SAM GILLIAM "FIRE" LITHOGRAPH, 1971

Sam Gilliam (1933-2022) is one of America’s most prominent abstract painters.

Initially associated with the color-field painters in Washington DC, Gilliam has had a lengthy and dynamic career introducing ground-breaking techniques throughout his long career.
 
Born in Mississippi, Gilliam studied at the University of Louisville and later relocated to DC and worked among artists such as Thomas Downing, Morris Louis, and Kenneth Noland.
 
The artist’s practice has constantly evolved in style and material. While consistent in his expressive and gestural use of color, Gilliam has worked with painted canvas, watercolors, and prints.
 
“Fire” displays the artist’s characteristic flow application of color. The resulting panels of color interact but remain formally distinct.
 
Much like Gilliam’s watercolor works of the same period, the handmade paper is a defining characteristic of this print. The created forms are dictated in part by the unique properties of the paper medium.
 
This print was created by Master Printer, John Hutcheson, who collaborated with artists of the period such as Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Motherwell. Hutcheson’s prints can be found in museum collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, and MoMA.
 
In the last four years, Gilliam’s work has enjoyed a significant renaissance; galleries and institutions across North America are mounting solo exhibitions of the artist. Additionally, the Kunstmuseum Basel is hosting the first major European retrospective of the artist in July.

This work can be found in the permanent collection of The National Gallery of Art (Washington DC)

Questions about this artwork? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720  

Color lithograph on handmade paper 

Signed and dated by artist

(Printer's Proof) 

19 5/8"H 26"W

Very good condition