Mystery Fake Louise Nevelson Black Wood Assemblages

One of the biggest mysteries in my collection. Spotted on Minneapolis craigslist were four black wood assemblages (2 shown here), each about 24" by 36", that obviously were inspired by Louise Nevelson. When I bought them, the seller said he hadn't a clue about their age or the artist. He'd found 26 of them hidden in the basement of a South Minneapolis house, and the house sellers didn't even know they were there. They are expertly and artistically assembled and painted, very similar to my close examination of Louise Nevelson's massive End of Day–Nightscape IV ae t the Nelson Atkins in Kansas City. But they also are missing both the scale and true artistry of Nevelson's. Despite a lot of Web searching, I've not come across any artists, in Minneapolis or elsewhere, who would have constructed 26 pieces like this as a homage or appropriation from Nevelson. Any clues appreciated.

More on Nevelson:

Nevelson, Louise, 1900–1988, American sculptor, b. Kiev, Russia. Using odd pieces of wood, found objects, cast metal and other materials, Nevelson constructed huge walls or enclosed box arrangements of complex and rhythmic abstract shapes. These are covered entirely with black, white, or gold paint. The uniform tone gives her work a mysterious quality and emphasizes the structural importance of its shadows. Huge works such as World (1966; Detroit Inst. of Art) reflect a sense of total environment. Examples of Nevelson's work are in the Whitney Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

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