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Margo Humphrey
BACK TO EARTH Signed Lithograph, Abstract Landscape, Zebra, Crescent Moon, Grass

1968

About the Item

BACK TO EARTH is an original hand drawn lithograph by the American woman artist printmaker Margo Humphrey printed using hand lithography methods on archival Arches printmaking paper in 1968. BACK TO EARTH depicts a vertical abstract landscape printed in bold black, bright blue, chrome yellow, warm orange red, and teal green. BACK TO EARTH draws the viewer's attention with a series of three painted zebra images positioned in thirds from top to bottom within the composition moving from a dark night sky with crescent moons down to the earth referenced by the spiky green grassy area. BACK TO EARTH presents a very imaginative and painterly storybook expression by the renowned African American printmaker Margo Humphrey. Print size - 23.75 x 12 in., unframed, good condition, margins trimmed, archival hinge mounting tape on reverse, hand signed in pencil by Margo Humphrey, numbered on lower left corner 3/5, titled - Back to Earth, signature and year '68 located on the lower right. Note on ZEBRAS: Zebras have been featured in African art and culture for millennia. They are depicted in rock art in Southern Africa dating from 28,000 to 20,000 years ago, though not as commonly as antelope species like eland. How the zebra got its stripes has been the subject of folk tales, some of which involve it being scorched by fire. The Maasai proverb "a man without culture is like a zebra without stripes" has become popular in Africa and beyond. The San people associated zebra stripes with water, rain and lighting because of its dazzling pattern, and water spirits were conceived of having zebra stripes.Zebras once roamed all habitats in Africa, with the exceptions of rain forests, deserts, and dunes. Threats for all of them include habitat loss resulting from drought associated with climate change and farming, continuing political upheaval, and hunting. Margo Humphrey (born Oakland, CA 1942) is an American printmaker, illustrator and art teacher. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Stanford after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the California College of Arts and Crafts in printmaking. She has traveled in Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Europe and has taught in Fiji, Nigeria, Uganda, and the University of Maryland. She was awarded an undergraduate Fellowship to The Whitney Museum of American Art Summer Program in 1971. Humphrey earned a BFA in Painting and Printmaking and a MFA in Printmaking. She was one of the first African American women to distinguish herself in lithography. As a printmaker, she is known for her "bold, expressive use of color and freedom of form", creating works that are "engaging, exuberant and alive." Her techniques for layering colors are uncommon in lithography. Her work is considered to be "in the forefront of contemporary printmaking." Artist bio - Wikipedia Margo Humphrey’s many awards include The World Print Council’s James D. Pheland Award; two NEA and Tiffany Foundation Fellowship; a Ford Foundation Fellowship; and National Research Council and National Academy of Sciences Grants, among others. In addition to dozens of group shows, Humphrey’s solo exhibits have been hosted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Santa Cruz County Museum, the Philadelphia Print Club, and the universities of Delaware, New Mexico, Nebraska, Texas at San Antonio, and California at Davis and Santa Cruz. In addition, a dozen major public collections are repositories of her art including the MoMA, Hampton University, the Smithsonian, the Oakland Museum of California, the Cincinnati Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
  • Creator:
    Margo Humphrey (1942, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1968
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 23.75 in (60.33 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Good condition, unframed, trimmed margin, archival hinge mounting tape on reverse, hand signed in pencil by the artist numbered 3/15, titled, dated '68 on lower right margin, strong impression.
  • Gallery Location:
    Union City, NJ
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU83239853702

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