Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6
Leon Polk SmithColor Forms (E)1974
1974
About the Item
Leon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U.S. as the state of Oklahoma, Smith’s parents, who were of Cherokee ancestry, raised him with both a strong sense of his heritage and an abiding respect for the land.
Art would eventually draw Smith to New York where he would quickly embrace elements of geometric abstraction in his work. Many of Smith’s hard-edge compositions could be viewed as distillations of imagery drawn from the Oklahoma landscape and Native American art forms of his youth. Polk Smith’s exploration of non-objective imagery in the late 1950s put him at the forefront of movements including Color Field, Minimalist, and Hard Edge painting. This print shares the same lively, high-contrast color palette and dynamic interactive forms found in the artist’s paintings.
Polk Smith’s work is included in the collections of major institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, IL; The Brooklyn Museum, NY; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NY; The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Museum of Modern Art, NY among many others worldwide.
- Creator:Leon Polk Smith (1906-1996, American)
- Creation Year:1974
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU46791692
Leon Polk Smith
Leon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting, which includes such artists as Bourgoyne Diller, Fritz Glarner, Al Held, and Ellsworth Kelly. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U.S. as the state of Oklahoma, Smith’s parents, who were of Cherokee ancestry, raised him with both a strong sense of his heritage and an abiding respect for the land. Art would eventually draw Smith to New York where he would quickly embrace elements of geometric abstraction in his work. His visual vocabulary was influenced by such historical figures as Hilla Rebay, both an abstract painter and the first director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Dutch De Stijl painter Piet Mondrian. However, many of Smith’s hard-edge compositions could be viewed as distillations of imagery drawn from the Oklahoma landscape and Native American art forms of his youth. Polk Smith’s exploration of non-objective imagery in the late 1950s put him at the forefront of movements including Color Field, Minimalist, and Hard Edge painting. Robert Buck, former director of the Brooklyn Museum, described Polk Smith as “an influential pioneer in the development of American Modernism”, adding, “He created a new vocabulary in painting that has had a far-reaching influence on subsequent generations of artists.”
One of Smith’s earliest and most successful forays into printmaking came in 1968 when he received a grant to work at June Wayne’s Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles. Smith would create sixteen untitled prints at Tamarind. These bold and vibrant prints incorporate a variety of his painting motifs, many of which relate to his Correspondence Series of 1960-1967, with their interplay of organic forms on solid color backgrounds. Prints would continue to be an important aspect of Smith’s creative output. The artist would go on to make over 50 print editions in this country and Europe.
About the Seller
5.0
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
1stDibs seller since 2011
73 sales on 1stDibs
Associations
International Fine Print Dealers AssociationArt Dealers Association of America
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
More From This SellerView All
- Color Forms (D)By Leon Polk SmithLocated in New York, NYLeon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U....Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Color Forms (A)By Leon Polk SmithLocated in New York, NYLeon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U....Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Color Forms (F)By Leon Polk SmithLocated in New York, NYLeon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U....Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Color Forms (G)By Leon Polk SmithLocated in New York, NYLeon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U....Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Color Forms (B)By Leon Polk SmithLocated in New York, NYLeon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U....Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Particle and Wave 1By James NaresLocated in New York, NYNares uses large brushes of his own manufacture to create gestural markings that appear almost three-dimensional. This is a multi-color screenprint printed on heavy weight paper wit...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Prints
MaterialsScreen
You May Also Like
- Untitled (Calvesi 46)By Alberto BurriLocated in New York, NY1973-1976 Screenprint in colors, on wove paper 16 3/4 x 13 5/8 in. (42.5 x 34.6 cm) Edition of 90 Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, lower marginCategory
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsPaper, Screen
- PanoramaBy Osvaldo MariscottiLocated in New York, NY2021 Screenprint in colors, on Rives BFK paper 40 x 30 in. (101.6 x 76.2 cm) Edition of 100 Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, lower marginCategory
2010s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsPaper, Screen
- Stardust (Variant I)By Osvaldo MariscottiLocated in New York, NY2021 13-color screenprint in colors, on Rives BFK paper 30 x 40 in. (76.2 x 101.6 cm) Edition of 50 + 10AP Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, lower marginCategory
2010s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsPaper, Screen
- Stardust (Variant II)By Osvaldo MariscottiLocated in New York, NY2021 13-color screenprint in colors, on Rives BFK paper 40 x 30 in. (101.6 x 76.2 cm) Edition of 50 + 10AP Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil, lower marginCategory
2010s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsPaper, Screen
- Homage to Barnett NewmanBy Gene DavisLocated in New York, NYA very good impression of this color screenprint on white wove paper. Signed and numbered 248/250 in pencil by Davis. Based on a series of oil paintings made by Davis, completed afte...Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsColor, Screen
- After SmokeBy Sam GilliamLocated in New York, NYColor screenprint on Arches paper. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 22/73 in pencil by Gilliam. Printed by Lou Stovall at the Workshop, Inc., Washington,...Category
1980s Color-Field Abstract Prints
MaterialsColor, Screen