Collage was an important part of Louise Nevelson's practice. The process mirrored her approach to sculpture; taking disparate elements and assembling or uniting them into a complex whole.
Similar to many of her American contemporaries, Nevelson delved into printmaking. She worked with the leading printing studios in America adopting new techniques while expanding her aesthetic and oeuvre considerably.
This collage was the final maquette or design, that would be screen printed becoming "By the Lake" (from "Façade: In Homage to Edith Sitwell"). Nevelson worked with Chiron Press in New York, which had opened in 1962 and was just a stone's throw from her 11th Street home studio.
The works in this series were dedicated to the British poet Edith Sitwell who passed away in 1964. Sitwell had published a book of abstract poems titled Façade, the poems' rhythms were counterparts to music set by the famed English composer, William Walton. Façades became a form of entertainment as Sitwell's poems would be read aloud to Walton's music, ultimately being made into a ballet.
Drawing inspiration from her favorite Sitwell poems, Nevelson created stunning photo collages of her own sculptures. These maquettes were then silkscreened onto paper, creating a mixture of abstraction and still life, mirroring the merging of poetry and music of Sitwell's Façade's.
This particular maquette has a few variations from the final print. Most notably the stark background is replaced with a cerulean blue and Nevelson's hand-written notes vanish. "By the Lake" is the only work in the series that appears on this muted blue background. This bold primary color is an anomaly in Nevelson's world.
This piece presents a rare opportunity to acquire an iconic collage by Nevelson at an affordable and accessible price.
Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment.
"By the Lake"
USA, 1966
Photographic collage on card stock with handwritten notations
23.5"H 20"W (work)
26.75"H 23"W (framed)
Framed with museum glass
Very good condition.
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