STANLEY BOXER "HOTREELINGWINTEREDFEATHERSLULLED" 1977
Stanley Boxer (1926-2000) was an American artist renowned for his materially dense abstract paintings. Over four decades, his work redefined the possibilities of abstraction. Based in New York City, Boxer defined the conventions of his era. He trained at the famed Arts Students League after returning from WWII. Catching the eye of renowned critic Clement Greenberg, Boxer was often identified alongside the Color Field painters. However, he rejected this label (and any label), favouring a practice centred on materiality, texture and process. Within his diverse output (including painting, sculpture, collage, and printmaking), Boxer navigated the various artistic ideologies of the time while maintaining a unique identity, marked by radiant and nuanced surfaces. He referred to himself as a "practitioner," emphasizing practice as the key to excelling at art-making. Inspired by the German language and poets like e.e.cummings, Boxer titled his works by stringing together words without punctuation, spacing. He used these ambiguous, run-on titles in an attempt to verbally echo his gestures and process. Boxer was known to incorporate unconventional material (like string, sand, or glitter) on to the surface of his paintings. By folding diverse elements into his thick impasto-painted canvas, Boxer offers an abstract consideration of pattern, texture, and color. Here, swathes of paint are emphasized and shadowed by their application. Subtle and captivating, this work perfectly exemplifies his -- in our opinion -- most effective period of production. We would argue that Boxer is at his best in the late 1970's / early 80's, where he presents nearly monochromatic surfaces mysteriously realized with a heavy impasto. See another impactful painting from this era here. Boxer's work is held in many notable public collections throughout the United States, including the Albright-Knox Art Museum, Buffalo; the Des Moines Art Center, Iowa; the Hirshhorn and the Kemper, Washington, DC; the MET and the Guggenheim, New York; the SFMoMA, San Francisco; and the Tate, London, among others. Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery. "HOTREELINGWINTEREDFEATHERSLULLED" USA, 1977 Signed and dated, verso Oil on linen 35"H 95"W Very good condition