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Leon Polk Smith Art

American, 1906-1996
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.
(Biography provided by Betsy Senior Fine Art)
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Dealer: Betsy Senior Fine Art
Untitled (Tondo) A
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
A screen print on paper by American artist Leon Polk Smith. Edition of 80
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Color Forms (F)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1974, screenprint, 33 x 23 1/4 inches, edition of 150
Category

1970s Color-Field Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled, from the portfolio formen der farbe
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
A silkscreen on paper from American artist Leon Polk Smith.
Category

Mid-20th Century Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Untitled (Tamarind O )
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
A Leon Polk Smith Lithograph print on paper from 1968 with a Mid-century modern sense of style.
Category

Mid-20th Century Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview C
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1949-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tondo) C
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
A screen print on paper by American artist Leon Polk Smith. Edition of 80.
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview D
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1949-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tamarind H)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, Lithograph on paper, 23 x 17 1/2 inches, edition of 20
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Color Forms (B)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1974, screenprint, 33 x 23 1/4 inches, edition of 150
Category

1970s Color-Field Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Color Forms (G)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1974, screenprint, 33 x 23 1/4 inches, edition of 150
Category

1970s Color-Field Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tamarind J)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, lithograph on paper, edition of 20
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview B
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1947-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview J
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1983-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tamarind K)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, Lithograph on paper, 30 x 22 inches, edition of 20
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Color Forms (A)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1974, screenprint, 33 x 23 1/4 inches, edition of 150
Category

1970s Color-Field Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview G
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1970-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tamarind C)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, lithograph on paper, 30 x 21 1/8 inches, edition of 20
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Color Forms (E)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1974, screenprint, 33 x 23 1/4 inches, edition of 150
Category

1970s Color-Field Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tamarind M)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, Lithograph on paper, 30 5/16 x 22 3/8 inches, edition of 20
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview E
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1952-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview A
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1947-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Werkubersicht/Work-Overview F
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1962-1987, serigraph on paper, 46 1/2 x 32 inches, edition of 90
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled (Tamarind A)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, lithograph on paper, edition of 11
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Tamarind B)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1968, lithograph on paper, 29 3/4 x 19 3/4 inches, edition of 20
Category

1960s Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Lithograph

Color Forms (D)
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in New York, NY
1974, screenprint, edition of 150
Category

