Frank Bowling Art
British, b. 1936
Frank Bowling, born Richard Sheridan Franklin Bowling on February 26, 1934, in Bartica, British Guiana (now Guyana), is a pioneering artist whose career has reshaped the landscape of abstract art. Renowned for his vibrant, textured paintings and groundbreaking approach to abstraction, Bowling has spent over six decades forging a unique artistic identity that bridges personal narrative, cultural history, and formal experimentation. His journey from his early days in Guyana to becoming one of the most influential figures in contemporary art is a testament to his resilience, innovation, and commitment to his craft.
Bowling’s early life in British Guiana was marked by a fascination with art and storytelling, which later found expression in his work. In 1953, he moved to London, where he initially pursued a career in writing and acting before enrolling at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in 1959. At the RCA, Bowling studied alongside luminaries such as David Hockney and R.B. Kitaj. Although he initially explored figurative painting, his style evolved dramatically over time. He graduated in 1962, earning the prestigious Silver Medal for his work, and quickly established himself as a rising star in the British art scene.
In the mid-1960s, Bowling’s practice began to reflect his growing interest in abstraction, influenced by his exposure to American abstract expressionism during a formative visit to New York. He became increasingly preoccupied with the expressive possibilities of colour and texture, leading to his renowned "Map Paintings" in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These works feature large-scale abstract compositions overlaid with stencilled outlines of continents, exploring themes of geography, identity, and post-colonial history. The "Map Paintings" reflect Bowling’s dual identity as both Guyanese and British and mark his early efforts to merge personal experience with universal themes.
Throughout the 1970s, Bowling established studios in both London and New York, deepening his engagement with abstract art. During this period, he began experimenting with techniques such as pouring and staining paint directly onto the canvas, creating luminous works characterized by their rich, layered surfaces. This innovative approach earned him critical acclaim and positioned him as a significant figure in the New York art world, particularly among proponents of colour field painting.
Bowling’s later work continued to push boundaries, incorporating materials such as acrylic gels, gold leaf, and collaged elements. His large-scale paintings evoke a sense of movement and transformation, often inspired by his reflections on memory, migration, and the natural world. Despite the deeply personal nature of his art, Bowling’s work resonates on a universal level, inviting viewers to contemplate the interplay between colour, form, and meaning.
In 2005, Bowling was elected as a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, becoming the first Black artist to receive this honour. His contributions to art have been recognized with numerous awards and major exhibitions, including a landmark retrospective at Tate Britain in 2019. Today, his work is held in prestigious collections worldwide, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.to
2
2
2
Doughlah G.E.P., 1968-71 - Contemporary Art, Abstract Art
By Frank Bowling
Located in London, GB
Title: Doughlah G.E.P., 1968-71
Year made: 2023
Material: Giclée print on 330gsm Somerset Velvet cotton rag paper with an embossed publisher stamp
Edition of 250
It comes with COA f...
Category
2010s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Giclée
Hothead - Contemporary Art, Abstract Art
By Frank Bowling
Located in London, GB
Hothead, 2016
Giclée print on 330gsm Somerset Velvet cotton rag paper with an embossed publisher stamp
82 x 78 cm - Framed
80 x 75 cm - Sheet
Edition of 250
It comes with COA from t...
Category
2010s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Giclée
Related Items
Damier, from Derriere Le Miroir #156
By Alexander Calder
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Alexander Calder
Medium: Original lithograph
Title: Damier
Portfolio: Derriere le Miroir #156
Year: 1966
Edition: Unnumbered
Framed Size: 21 1/4" x 17 1/4"
Sheet Size: 15" x...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Lithograph
Pablo Picasso, "L'Atelier" (The Studio), 1948, lithograph, hand signed
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Pablo Picasso
L'Atelier (The Studio), 1948
Lithograph
Hand signed by artist and numbered 45/50 from an edition of 50.
Measures: 25.5 x 19.5 inches
In the artist's catalogue "Picasso Lithographe II...
Category
1940s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Lithograph
$17,500
H 25.5 in W 19.5 in
Rupprecht Geiger, Green on Orange, 1969, Screenprint, Abstract Art, Signed Print
By Rupprecht Geiger
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rupprecht Geiger (German, 1908-2009)
Orange on Yellow (from "Colour in the Round"), 1969
Medium: Silkscreen in colours, on thin cardboard
Dimensions: 28 × 26 in (71 × 66 cm)
Edition ...
Category
20th Century Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Screen
$7,121
H 27.96 in W 25.99 in
Alice Tully Hall, by Guillermo Kuitca (red abstract)
By Guillermo Kuitca
Located in New York, NY
One screen print on wove paper titled, Alice Tully Hall by Guillermo Kuitca, 2009. It is hand signed in pencil, dated and numbered from the edition of 117 (total edition includes 18 artist's proofs) The sheet size is 22 1/4 by 20 inches, with the blindstamp of the printer, Brand X Editions, New York. Published by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., New York.
This impression has a rich, bold red color on bright white paper.
