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Donald Farnsworth
Counterpoint Gothic VI

1987

About the Item

This work on paper is by Donald Farnsworth (1952-). It is titled Counterpoint Gothic VI. It measures 29.5 x 21 inches the sheet, 38.5 x 29.75 inches framed. It is hard to describe how this work was made because Farnsworth is an extraordinarily creative innovator in the fields of paper making, printing and a number of other areas. My best description is: color lithograph, monotype, chine colle using various hand made papers. This is a unique work. There may be other prints using the image of the arches, for example, but they will have different compositions of hand made paper. The work is signed and dated (1987) in the lower right in pencil. The work is framed in a light colored wood frame and Plexiglas. Because the print does not have margins “full bleed) it is floated and has a thick mat around the edges. The work is in very good condition. The mat and frame are in good condition, with a very small bit of discoloration on edge of the lower bar of the frame. Donald Farnsworth obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1974 and his Master of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley in 1977. In addition to being a well-known artist, he is also the director of Magnolia Editions in Oakland, California, a former president of the World Print Council and currently sits on the board of The Graphic Art Council. Farnsworth’s work has been displayed throughout the United States and Japan. Not only an accomplished print artist, he is known internationally as a master printmaker and papermaker, and an authority on the history and manufacture of handmade paper. Farnsworth has also taught his craft widely. From 1979 to 1986 he was an Associate Professor at the California College of Arts and Crafts, in 1987 he was a Guest Associate Professor at UC Davis, and from 1988 to 1992 a Guest Associate Professor at UC Berkeley. Currently he teaches at the University of Hawaii. While Farnsworth’s pieces are architectural in nature, he pushes the limits of architectural renderings with the addition of unusual textures and designs. Adding touches like a zig-zag woven pattern or Japanese characters to otherwise traditional columns and arches makes for a style that is like no other. Farnsworth's artwork is represented in collections including: The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; The Loyola University Museum of Art, Chicago, IL; The National Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the American Craft Museum.
  • Creator:
    Donald Farnsworth (1952)
  • Creation Year:
    1987
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 38.5 in (97.79 cm)Width: 29.75 in (75.57 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    The work is in very good condition. The mat and frame are in good condition, with a very small bit of discoloration on edge of the lower bar of the frame.
  • Gallery Location:
    San Francisco, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: PM01162020-21stDibs: LU66635583352
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