Premium Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin
400
-
American Modernism Kelly, Ellsworth
Ten lithographs.
See original version (German)
400
-
American Modernism Kelly, Ellsworth
Ten lithographs.
See original version (German)
Estimate €1,200 - €1,600
Voluntary lot
Description
American Modernism
Kelly, Ellsworth
Ten lithographs. (Sample portfolio). 1970. Each lithograph on smooth vellum. Each 24 × 16.2 cm. Each with a typographic title and inscribed ‘Copyright Gemini G.E.L. 1970’. - In the original publisher’s folder. - Magnificent, vibrantly coloured and velvety prints with a delicate border line.
Published by Gemini G.E.L. Graphic Editions Limited. Printed by Blair Litho, Los Angeles. - An expressive portfolio bringing together ten colour lithographs by the Hard-Edge artist in reproduced format, showcasing his focus on pure colour and simple form in a condensed manner. In these lithographs, Kelly works with extremely flat, uniform areas of colour within clearly defined geometric shapes, such as narrow, vertically stacked rectangles or slightly ‘skewed’ squares. The colour pairs – ‘Blue/Green’, ‘Red-Orange/Yellow/Blue’, ‘Black/White/Black’ or ‘Orange/Green’ – create strong contrasts without being ‘animated’ by internal detailing or modulation. Here, Kelly creates tension solely through the relationship between the colour fields. The motifs of the ‘Ten Lithographs’, to which the ‘Sample Portfolio’ refers, are derived from paintings and sculptures which Kelly had created between 1967 and 1970; the prints are therefore not mere reproductions, but a media-based ‘translation’ of the pictorial ideas he had developed up to that point. In retrospect, the portfolio demonstrates how consistently Kelly pursued his fundamental principles – reduction, pure colour, simple form – even within the medium of printmaking, conceiving them as series in which the slightest shifts in colour and proportion lead to new visual experiences. The Sample Portfolio thus exemplifies Kelly’s understanding of printmaking not as reproduction, but as an equally valid realm of artistic invention within his overall body of work.
Each lithograph on smooth velin. Each with a typographic title and inscribed ‘Copyright Gemini G.E.L. 1970.’ – In the original publisher’s folder. – Magnificent, vibrantly coloured, velvety prints with a delicate border. Published by Gemini G.E.L. Graphic Editions Limited. Printed by Blair Litho, Los Angeles. – A striking portfolio bringing together ten colour lithographs by the Hard-Edge artist in a reproduced format, showcasing his focus on pure colour and simple form in a condensed presentation. In these lithographs, Kelly works with extremely flat, uniform areas of colour in clearly defined geometric shapes, such as narrow, vertically stacked rectangles or slightly ‘skewed’ squares. The colour pairs – ‘Blue/Green’, ‘Red-Orange/Yellow/Blue’, ‘Black/White/Black’, or ‘Orange/Green’—create strong contrasts without being ‘animated’ by internal lines or modulation. Here, Kelly generates tension solely from the relationship between the colour fields. The motifs of the ‘Ten Lithographs’, to which the ‘Sample Portfolio’ refers, are derived from paintings and sculptures that Kelly created between 1967 and 1970; the prints are thus not mere reproductions, but a medium-specific ‘translation’ of his pictorial ideas developed up to that point. In retrospect, the portfolio demonstrates how consistently Kelly pursued his fundamental ideas—reduction, pure colour, simple form—even in the medium of printmaking, conceiving them as series in which the slightest shifts in colour and proportion lead to new visual experiences. This sample portfolio thus exemplifies Kelly’s view of printmaking not as mere reproduction, but as an equally valid avenue for artistic invention within his body of work.
*This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This work is subject to the standard margin scheme. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is charged on the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) is charged on the final invoice amount within the European Union.
See original version (German)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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