Al Held Paintings
American, 1928-2005
Alvin Jacob Held, (1928-2005) Al Held earned his slot in the annals of American contemporary art with his bold, geometric canvases that took abstraction to another level. His free-floating, interlocked cubes, and planes invited the viewer into a vertigo-inducing landscape that seemed to stretch on into infinity. "Immense architectural structures curve and slice through these complex paintings, often enmeshing themselves in cellular structures," noted the Times of London. "Viewers felt that they were exploring some mysterious universe, and Held never lost his passionate belief in abstract painting's ability to create a sublime new world."
Held grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and as a teenager, missed so many days of high school that it was suggested he consider leaving altogether. He eventually earned a night-school diploma, and spent two years in the U.S. Navy. Back in New York City, he enrolled in classes at the Art Students League, and went on to study at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in the early 1950s. The first solo exhibition of his work was staged there, in 1952 at the Galerie Huit. Held's abstract work took on a more orderly, formal tone, aided by a switch from oil to acrylic paints in 1959, and he had his first solo show in New York City that same year at the Poindexter Gallery. "Finessing the gap between Minimalism and Color Field painting," wrote New York Times journalist Ken Johnson of the next decade of Held's career, "he produced smooth, simplified works based on enlarged letters of the alphabet. And in the late '60s and '70s he made complex black-and-white pictures of sharply outlined cubes, pyramids, and other geometric shapes floating in illusory spaces of indeterminate depth."
Some of Held's best-known works are those floating black and white cubes, a series he began in 1967. One of the largest, which stretches more than 90 feet in length, was installed at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York. In the late 1970s, in an abrupt shift, he began using color again, and the geometric shapes became so precise that they were sometimes mistaken for computer-generated art. Held considered his images not unlike those of religious art, once telling an interviewer that "historically, the priests and wise men believed that it was the artist's job to make images of heaven and hell believable, even though nobody had experienced these places," he said, according to his Chicago Tribune obituary.
Held spent 20 years teaching at Yale University's. Represented by the Robert Miller Gallery in New York City, which staged what would be his last exhibition of new work in 2003, Held's works were avidly sought by contemporary-art enthusiasts around the world, and were part of the permanent collections of many institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.
— Carol Brennanto
1
2
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
2
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
12
787
690
651
578
2
1
2
1
Artist: Al Held
Untitled "A"
By Al Held
Located in London, GB
Price: $75,000 (+5% import VAT)
Provenance:
Robert Miller Gallery, New York
Private collection, New York (acquired from the above in 1980)
Exhibited:
Montpellier, Musee Fabre, "...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Untitled "D"
By Al Held
Located in London, GB
Signed and dated 'Al Held 61' (lower right)
Price: $75,000 (+5% import VAT)
Provenance:
Robert Miller Gallery, New York (stock no.1179359 HELD-0075)
Private collection, New York
Private collection, New York (acquired from the above in 2012)
Exhibited:
New York, Queens Museum; Norfolk, Virginia, Chrysler Museum; Maine, Portland Museum of Art; Miami Beach, Bass Museum of Art; Washington, D.C., The Phillips Collection...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Scholes II
By Al Held
Located in New York, NY
This screenprint was created by the artist in 1991. Signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 80 measuring 29 x 34 in. (73.7 x 86.4 cm.). Published by The Metropolitan Museu...
Category
20th Century Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Screen
Related Items
Teal Ribbons and Gold Squares Lithograph
By Patricia A. Pearce
Located in Soquel, CA
Delicate and layered Collotype on heavy bond paper by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). The background is a lithograph, and the ribbons have been painted by hand over the top. ...
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pencil, Lithograph
Large Gary Denmark Contemporary Abstract Flora Monotype Print Monoprint Artist
Located in Surfside, FL
Gary Denmark (American, born 1953).
A monotype art print on Arches paper.
Titled, "Being in Salgadoland," produced 1993.
