Items Similar to Flight XXXI, unique collage, signed and inscribed to Fischbach gallery director
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9
sheila ishamFlight XXXI, unique collage, signed and inscribed to Fischbach gallery director1987
1987
$3,850
£2,908.25
€3,361.10
CA$5,410.29
A$6,015.30
CHF 3,167.42
MX$72,983.69
NOK 40,101.09
SEK 37,484.75
DKK 25,082.50
About the Item
Sheila Isham
Flight XXXI, 1987
acrylic, watercolor, and collage on handmade paper with deckled edges
Pencil signed, dated and titled
Signed again and warmly inscribed: "For Aladar, our mentor with love"
Provenance: Acquired from the Estate of Aladar Marberger, the legendary director of Fischbach Gallery in New York
This work is held in the original vintage 1980s wood frame under glass
Measurements:
Framed
13 inches (vertical) by 25.5 inches (horizontal) by 1.25
Artwork:
11 inches (vertical) by 24 inches (horizontal)
Sheila Isham Biography:
Few artists of the 20th century can boast a life of sojourns as rich and artistically textured as that of Sheila Eaton Isham. Born in New York City in 1927, the American abstract painter lived and traveled with her diplomat husband in Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Washington, D.C., Paris, Haiti, and New York, absorbing the various influences and traditions of each place into her work. Throughout a dedicated career spanning over five decades, Isham used painting, lithography, book arts, and collage to explore her enduring interest in philosophy and nature, which she cited as her greatest teacher. As Edward Solanski, a critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, once astutely noted, “Isham’s work is ultimately not about describing or symbolizing but about generating life force.”
After graduating from Bryn Mawr College, Isham moved to Berlin with her husband who had been appointed to the American Missions. She became the first American citizen to be accepted at the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied from 1950 to 1954 under German Abstract Expressionists. In 1955, Isham accompanied her husband to Moscow, where she immersed herself in Russian modernist avant-garde art and created lyrical lithographs of the surrounding urban landscape. Her next move to Hong Kong in 1962 proved catalytic for the artist, who began rigorous study of classical Chinese calligraphy for three years and assimilated the abstract possibilities of Chinese hieroglyphs into her visual vocabulary. Returning to Washington, D.C. in 1965, Isham adapted the airbrush technique to create color abstractions that evoke dreamscapes of mottled, cloud-like forms. These she combined with chance procedures and specific titling sourced from the I Ching, reinvigorating Eastern artistic traditions and merging them with her atmospheric fields of acrylic coloration. Her intuitive relationship to color and light is particularly pronounced in
these meditative, stunning paintings. “Color and light for a painter are the two most important elements,” Isham remarked. “Light is so extraordinary because light is behind and in front, within. For example, you can look at a person and tell how much light they have within them. And it’s the same way in nature. You wake up in the morning and the sun is coming up in one end and it feels differently from the evening.” In the late 1970s, she began to experiment with iconography culled from Haitian animism, Eastern cosmography, and Hinduism. Isham’s later works at the end of the 20th century feature more saturated color palettes and combine collaged biomorphic figuration with energetic brush strokes. No matter how her style evolved, her works consistently and assiduously evoke a mystical quality and bring to the fore her profound interest in spirituality. Throughout her fascinating career, Isham imbued her works with her tirelessly inquisitive spirit and an intuitive, expressive sense of color.
Isham has had solo exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. (1961); Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo (1974, 1981); Georgia Museum of Art, Atlanta (1993); Russian Museum, Marble Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia; Russian State Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia (2004), among others. Her work is held in major public and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Baltimore Museum of Art; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.; Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis Institute of Art; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; New Orleans Museum of Art; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York; Princeton University Art Museum; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and Yale University Art Gallery.
-Courtesy Hollis Taggart
- Creator:sheila isham
- Creation Year:1987
- Dimensions:Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Excellent original condition; held in original 1980s vintage wood frame under glass; ships framed.
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1745216777102
About the Seller
5.0
Platinum Seller
Premium sellers with a 4.7+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 2007
1stDibs seller since 2022
445 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: New York, NY
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllIII-8, Hand painted, signed Monoprint composition of two separate sheets, Framed
By Michael Heizer
Located in New York, NY
Michael Heizer
III-8 (two pages), 1983
Monoprint on two individual sheets of white handmade TGL paper, hand colored with colored pencils, paint sticks, and liquid and spray acrylic p...
Category
1980s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Handmade Paper, Color Pencil, Monoprint, Mo...
Intersecting Magic Square
By Charmion von Wiegand
Located in New York, NY
Charmion von Wiegand
Intersecting Magic Square, ca. 1963
Gouache on paperboard
Signed and titled on the back of the artwork. The signature shown on the frame back is a photo of the actual signature on the artwork itself.
