The popularity of Surrealist artist Kay Sage never seems to abate. Her paintings have been the object  of exhibitions over the past decade and due to the rarity of her output, her name at auction draws fanfare.  Indeed,  “Tomorrow is Never” (1955) and “At the Appointed Time”  are now on view at “Fantastic Women: Surreal Worlds from Meret Oppenheim to Frida Kahlo” at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, (through July 5th).  “Other Answers” 1945 is currently up for auction at Christie’s as of this writing.

Several compelling themes emerge in her work, particularly the motif of scaffolding. Forming a signature in her oeuvre, signs of lattice work first appear in “Midnight” (oil on canvas) from 1944.  Set against a severe backdrop of navy blue, a biomorphic form, in the shape of a sail,  sits in the foreground; the scene is nocturnal. The triangular form, composed of folds and large in scale, stands erect as a sentinel.   Set in a wide expanse of space, a ghost-like appearance of a stick formation looms in the distance. Jagged and skeletal, the structure is made of horizontal and vertical beams.  Echoing the influence of Giorgio De Chirico, Sage paints long shadows behind the form. A lean palette of blue, white and grey is spare and imparts an aura of isolation and somnolence.