1970s Color-Field Leon Polk Smith Art

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As he explored various techniques, he became an expert in serigraphs, earning himself acclaim in Latin America as a pioneer. In South America he traveled the continent giving classes and learning about native cultures. When he returned to the land of his youth, he was inspired to create the concept of the entire world in the Museo Vial in El Tigre in 1982. Later he made others along the route between Colombia and Venezuela. Recently he has been creating and realizing ideas like the Museo de Murales a Cielo Abierto (Museum of Murals to the Open Sky). Detailed biographical information (source: artist's website): Rafael Bogarín was born in El Tigre, Anzoátegui state, Venezuela, on January 20, 1946. He studied at the Cristóbal Rojas School, which he finished in 1966; Among his teachers are Luis Guevara Moreno, Pedro León Zapata, Luisa Palacios and Luis Chacón. Upon returning from school he founded the Zapato Roto group with other artists, with the aim of taking art to the streets. In 1966 he directed the outdoor exhibitions of the Venezuelan American Center, and two years later he participated in the XXVIII Official Salon, where he received the Rome Prize. During that time he ordered elements such as nuts and serrated blades in relation to discs engraved with burin and other techniques, and made the final impression in planes of one color. In 1970 he received a scholarship and traveled to New York; He studies at the Pratt Graphic Center and the Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. In 1973 he founded, together with Manuel Kohn, the Bogarín Printmaking Workshop, a workplace for Venezuelan artists living in the United States; This workshop, of which he has been master printer, allowed continuity to his artistic work. Bogarín investigates the possibilities of super eight cinema and makes films with quality similar to commercial formats; From these experiences emerge The Lonely World (1975) and New World Symphony (1976). In 1977 he deepened his study of color with The New Color, a portfolio where he produced superimposed colors through transparencies and glazes. His teaching experience includes courses at the Rafael Monasterios School of Plastic Arts in Maracay (1969-1970), Ceagraf (1979), as well as workshops in various cities around the world. In 1980 he made an exhibition of silkscreen prints in cities in Italy, El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico and the United States. That year he resumed his interest in outdoor exhibitions with a museum project with murals by 30 artists for El Tigre (Venezuela); The Rafael Bogarín Road Museum was inaugurated in 1982 and brought together 30 murals on 2 x 4 meter fences, by artists such as Mario Toral, Édgar Sánchez and Paul Davis. He carried out the project to recover the architectural spaces of El Tigre (Venezuela), through murals, sculptures, plazas and humanized spaces. In 2006 he painted the largest painted flag in the world in El Tigre, Venezuela. Bogarín has exhibited his work on all 5 continents and currently lives and works in Panama City in his private workshop and in the Articruz workshop. Individual exhibitions Ø 1966. Gallery of the Medical College. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1966. Venezuelan American Center. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1970. Protobello Gallery. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1977. First National Bank of Louisville. Luosville, Kentucky, USA. Ø 1978. Venezuela Gallery. New York City, USA. Ø 1979. Julián Marchena Room, Museum of Costa Rica. San Jose Costa Rica. Ø 1979. La Otra Banda Gallery. Merida, Venezuela. Ø 1980. Galeter Center. Adro, Italy. Ø 1980. Gallery of Modern Art. Santo Domingo Dominican Republic. Ø 1980. Jewish Community Center. Monmouth, New Jersey, USA. Ø 1980. Frank Fedele Fine Arts. New York City, USA. Ø 1980. El Túnel Gallery. Guatemala, Guatemala. Ø 1981. Garcés – Velásquez Gallery. Bogota Colombia. Ø 1982. Siete Siete Gallery. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1984. Acquavella Gallery. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1985. Cultural Center. Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Ø 1992. Sotage Gallery, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. Ø 2017. Arteconsult Gallery. Panama City, Panama. Awards Ø 1969. Rome Prize. XXIX Official Salon of Venezuelan Art, Museum of Fine Arts. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1971. Honorable mention. First Young Artists' Salon. Maracay, Venezuela. Ø 1984. First prize, Salón Aragua. Maracay, Venezuela. Murals Ø 1974. Venezuelan Consulate. New York City, USA. Ø 1982. Creator of the First Road Museum in the World. El Tigre, Venezuela. Ø 1983. Road Museum. Roldanillo, Colombia. Ø 1984. Bicentennial Road Museum. Cucuta, Colombia. Ø 2000. Ceramic mural. Dairy, Venezuela. Group exhibitions Ø 1963 to 1966. Spiral Gallery. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1966. El Pez Dorado Gallery. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1966. “Zapato Roto” Festival. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1967. D´Empaire Hall. Maracaibo Venezuela. Ø 1970. Drawings and engravings room. Central University of Venezuela. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1966 and 1971. Arturo Michelena Hall. Valencia, Venezuela. Ø 1966 to 1968. Annual Venezuelan Art Salon. Museum of Fine Arts. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1968. Luis Ángel Arango Library. Bogota Colombia. Ø 1969. Tertulia Room. Cali, Colombia. Ø 1969. Lunn Gallery. Washington, DC, USA. Ø 1969. Gallery of Visual Arts. Maracay, Venezuela. Ø 1970. Venezuelan Cultural Week. Miami and Jamaica. Ø 1972. Two Rivers Gallery. Binghampton, New York City, USA. Ø 1972. Moos Gallery. Montreal, Canada. Ø 1973. Spoleto Festival. Italy. Ø 1974. Young Artists, Union Carbide Building. New York City, USA. Ø 1975. Government of Caracas. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1975. Graphic VII, Mendoza Gallery. Caracas Venezuela. Ø 1976. Brooke Alexander Gallery. New York City, USA. Ø 1977. Denise Rene Gallery. New York City, USA. Ø 1978. Sam Flax...
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Jupiter 4
Jupiter 4
H 22.5 in W 28.5 in D 0.1 in

Leon Polk Smith art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Leon Polk Smith art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art 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, purple, green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Leon Polk Smith in screen print, lithograph, paper 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 Leon Polk Smith art, so small editions measuring 18 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Kyohei Inukai, Charles Hinman, and Peter Halley. Leon Polk Smith art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,000 and tops out at $58,000, while the average work can sell for $7,500.

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