Dario Villalba

Untitled Abstract Spanish Modern Lithograph Signed and Numbered

1985

Allan D'Arcangelo (American/New York, 1930-1998), "Aspen Center of Contemporary Art", 1967 silkscreen, hand signed in pencil, dated, numbered "45/200" and blind stamped "Chiron Press, New York, NY" 32 in. x 24 in. Allan D'Arcangelo (1930-1998) was an American artist and printmaker, best known for his paintings of highways and road signs that border on pop art and minimalism, precisionism, Abstract illusionism and hard-edge painting, and also surrealism. His subject matter is distinctly American and evokes, at times, a cautious outlook on the future of this country. Allan D'Arcangelo was the son of Italian immigrants. He studied at the University of Buffalo from 1948–1953, where he got his bachelor's degree in history. After college, he moved to Manhattan and picked up his studies again at the New School of Social Research and the City University of New York, City College. At this time, he encountered Abstract Expressionist painters who were in vogue at the moment. After joining the army in the mid 1950s, he used the GI Bill to study painting at Mexico City College from 1957–59, driving there over 12 days in an old bakery truck retrofitted as a camper. However, he returned to New York in 1959, in search of the unique American experience. It was at this time that his painting took on a cool sensibility reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. His interests engaged with the environment, anti-Vietnam War protests, and the commodification and objectification of female sexuality. D'Arcangelo first achieved recognition in 1962, when he was invited to contribute an etching to The International Anthology of Contemporary Engraving: America Discovered; his first solo exhibition came the next year, at the Thiebaud Gallery in New York City. In 1965 he contributed three screenprints to Original Edition's 11 Pop Artists portfolio. By the 1970s, D'Arcangelo had received significant recognition in the art world. He was well known for his paintings of quintessentially American highways and infrastructure, and in 1971 was commissioned by the Department of the Interior to paint the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. However, his sense of morality always trumped his interest in art world fame. In 1975, he decided to quit the gallery that had been representing him for years, Marlborough Gallery, because of the way they handled Mark Rothko legacy. D'Arcangelo rejected Abstract Expressionism, though his early work has a painterly and somewhat expressive feel. He quickly turned to a style of art that seemed to border on Pop Art and Minimalism, Precisionism and Hard-Edge painting. Evidently, he didn't fit neatly in the category of Pop Art, though he shared subjects (women, signs, Superman) and techniques (stencil, assemblage) with these artists.He turned to expansive, if detached scenes of the American highway. These paintings are reminiscent of Giorgio de Chirico-though perhaps not as interested in isolation-and Salvador Dali-though there is a stronger interest in the present and disinterest in the past. These paintings also have a sharp quality that is reminiscent of the precisionist style, or more specifically, Charles Sheeler. 1950s, Before D'Arcangelo returned to New York, his style was roughly figurative and reminiscent of folk art. During the early 1960s, Allan D'Arcangelo was linked with Pop Art. "Marilyn" (1962) depicts an illustrative head and shoulders on which the facial features are marked by lettered slits to be "fitted" with the eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth which appear off to the right in the composition. In "Madonna and Child," (1963) the featureless faces of Jackie Kennedy and Caroline are ringed with haloes, enough to make their status as contemporary icons perfectly clear. Select Exhibitions: Fischbach Gallery, New York, Ileana Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, Gallery Müller, Stuttgart, Germany Hans Neuendorf Gallery, Hamburg, Germany Dwan Gallery...

Les Levine On the Bowery, 1969 - 1971 Screenprint in color 25.5 x 25.5 inches, signed, numbered 21/100 Hand signed, published by Edition Domberger, Bonlanden, West Germany (with their blindstamp) Provenance: Collection of Tom Levine On the Bowery, 1971. The portfolio consists of nine screenprints in colors (one with mylar collage), on wove paper, by representative artists of the Pop Art period. Cy Twombly, Robert Ryman, Will Insley, Robert Indiana, Les Levine, John Willenbecher...

This abstract composition features a cropped view of the words SIGHT SEEING, in bold all-capital lettering. Roses fill the top line of text, and the bottom line of text in white is s...

Dondi White, Futura, Lee Quinones, Crash, Daze, Lady Pink & Zephyr: Celebrating 15 Years Above Ground (1995): This rare, complete portfolio of 7 hand-signed limited edition screen-prints, was published on the occasion of the 1995 exhibition, Celebrating 15 Years Above Ground: a historic event exploring the evolution of 1980’s New York graffiti legends: Crash, Daze, Dondi, Futura, Lee Quinones, Lady Pink, and Zephyr. The seldom seen complete set of 7 works accompanied by both original portfolio covers, makes for a standout addition to any 1980’s New York graffiti collection. Medium: 7 individual screen-prints in colors on fine, deckle-edged Stonehenge paper; plus a screen-printed portfolio cover on heavy matte paper. 1995. Each work individually measures: 14 x 11 inches (35.6 x 27.9 cm). Each hand-signed & numbered in pencil by the respective artists from an edition of 100 (5 works signed & numbered frontside; with Futura & Lady Pink signed & numbered on the reverse). Condition: Prints: Some very minor signs of handling; rubbing on the right lower edge of Zephyr; in otherwise very good overall vintage condition as pictured. Superb overall print quality & color separation. Fine archival paper. Portfolio casing (last image) contains some minor signs of aging & handling. Collections: The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Dondi White: Dondi was an American graffiti artist best known for his dynamic lettering and stick figures. His work, whether painted on canvas or on walls, is characterized by a dynamic energy and explosive use of color. Dondi became associated with a group of legendary artists working in the East Village, including Futura, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. His canvas works reiterated the lettering, symbolic icons, and stick figures that were his signature marks on the streets, while his later work from the 1990s included collages that juxtaposed pencil drawings with blueprints of the subway system—which had previously served as his canvas. Futura: Futura 2000 is a contemporary American graffiti artist. Over the course of his career, he transitioned from making New York-based subway graffiti in the early 1970s, to exhibiting at Fun Gallery in the 1980s alongside major artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf. He went on to collaborate with the punk band The Clash, designing their album art and performing live graffiti during their concerts. Today, McGurr’s work can be found in the collections of the Museo de Arte Moderna di Bologna, the Musée de Vire in France, and the Museum of the City of New York. Lee Quinones: Lee Quinones is an American-Puerto Rican artist known for the graffiti he made on New York subway cars during the 1970s and 1980s. Quinones addressed political and cultural issues through his graffiti, with quotes such as “Earth is Hell...