Lyman Kipp, Untitled Minimalist painting on paper (signed and inscribed to renowned curator Gene Baro), 1964

Lyman Kipp

Untitled Minimalist Painting, 1964

Ink roller on paper

14 × 21 1/2 inches

Hand signed and dated by Lyman Kipp on the front; inscribed on the back

This painting on paper is by pioneering Minimalist Lyman Kipp, one of the original founders of ConStruct, the artist-owned gallery that promoted and organized large-scale sculpture exhibitions throughout the United States. Other founding members include Mark di Suvero (a flamboyant self-taught former construction worker known for his bombastic industrial steel I-Beam works), his protege John Raymond Henry, and constructivist masters Kenneth Snelson, and Charles (Chuck) Ginnever. However, Lyman Kipp, the most under-recognized of that group, is arguably one of the best. His work is pure Minimalism, celebrated in the groundbreaking 1966 group show "Primary Structures" at the Jewish Museum. Kipp is known for his use of strong vertical and horizontal strokes and objects in his compositions, as exemplified in this exquisite work on paper.

Inscription:
to GENE
January 1965
KIPP

Provenance: Estate of Gene Baro, Bennington College, Bennington VT

Gene Baro was born in New York City in 1924. He authored five books, including Beat Poets (1954), Claes Oldenburg (1969), and Nevelson (1974). His poetry and short stories were published in a wide variety of journals, including The New Yorker, and his largest poetry collection was published in Poetry Today VI as “Northwind.” He was most well-known for his work as a curator and art exhibition organizer. His exhibitions, over 150 in total, were widespread; he curated displays at the Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Museum, and Carnegie International. He was also the director of the Corcoran Gallery. Baro died in 1982.