received a scholarship to attend the Slade School in London. Afterward, he returned home and taught evening courses at the Cleveland School (now Institute) of Art.
  • Joseph M. Erdelac [1915-2005], Cleveland, OH
    October 19, 1992
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Robinson, William H., et. al. Transformations in Cleveland Art, 1796-1946: Community and Diversity in Early Modern America. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: p. 123; Mentioned: p. 122
  • Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 28-July 18, 2004).
    In Clear Light: The Triumph of Ohio Watercolorists. Canton Museum of Art, Canton, OH (organizer) (April 18-July 20, 2003); Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, OH (August 16-October 5, 2003).
    Transformations in Cleveland Art, 1796-1946. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 19-July 21, 1996).
    Signs of Affection: Gifts Honoring the Museum's 75th Anniversary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 1992-January 3, 1993).
  • {{cite web|title=Playhouse Square|url=false|author=Lawrence Blazey|year=1935|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1992.191