An abstract work with shapes and designs, including flora, honeycomb patterns, and other forms.
Hand signed lower right Gary.
Provenance: Hunsaker Schlesinger Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA. Bears gallery label with title, details verso as per photo. Thus is being sold unframed.
The artist's work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington,D.C.).
Work Size: 29 x 29 in. Framed dimensions: 31.5 X 31.5 X 1.5 in.
Gary Denmark, California, 1953-
Education: M.F.A. Degree, 1981, Graphics, University of Wisconsin, Madison
B.F.A. Degree, 1976, Fine Arts, San Diego State University
He worked as a master printer in Monotype, Lithograph, serigraph and monoprint techniques at Aurobora Press (they published Roberto Juarez, Lynda Benglis and Pat Lipsky...
Category
1990s Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Monotype
H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 1.5 in
Original Print Poster by Nicolas de Stael, Oeuvre Gravé, 1979
By Nicolas de Stael (after)
Located in Pasadena, CA
Nicolas DE STAEL, Oeuvre gravé, Bibliotheque Nationale Exhibition, 1979
Original print poster, size is framed
Excellent condition
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Al Held Paintings
Materials
Offset, Screen
When You Love Someone!. From the Origin series
By Casey Waterman
Located in Miami Beach, FL
They were created as an investigation into the beginnings of the current human social conditions with a focus on materiality and evolutionary information gathered from Paul Shepards ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Gold, Gold Leaf
François Morellet, Untitled - 1972, Signed Print, Geometric Abstraction, Op Art
By Francois Morellet
Located in Hamburg, DE
François Morellet (French, 1926-2016)
Untitled (from 6. Kölner Kunstmarkt 72), 1972
Medium: Screenprint on paper
Edition of 180: Hand-signed
Dimensions: 45 x 65 cm
Condition: Excellent
Category
1970s Abstract Al Held Paintings
Materials
Screen
Abstract Modernist Colorful Bold Monoprint Monotype Painting Print Pierre Obando
By Pierre Obando
Located in Surfside, FL
Pierre Andre Obando creates process oriented abstract paintings. He was born in Belize City, Belize and grew up in the Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Miami, Fl and Jackson, MS.
Pierre Obando completed his MFA at Hunter College and completed his undergraduate studies at New World School of the Arts, Miami, Fl. His work was featured in the Queens International Biennial in 2004, and 2006 at the Queens Museum of Art. His work has been in group exhibitions at Angela Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY; Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY; MACO Mexico Art Fair in Mexico City; Nina Freudenheim Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Royale Projects, Indian Wells, CA; The Painting Center, New York, NY; and Dean Project, New York, NY. In 2008, he had a solo exhibition at Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY and in 2009, at project space show at Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY. He has participated in the Atlantic Center for the Arts Artists-in-Residence Program. In the fall of 2012, he participated in the group show Caribe Now, at the Nathan Cumming Foundation, which was organized by El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY. Contemporary Pattern and Decoration piece, The original movement was championed by the gallery owner Holly Solomon. The P&D movement wanted to revive an interest in minor forms such as patterning which at that point was equated with triviality. The prevailing negative view of decoration was one not generally shared by non-Western cultures, The Pattern and Decoration movement was influenced by sources outside of what was considered to be fine art. Blurring the line between art and design, many P&D works mimic patterns like those on wallpapers, printed fabrics, and quilts. There is a close connection between the Pattern and Decoration movement and the Feminist art movement. The P&D movement arose in opposition to the Minimalist and Conceptualist movements. Mary Grigoriadis, Valerie Jaudon, Joyce Kozloff, Miriam Schapiro, Robert Zakanitch were early proponents of this style. The artist lives and works in New York City.
