A rare, early work by Bob Rankin, unlike any other piece of his I’ve seen, not only due to its sheer size, but also because it is as much a sculpture as it is a painting, and, in this way, a supreme example of his architectural influences & geometric abstractions. Another unique attribute of this work is its monochromaticity. He is known for using vibrant & richly saturated colors, but his works are normally multicolored. So this work is further set apart from his others being a solid color-block in a fantastic shade of fuchsia. This work is especially exemplary of his experimenting with the concept of “shape whimsy” where geometry and space combine to create heightened dimensions & structures reminiscent of cityscapes & urban architectural structures. This work utilizes foam, canvas strips & acrylic paint with additional surface treatments for texture and depth. Rankin is a well-known and highly regarded artist and life-long Raleigh native whose works have received many awards and are represented in multiple galleries and collections. He is also a celebrated educator and art teacher and was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. Several of his works were just sold at Leland Little Auction in January of this year (2026), some of which fetched several thousand dollars - none of which resembled this work in composition, color or size. However, despite its size, this piece is surprisingly lightweight given its foam substrate. Great condition; some surface wear and minor paint loss with foam substrate visible.
Length 70”, Height 54”, Depth 4”
A rare, early work by Bob Rankin, unlike any other piece of his I’ve seen, not only due to its sheer size, but also because it is as much a sculpture as it is a painting, and, in this way, a supreme example of his architectural influences & geometric abstractions. Another unique attribute of this work is its monochromaticity. He is known for using vibrant & richly saturated colors, but his works are normally multicolored. So this work is further set apart from his others being a solid color-block in a fantastic shade of fuchsia. This work is especially exemplary of his experimenting with the concept of “shape whimsy” where geometry and space combine to create heightened dimensions & structures reminiscent of cityscapes & urban architectural structures. This work utilizes foam, canvas strips & acrylic paint with additional surface treatments for texture and depth. Rankin is a well-known and highly regarded artist and life-long Raleigh native whose works have received many awards and are represented in multiple galleries and collections. He is also a celebrated educator and art teacher and was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. Several of his works were just sold at Leland Little Auction in January of this year (2026), some of which fetched several thousand dollars - none of which resembled this work in composition, color or size. However, despite its size, this piece is surprisingly lightweight given its foam substrate. Great condition; some surface wear and minor paint loss with foam substrate visible.
Length 70”, Height 54”, Depth 4”
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