James Houston McConnell

'Blueprint' — Mid-century Modernist Abstraction

1955

Lithograph, screenprint, etching and aquatint printed in colours, with relief, 1998, signed in pencil, dated, numbered from the edition of 51 (there were also twelve artist's proofs)...

Lithograph, screenprint, etching and aquatint printed in colours, with relief, 1998, signed in pencil, dated, numbered from the edition of 55 (there were also 14 artist's proofs), with the publisher's blindstamp, Tyler Graphics, Ltd., Mount Kisco, 54.6 x 55.2 cm. (21½ x 21¾ in.) Catalogue Raisonne: Axsom 252 Over a period of four years, Stella created a body of prints whose titles all came from ‘The Dictionary of Imaginary Places’ by Alberto Mangual and Gianni Guadalupi. Each work from this series is recognisable for its teaming compositions of twisting, colliding and knotted forms. The shapes appear to spill out of their sheet, seemingly trying to escape their frames. As he had done since the ‘Swan Engravings...

"Indianapolis Museum of Art Inaugural Exhibitions", 25 October 1970, is an eye popping large bold colorful geometric abstract silk screen. It is signed on the lower right. Robert Indiana, one of the preeminent figures in American art since the 1960s, played a central role in the development of assemblage art, hard-edge painting, Pop art, Neo-Dada, American Modernism and Modern Art. A self-proclaimed “American painter of signs,” Indiana created a highly original body of work that explores American identity, personal history, and the power of abstraction and language, establishing an important legacy that resonates in the work of many contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Roy Lectenstein, David Hockney, Romero Britto, Richard Hamilton and Robert Rauschenberg who make the written word a central element of their oeuvre. Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana on September 13, 1928. Adopted as an infant, he spent his childhood moving frequently throughout his namesake state. At 14 he moved to Indianapolis in order to attend Arsenal Technical High School, known for its strong arts curriculum. After graduating he spent three years in the U.S. Air Force and then studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting in Maine, and the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. In 1956, two years after moving to New York, Indiana met Ellsworth Kelly, and upon his recommendation took up residence in Coenties Slip, where a community of artists that would come to include Kelly, Agnes Martin, James Rosenquist, and Jack Youngerman had studios. Indiana, like some of his fellow artists, scavenged the area’s abandoned warehouses for materials, creating sculptural assemblages from old wooden beams, rusted metal wheels, and other remnants of the shipping trade that had thrived in Coenties Slip. The discovery of 19th century brass stencils led to the incorporation of brightly colored numbers and short emotionally charged words onto these sculptures as well as canvases, and became the basis of his new painterly vocabulary. Although acknowledged as a leader of Pop, Indiana distinguished himself from his Pop peers by addressing important social and political issues and incorporating profound historical and literary references into his works. In 1964 Indiana accepted Philip Johnson’s invitation to design a new work for the New York State Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair, creating a 20-foot EAT sign...

The Fan Silkscreen printed in colors, 1950's Signed and numbered in pencil by the artist (see photos) Edition: 40 (24/40) Condition: very good Image size: 25 1/8 x 19 5/8 inches Cou...

Anthony Velonis (1911-1997) was an extremely innovative artist. He learned the technique of screen printing, also known as silkscreen, (for which he also coined the term serigraphy) while working with a wall paper manufacturer. Unusual for fine prints, the image is made by the artist in the same direction as it will print, as the colored inks are forced through fabric (silk) directly onto a paper surface. (He also invented a machine that could print onto column-shaped items such as cocktail glasses or make-up bottles and a rack system for drying sheets of paper with wet ink in which the sheets are just inches apart.) The technique allows extreme versatility on the part of the artist and the ink tends to sit on top of the paper rather than soak into the fibers. In 1934 Velonis used this new technique on Mayor LaGuardia's NYC Poster...

This vibrant 1934 vintage color serigraph (silkscreen print) by acclaimed artist Hilaire Hiler (1898–1966) depicts a stylized Native American figure dressed in a fox costume holding a bow, featuring a bold feather headdress and striking contrasts of black, red, and white. Created during the influential WPA era, this modernist print reflects Hiler’s semi-abstract approach to Native American themes, blending cultural symbolism with avant-garde color theory. Signed in pencil by Hiler in the lower right margin and titled on the verso, this serigraph is a rare and evocative example of early 20th-century American modernism. About Hilaire Hiler: Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hiler studied at the University of Paris and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before immersing himself in the European avant-garde scene. He supported his art career by performing as a jazz musician in Paris. Returning to the U.S. in 1934, Hiler contributed murals to the WPA Aquatic Park...

Stuart Davis Eggbeater No. 1 Silk Scarf, ca. 1980 100% silks scarf 34 × 34 inches (the smaller measurements shown are after the scarf is folded, to minimize shipping costs, as it sh...

Edition: 34. This impression is one of only two proofs printed on graph paper. Printed by Reinhard Schumann, Hickory, North Carolina. Reproduced in Formulation: Articulation (portfol...

Artist: Bill Sontag, American (b. 1932) Title: Urban Walls: Cincinnati Year: 1971 Edition: 85/150 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Image Size: 24 x 32 inches Size: ...

Concentric Space (White) Clarence Holbrook Carter American (1904–2000) Date: 1969 Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 50 Image Size: 23.5 x 19.5 inches Size: 25 x...