43: GLENN E. MESSER (1915-1988) KCI AIRPORT KANSAS CITY

Glenn E. Messer (Kansas City, 1915-1988 )
Untitled (Kansas City International Airport) (Circa 1975)
The acrylic on canvas is signed lower right, the artist's stamp verso.

Glenn Messer was a Kansas City painter and art director whose work blended commercial art discipline with a passion for urban landscape. Born in Dysart, Iowa, he moved to Kansas City in the late 1930s after being awarded a full tuition scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute in 1939. Following World War II service in the Army Air Forces, he worked as an art director for the Gannett Outdoor Company until his retirement in 1980. In 1951 he won First Prize at the Fifth Annual National Sign Design Competition.

He painted primarily in acrylics, applying color with both brush and palette knife to achieve a smooth, photographic realism often mistaken for airbrush. To develop his distinctive aerial perspectives, he chartered helicopter flights over Kansas City, photographing the city's highways, bridges, and airport from above to serve as source material. His paintings captured the energy of mid-century design and infrastructure.
Overall framed size measures 18.75 x 36.75 inches.
Very good original untouched condition. There are no issues of major scratches, losses, repairs, in-painting or touch-up.
$300 - $500