Education:
2001 MFA, Painting, Hunter College, New York, NY
2000 Study Abroad, Slade School, UCL, London, United Kingdom
1997 BFA, Painting, New World School of The Arts, Miami, FL
Solo Exhibitions:
2015 ‘Like New’, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY
2009 ‘Nowhere’, Rush Arts, New York, NY
2008 ‘Noise’, Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY
Group Exhibitions:
2018 ‘Revival: Contemporary Pattern and Decoration’, El Museo at Hostos, Bronx, NY
Including artists: Abelardo Cruz Santiago Pierre Obando Antonio Pulgarín Keisha Scarville Mickalene Thomas and others.
2017 Locust Projects Contemporary in Miami benefit auction including artists Dara Friedman, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Larry Bell, and more
2017 ‘Browsing Chamber’, Torch Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015 ‘#BemisPainters, 1982-2015’, Bemis Center, Omaha, NE
2015 ‘Spat Spell’, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY
2013 ‘Un-Natural Constellations’, Newman Popiashvili Gallery, New York, NY
2012 ‘Caribe Now’, Nathan Cummings Foundation/El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY
2012 ‘Lucid Fence’, Dean Project, New York, NY
2012 ‘Abstract Gambol’, Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY
2012 ‘Reenacting Sense’, Yace Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2010 ‘Continuing Color Abstraction’, The Painting Center, New York, NY
2009 ‘West/East’, Royale Projects, Indian Wells, CA
2009 ‘Alternative Abstraction’, Nina Freudenheim Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Including works by Stephen Antonakos, Warren Isensee, Gary Lang, Melissa Meyer and Katherine Sehr...
Category
1990s Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Monoprint, Monotype
Open Your Heart Large Abstract Expressionism
By Keith Carrington
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Open Your Heart Large Abstract Expressionism
Nitro-acrylic on canvas gallery wrap, unstretched canvas it can be rolled up for shipping.
Ke...
Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Al Held Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Modernist Colorful Bold Monoprint Monotype Painting Print Pierre Obando
By Pierre Obando
Located in Surfside, FL
Pierre Andre Obando creates process oriented abstract paintings. He was born in Belize City, Belize and grew up in the Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Miami, Fl and Jackson, MS.
Pierre Obando completed his MFA at Hunter College and completed his undergraduate studies at New World School of the Arts, Miami, Fl. His work was featured in the Queens International Biennial in 2004, and 2006 at the Queens Museum of Art. His work has been in group exhibitions at Angela Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY; Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY; MACO Mexico Art Fair in Mexico City; Nina Freudenheim Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Royale Projects, Indian Wells, CA; The Painting Center, New York, NY; and Dean Project, New York, NY. In 2008, he had a solo exhibition at Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY and in 2009, at project space show at Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY. He has participated in the Atlantic Center for the Arts Artists-in-Residence Program. In the fall of 2012, he participated in the group show Caribe Now, at the Nathan Cumming Foundation, which was organized by El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY. Contemporary Pattern and Decoration piece, The original movement was championed by the gallery owner Holly Solomon. The P&D movement wanted to revive an interest in minor forms such as patterning which at that point was equated with triviality. The prevailing negative view of decoration was one not generally shared by non-Western cultures, The Pattern and Decoration movement was influenced by sources outside of what was considered to be fine art. Blurring the line between art and design, many P&D works mimic patterns like those on wallpapers, printed fabrics, and quilts. There is a close connection between the Pattern and Decoration movement and the Feminist art movement. The P&D movement arose in opposition to the Minimalist and Conceptualist movements. Mary Grigoriadis, Valerie Jaudon, Joyce Kozloff, Miriam Schapiro, Robert Zakanitch were early proponents of this style. The artist lives and works in New York City.
Education:
2001 MFA, Painting, Hunter College, New York, NY
2000 Study Abroad, Slade School, UCL, London, United Kingdom
1997 BFA, Painting, New World School of The Arts, Miami, FL
Solo Exhibitions:
2015 ‘Like New’, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY
2009 ‘Nowhere’, Rush Arts, New York, NY
2008 ‘Noise’, Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY
Group Exhibitions:
2018 ‘Revival: Contemporary Pattern and Decoration’, El Museo at Hostos, Bronx, NY
Including artists: Abelardo Cruz Santiago Pierre Obando Antonio Pulgarín Keisha Scarville Mickalene Thomas and others.
