Split Paintings

Orange Cab and Demolition Split, acrylic on canvas, 30 1/2" x 38". Private Collection.

Trench Coat Billboard Split, acrylic on canvas, 21 1/2" x 37", Private Collection

Split Billboard & Storefront Canopy, acrylic on paper, 38" x 35"

Tucson Split, acrylic on canvas, 27 3/4" 53 1/2"

Split Cactus & Demolition, acrylic on paper, 25" x 23 1/2"

Cactus Three Splits, acrylic on canvas, 32" x 40"

Cactus Split Street View, acrylic on canvas, 28" x 53 1/2", 2001
Collection of the University of Maine

Canyon & Construction Split, acrylic on canvas, 26 1/2" x 36 1/2"

Half Dome Split, acrylic on canvas on bars, 25 1/2" x 29"

Canyon & Tractor Split, watercolor on paper, 8 1/2" x 11"

Cactus Split Blue Edge, acrylic on canvas on bars, 14 1/4" x 16 3/4"

Palm Tree & Machine Split, acrylic on paper, 26 1/2" x 29 3/4", 1997

Machine Split, acrylic on paper, 13 3/4"x 17 3/4"

Cactus Split, Machine #1, acrylic on canvas, 40" x 23 1/4"

Girder & Construction, acrylic on canvas, 29" x 35", Private Collection

Seneca, acrylic on canvas, 25 1/2" x 27 5/8", Private Collection

Yellow Digger Split, acrylic on canvas, 21.75” x 24”, Private Collection

During the 1990's and into the early 2000's. Val Lewton explored "split" paintings, combining disparate elements into a creative whole. Sometimes seamless, most often the subjects reflected a juxtaposition of West Coast to East Coast images, or the demolition (machines and destruction) in the surrounding city versus the beauty of the natural landscape, art or architecture. A keen observer of life around him, everything was fodder for his painting. In retrospect, one could foresee the fascination with "split" painting when observing the strong verticals employed in earlier urban landscapes.