Robert Blackburn Art

Robert Blackburn, Untitled (Abstraction II), lithograph, c. 1950, unsigned, no edition–proofs only. A superb, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 3/8 to 3 1/8 inches), in excellent condition. Image size 13 1/8 x 7 5/8 inches; sheet size 19 x 13 inches. Extremely scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Provenance: Adrienne E. Wheeler Collection, acquired from the artist. ABOUT THE ARTIST Robert Blackburn participated in the rich mix of art programs and creative groups available in Harlem as he grew up, including Charles Alston's Harlem Arts Workshop, the Harlem YMCA, and later the Harlem Artist's Guild. In 1937 he joined the WPA at the Harlem Community Art Center, the largest New York center for instruction in the arts. There he was exposed to Harlem's most prominent artists, Aaron Douglas, William Henry Johnson, and Jacob Lawrence. He studied with Will Barnet and Vaclav Vytlacil at the Art Students League, which he attended in the early 1940s on scholarship. In 1949 he founded the Printmaking Workshop, an artist's cooperative modeled on Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. Blackburn's ongoing commitment to the workshop and his innovative approach to the art of lithography was critical in shaping the development of the medium. In his capacity as master printmaker, Blackburn collaborated with many major American artists, including Romare Bearden, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, and Helen Frankenthaler. From an early age, Blackburn was the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including the Frederick Douglas...

Robert Blackburn, 'Untitled (Abstraction I)', lithograph, c. 1950, unsigned, no edition–proofs only. A superb, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 3/8 to 4 3/4 inches), in excellent condition. Extremely scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 10 x 8 1/8 inches; sheet size 19 x 13 inches. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Provenance: Adrienne E. Wheeler Collection, acquired from the artist. ABOUT THE ARTIST Robert Blackburn participated in the rich mix of art programs and creative groups available in Harlem as he grew up, including Charles Alston's Harlem Arts Workshop, the Harlem YMCA, and later the Harlem Artist's Guild. In 1937 he joined the WPA at the Harlem Community Art Center, the largest New York center for instruction in the arts. There he was exposed to Harlem's most prominent artists, Aaron Douglas, William Henry Johnson, and Jacob Lawrence. He studied with Will Barnet and Vaclav Vytlacil at the Art Students League, which he attended in the early 1940s on scholarship. In 1949 he founded the Printmaking Workshop, an artist's cooperative modeled on Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. Blackburn's ongoing commitment to the workshop and his innovative approach to the art of lithography was critical in shaping the development of the medium. In his capacity as master printmaker, Blackburn collaborated with many major American artists, including Romare Bearden, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, and Helen Frankenthaler. From an early age, Blackburn was the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including the Frederick Douglas...