2017 Locust Projects Contemporary in Miami benefit auction including artists Dara Friedman, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Larry Bell, and more
2017 ‘Browsing Chamber’, Torch Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015 ‘#BemisPainters, 1982-2015’, Bemis Center, Omaha, NE
2015 ‘Spat Spell’, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY
2013 ‘Un-Natural Constellations’, Newman Popiashvili Gallery, New York, NY
2012 ‘Caribe Now’, Nathan Cummings Foundation/El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY
2012 ‘Lucid Fence’, Dean Project, New York, NY
2012 ‘Abstract Gambol’, Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY
2012 ‘Reenacting Sense’, Yace Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2010 ‘Continuing Color Abstraction’, The Painting Center, New York, NY
2009 ‘West/East’, Royale Projects, Indian Wells, CA
2009 ‘Alternative Abstraction’, Nina Freudenheim Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Including works by Stephen Antonakos, Warren Isensee, Gary Lang, Melissa Meyer and Katherine Sehr...
Category
1990s Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Monoprint, Monotype
Contemporary Abstract Landscape Monotype Painting Sarah Amos
By Sarah Amos
Located in Surfside, FL
Sarah Amos(Contemporary Australian/American)
Untitled Monotype,
1995
Monotype or painting on paper
12 x 9 inches on a 22.25 x 15 inches sheet size,
Hand signed and dated lower right
Provenance: Garner Tullis Workshop
This appears as a abstract expressionist landscape or seacape. A lovely, moody, piece
Sarah Amos, originally from Australia, lives in Vermont, and maintains an active International and National exhibition schedule. Sarah left Australia, after receiving a BFA in Printmaking from RMIT, to attend the Tamarind Institute of Lithography in New Mexico. In 1992 she became a certified Tamarind Master Printer in Lithography working with Joyce Kozloff and Barton Lidice Benes . In 1998 Sarah became the Master Printer for the Vermont Studio Center Press until 2008 and during this time she also received an MFA from the University of Northern Vermont. Sarah has been an Adjunct Professor at Dartmouth, Williams and Bennington Colleges teaching Printmaking and Drawing since 2007. She has led workshops on monoprint collagraph printing techniques with Joel Janowitz...
Category
1990s Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Monotype
'Breaking News' - Small Colorful Mixed Media Contemporary Abstract
By Steven H. Rehfeld
Located in Carmel, CA
Steven Rehfeld's 24" x 24" contemporary abstract mixed media artwork is a captivating blend of vibrant hues and textures. The piece showcases a diverse palette encompassing vivid red...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Al Held Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
H 24 in W 24 in D 1.5 in
"Pure Joy!" Green Mixed Media Collage Contemporary Abstract Expressionist
Located in Carmel, CA
"Pure Joy!" is a 36" x 36" mixed media masterpiece by Lorraine Lawson, celebrated for her abstract expressionist vigor. This piece is a harmonious conf...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Al Held Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
H 36 in W 36 in D 1.5 in
Sans titre, original lithograph
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is from my private collection of early to mid 20th Century artists. It is in very good condition and is a limited edition signed by the artist.
Category
20th Century Contemporary Al Held Paintings
Materials
Color, Lithograph
Previously Available Items
Camerata XVI
By Al Held
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Al Held (1928-2005) was one of the most prominent and successful American artists. associated with the hard-edge painting. He was a pioneer in the evolution of abstraction and redefi...
Category
1980s Abstract Geometric Al Held Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Al Held paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Al Held paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Al Held in paint, acrylic paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Al Held paintings, so small editions measuring 24 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Larry Zox, Larry Poons, and Joseph Glasco. Al Held paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $75,000 and tops out at $100,000, while the average work can sell for $75,000.