About 5 — The Estate Collection of Arthur Pinajian

In his Woodstock, NY studio, Arthur Pinajian momentarily pauses for a photo.

Pinajian, 1950’s.

Pinajian served with the Ozark Division in Belgium during World War II.

Portrait of Pinajian: Sketch credited to his cousin, Peter Najarian.

Arthur Pinajean drew and painted in obscurity until he died in 1999 at the ge of 85. Sharing a modest one-story cottage in the village in Bellport, New York, with his sister Armen, Pinajian depended on her totally for financial and moral support.

To our knowledge, no articles were written about Pinajian and he exhibited and sold his paintings only rarely. Despite this neglect, he pursued his art steadfastly and with incredible determination.

Rarely do we discover a worthy artist who works alone and unheralded. Arthur Pinajian was one of them. He drew and painted in obscurity until his death in 1999 at the age of 85. Sharing a modest one-story cottage in the village in Bellport, New York, with his sister Armen , Pinajian depended on her totally for financial and moral support.

To our knowledge, no articles were written about Pinajian and he exhibited and sold his paintings only rarely. Despite this neglect, he pursued his art steadfastly and with incredible determination. The majority of his work was found after his death stacked up in the one-car garage and attic of his sister's property. Along with the art found, were his journals, many letters, and sketchbooks that spanned the 50 years of his creative life. When all is said and done, this oeuvre is important because it represents an artistïs life in its totality. Within it, is found a prize legacy that will endure for posterity; the remainder will win the respect of scholars as they study in depth the life of a truly original artist.

Pinajian, the son of Armenian holocaust survivors, was a native of Union City, New Jersey. He started as a cartoonist in the 1930s and found considerable success fashioning comic strips for Quality, Marvel, and Centaur Comics.

After World War II, during which he earned the Bronze Star for valor, he rejected commercial art, attended the Art Students League in New York, and committed himself to the pursuit of serious painting. Prior to his many years in Bellport with Armen, he rented a studio in Woodstock, New York, and there and in West New York, New Jersey, he began to wrestle with the challenges of being a modern artist.