ELLSWORTH KELLY "YELLOW OVER BLACK" 1964

Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015) is one of the masters of American minimalism, renowned for his signature hypnotic shapes realized in bold saturated colors. Like many artists who had served in the US military during WWII, Kelly took advantage of the G.I. Bill and moved to Paris in the late 1940s before returning to the US in 1954. Kelly's work was profoundly shaped by his years in Paris. Encounters with artists including Joan Miró, Jean Arp, and Constantin Brancusi reinforced his interest in organic forms and distilled geometry. By the end of the decade, he had established his reputation as part of the new wave of artists rejecting the dominance of abstract expressionism in American art. Kelly was notably included in the legendary exhibition 16 Americans at the MoMA (NYC) By the mid-1960s, Kelly had established himself as a leading American painter and sculptor when he began his lifelong relationship with printmaking. In 1964 he exhibited in Paris at Galerie Maeght, whose owners, Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, were also important publishers of fine art prints. They helped Kelly produce his debut prints, Suite of Twenty-Seven Color Lithographs 1964-65, which this striking print comes form. Rather than reproducing existing paintings, Kelly approached printmaking independently and ambitiously, carefully calibrating ink, paper, and composition through close collaboration with master printers. This iconic lithograph is represented in numerous public collections such as The MoMA, New York; The MFA H, Houston; and the Tate Modern, London, among others. Kelly's work can be found in every major American permanent collection in addition to the Centre Pompidou (Paris) the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (Madrid), Tate Modern (London), and the National Gallery (Ottawa). Questions about this artwork? Email us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery. "Jaune sur Noir" (Yellow over Black) from Suite of Twenty-Seven Color Lithographs Paris, 1964-65 One from a series of twenty-seven lithographs on BFK Rives wove paper Signed "Kelly" and numbered "71/75" in pencil, lower edges Edition of 75 35.25"H 23.5"W (work) 41"H 30"W (framed) Published by Maeght Éditeur, Paris Printed by: Maeght Imprimerie, Levallois-Perret Detailed condition report by request. Overall very good condition Catalogue Raisonné: Axsom 23