Guillermo Kuitca, whose paintings and prints are often inspired by seating arrangements in theater interiors, recreates the seating chart...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Screen
Günter Fruhtrunk, Zwischen Grün - Screenprint, 1970, Op Art, Signed Print
By Gunter Fruhtrunk
Located in Hamburg, DE
Günther Fruhtrunk (German, 1923-1982)
Zwischen Grün (Between Green), 1970
Medium: Screen print on cardboard
Sheet dimensions: 62 x 83 cm
Image dimensions: 58.5 x 79 cm
Edition of 150...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Screen
$2,132
H 24.41 in W 32.68 in
Gerhard Richter, Cage P19-3 - Print, Contemporary Art, Abstract Art
By Gerhard Richter
Located in Hamburg, DE
Gerhard Richter (German, b. 1932)
Cage P19-3, 2020
Medium: Diasec-mounted Giclée print on aluminium composite panel
Dimensions: 100 × 100 × 3 cm (39 2/5 × 39 2/5 × 1 1/5 in)
Edition of 200: Numbered and labelled on verso; unsigned, as issued
Publisher: HENI Editions, London
Condition: Mint (shipped in original box)
“One of a series of Giclée prints based on Gerhard Richter’s ‘Cage...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Giclée
$34,358
H 39.38 in W 39.38 in D 1.19 in
Harriet Hoult, At-Ha, Signed Limited Edition Print Abstract Print
By Harriet Hoult
Located in Deddington, GB
Harriet Hoult
At-ha
Limited Edition Giclee Print
Edition of 50
Sheet Size: H 91cm x W 63cm x D 0.1cm
Signed by the Artist
This is a signed, Limited Edition Giclée print of the origi...
Category
2010s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Giclée
$767
H 35.83 in W 24.81 in
Rupprecht Geiger, Yellow on Orange - Signed Print, Abstract Art, Hard Edge
By Rupprecht Geiger
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rupprecht Geiger (German, 1908-2009)
Yellow on Orange, 1969
Medium: Screenprint on card stock
Dimensions: 39 x 35 cm
Edition of 60: Hand-signed and numbered
Publisher: Edition Fürnei...
Category
20th Century Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Screen
$3,258
H 15.36 in W 13.78 in
Paris-Moscou 1900-1930, Centre Pompidou: Original Exhibition Poster from 1979
By Roman Cieslewicz
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage poster for the exhibition "Paris-Moscou 1900-1930" at Centre Pompidou from 31 May - 5 November 1979 in Paris. Designed by Roman Cieslewicz (French/Polish, 1930 - 1996).
Category
20th Century Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Offset
$533
H 27.37 in W 19.69 in
Damien Hirst, Savoy (H5-8) - Signed Print, Contemporary Art, Abstract Art
By Damien Hirst
Located in Hamburg, DE
Damien Hirst (British, born 1965)
Savoy (H5-8), 2018
Medium: Diasec-mounted Giclée print on aluminum panel
Dimensions: 88.9 × 88.9 cm (35 × 35 in)
Edition of 100: Hand-signed and num...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Giclée
$22,510
H 35.01 in W 35.01 in
Carmen Herrera, Rojo y Negro - Abstract Art, Minimalism, Hard-Edge, Signed Print
By Carmen Herrera
Located in Hamburg, DE
Carmen Herrera (Cuban, b. 1915)
Rojo y Negro, 1993
Medium: Screenprint on wove paper
Dimensions: 55.7 × 48 cm (21 9/10 × 18 9/10 in)
Edition of 200 + 25 A.P.: Hand-signed, inscribed ...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Screen
Carmen HerreraCarmen Herrera, Rojo y Negro - Abstract Art, Minimalism, Hard-Edge, Signed Print, 1993
$14,809
H 21.93 in W 18.9 in
Prägedruck (from Nagelbuch-Portfolio), 20th Century, Abstract Art, Minimalism
By Guenther Uecker
Located in Hamburg, DE
Günther Uecker (German, born 1930)
Prägedruck (from Nagelbuch-Portfolio), 1970-1971
Medium: Relief print on wove paper
Dimensions: 34.6 x 34.5 cm
Edition of 500: Hand signed in pencil
Category
20th Century Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Paper
$3,435
H 13.63 in W 13.59 in
Previously Available Items
Hothead - Contemporary Art, Abstract Art
By Frank Bowling
Located in London, GB
Hothead, 2016
Giclée print on 330gsm Somerset Velvet cotton rag paper with an embossed publisher stamp
82 x 78 cm - Framed
80 x 75 cm - Sheet
Edition of 250
It comes with COA from t...
Category
2010s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Giclée
Frank Bowling, Benjamin Run - Contemporary Art, Abstract Art, Signed Print
By Frank Bowling
Located in Hamburg, DE
Sir Frank Bowling OBE, RA (b. 1934, in British Guiana)
Benjamin Run, 2020
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 76 x 49.5 cm
Edition of 40: Signed and numbered by hand
Condition: Mint
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Lithograph
Frank Bowling, Benjamin Run - Contemporary Art, Abstract Art, Signed Print
By Frank Bowling
Located in Hamburg, DE
Sir Frank Bowling OBE, RA (b. 1934, in British Guiana)
Benjamin Run, 2020
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 76 x 49.5 cm
Edition of 40: Signed and numbered by hand
Condition: Mint
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Lithograph
As If Eleven - Contemporary art, 21st Century, Abstract Art, Abstraction
By Frank Bowling
Located in Zug, CH
Frank Bowling
As If Eleven - Contemporary art, 21st Century, Abstract Art, Abstraction
2020
Screenprint
Edition of 100
76 × 60 cm
(29.92 × 23.62 in)
...
Category
2010s Abstract Frank Bowling Art
Materials
Screen
Frank Bowling art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Frank Bowling art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Frank Bowling in cotton, fabric, digital print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Frank Bowling art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Yinka Shonibare, Jennifer Baker, and Andrée B. Carter. Frank Bowling art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,159 and tops out at $6,500, while the average work can sell for $3,159.