Frame Included: elegantly floated and framed in hand made white wood museum frame with UV plexiglass
This work is signed and titled on the back of the artwork itself. The signature shown on the back of the frame is a photo of the actual signature, since the actual pencil signature and title is on the artwork itself, which can't be seen within the frame
Measurements:
Frame:
21 x 17 x 1.5 inches
Artwork:
18 x 14.25 inches
The Estate of the celebrated artist Charmion Von Wiegand has been represented exclusively by Michael Rosenfeld...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Handmade Paper, Mixed Media, Pencil
Giotto, Silkscreen with Watercolor and Acrylic on paper, HandSigned 2/3, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Robert Petersen
Giotto, 1989
Mixed Media: Silkscreen with Watercolor and Acrylic on paper
Hand signed, numbered and dated on front A.P 2/3
(Unique variant - each example unique with ...
Category
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Materials
Screen, Watercolor, Acrylic, Mixed Media
Untitled Abstract Expressionist watercolor, pencil signed, Japanese-American art
By Taro Yamamoto
Located in New York, NY
Taro Yamamoto
Untitled Abstract Expressionist watercolor, ca. 1957
Watercolor wash, drips & splatter on rice paper
Pencil signed on the front
12 × 16 inches
Unframed
Mid century mod...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Rice Paper, Pencil
Summer Set 8, watercolor monoprint (unique) on Dieu Donne handmade paper, signed
By Arlene Shechet
Located in New York, NY
Arlene Shechet
Summer Set 8, 2005
Watercolor monoprint on dieu donné hand made paper
21 × 27 1/2 inches
Signed and dated in graphite on the front
Exquisite watercolor monoprint on di...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Handmade Paper, Monoprint, Mixed Media, Graphite
Orchid & Red, unique signed work on handmade hand dyed paper ex Tupperware Coll.
Located in New York, NY
Margie Hughto
Orchid & Red, 1983
Dyed Handmade paper
Hand signed and dated by the artist on the lower right front. Titled on the back.
Unique
Frame Inclu...
Category
1980s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Dye, Handmade Paper, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker
You May Also Like
Winter Palace, 1960s Mid Century Modern Abstract Watercolor & Acrylic Painting
By Edward Marecak
Located in Denver, CO
Winter Palace is a stunning abstract acrylic and watercolor painting on paper by 20th Century Denver artist Edward Marecak (1919-1993). Created circa the 1960s, the artwork features ...
Category
1960s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor
Looking For Tomorrow
Located in New York, NY
The art of Philip Wittmann is founded on signals. For him, signs serve as a bridge between abstraction, reality and writing, too. When he was 26 years old, he began painting as a hobbyist using 'pure' abstraction. However, he believed his work lacked a solid foundation upon which to grow.
He discovered a book on the origins of the Chinese alphabet, which origins are essentially signs, in 2008 while taking a calligraphy class. The 26 letters of our Latin alphabet are less pictorial than the Chinese characters as we know them now. He discovered that pictorial representation is more prevalent when examining the origins of alphabets—all alphabets, in fact—because there is frequently a similarity between the sign's true meaning and what it is meant to represent. For instance, the symbol for a turtle in the original Chinese script resembles a turtle.
Wittmann loves signs as they leave room for interpretation. For instance, if one writes “the sky
is blue”, one will make for themself a mental representation of a blue sky, even if each one-off us
will probably have some nuance in our own mental representation of that blue sky. On the other hand, a sign can...
Category
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Materials
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper, Handmade Paper
Innocent
Located in New York, NY
The art of Philip Wittmann is founded on signals. For him, signs serve as a bridge between abstraction, reality and writing, too. When he was 26 years ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Materials
Ink, Handmade Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Unforgettable
Located in New York, NY
The art of Philip Wittmann is founded on signals. For him, signs serve as a bridge between abstraction, reality and writing, too. When he was 26 years old, he began painting as a hobbyist using 'pure' abstraction. However, he believed his work lacked a solid foundation upon which to grow.
He discovered a book on the origins of the Chinese alphabet, which origins are essentially signs, in 2008 while taking a calligraphy class. The 26 letters of our Latin alphabet are less pictorial than the Chinese characters as we know them now. He discovered that pictorial representation is more prevalent when examining the origins of alphabets—all alphabets, in fact—because there is frequently a similarity between the sign's true meaning and what it is meant to represent. For instance, the symbol for a turtle in the original Chinese script resembles a turtle.
Wittmann loves signs as they leave room for interpretation. For instance, if one writes “the sky
is blue”, one will make for themself a mental representation of a blue sky, even if each one-off us
will probably have some nuance in our own mental representation of that blue sky. On the other hand, a sign can...
Category
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Materials
Ink, Handmade Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Flushing #3
Located in Westport, CT
Selena Beaudry’s work is created by marking and cutting up drawings. This has led the artist to rediscovering her visual language. Her work consists of...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Linen, Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Color Pencil
Carnivore
By Cheryl R. Riley
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Carnivore
Gouache and metallic ink on 1957 Encyclopedia page
Feminist Art and Contemporary Feminist / Geometric Abstraction / Gestural Abstraction / Abstract Art / Minimalism and C...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Acrylic, Gouache, Magazine Paper