Marvin Messing

A surrealist, Marvin Messing was a painter, sculptor and printmaker.  His classical training at the Art Institute of Chicago was interrupted by World War II.  He enlisted in the Navy and served in the South Pacific. Because of Messing’s artistic ability he worked with Naval Intelligence as a topographical map and model maker, which entailed covert exploration of Japanese-held islands. His war experiences deeply affected his art. Messing’s paintings do not fit neatly into a single style. His art raises social, political and religious questions. Satirical or playful, it is always thought provoking. He was fascinated by the paradox of man’s nature: divine yet savage; compassionate, yet ruthless.