Like the land and the people who inspired their art, California Modernists reflected the progressive, open, hard-working, and expressive spirit of the state in which they chose to live and work.

It is that spirit which infuses the art selected for exhibition and sale at Spencer Jon Helfen Fine Arts, a gallery that focuses on paintings and sculpture created by artists living in California and America at large during the modern period — generally spanning from 1910 to 1950, with a particular emphasis on California art of the 1930s.

By providing gallery visitors an informed connection between the social and political context in which California Modernists worked and the art itself, the Gallery encourages guests to more fully appreciate each work of art within the appropriate historical framework.

Among the many artistic themes represented in our offerings are California Scene, California and American Regionalism, Social Realism, and WPA-inspired works.

Stylistically, the Gallery offers works that reflect the wide diversity of California and American Modernism, including Surrealism, Realism, Magic Realism, Synchromism, Art Deco, Cubism, and Abstraction.

At Spencer Jon Helfen Fine Arts, California Modernism is brought to life — its messages resonating just as strongly in the 21st Century as they did some 80 years ago.